Rachel Allen on a Fork

BuilderPlumber

With so much cookery on the telly and papers at the moment, sometimes I get worried that Rachel Allen will appear on my fork and start cooking in my kitchen!

bigneacy

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

With so much cookery on the telly and papers at the moment, sometimes I get worried that Rachel Allen will appear on my fork and start cooking in my kitchen!

How are you so drunk so early?

BuilderPlumber

bigneacy wrote: »

How are you so drunk so early?

LOL:)

Skid X

I would agree you about there being too many chefs - cooking, celebrity cooking competitions, amateur cooking competitions, Chefs shouting at people who can't cook - way too many near identical programmes at the moment.

I can't advise you on what to do if Rachel Allen appears on your fork, though. She'd probably be 'yummy', but you might feel guilty afterwards!

grey_so_what

Skid X wrote: »

I would agree you about there being too many chefs - cooking, celebrity cooking competitions, amateur cooking competitions, Chefs shouting at people who can't cook - way too many near identical programmes at the moment.

I can't advise you on what to do if Rachel Allen appears on your fork, though. She'd probably be 'yummy', but you might feel guilty afterwards!

I'd say that is in every kitchen in the country Skid!....:D

Cooking as they say is in the eye of the beholder, present a plate of magnificence and be prepared for the consequences I usually say!!......;):D

It normally turns out good I'd have to say imo.........:D:D:D:P

Gamayun

I was making some broth the other day with the TV on in the background, there were so many cooking shows on that I got distracted, forgot about the broth and it was spoiled!

BuilderPlumber

Skid X wrote: »

I would agree you about there being too many chefs - cooking, celebrity cooking competitions, amateur cooking competitions, Chefs shouting at people who can't cook - way too many near identical programmes at the moment.

I can't advise you on what to do if Rachel Allen appears on your fork, though. She'd probably be 'yummy', but you might feel guilty afterwards!

Lots of chefs for sure!

I'd prefer to see Rachel Allen on a fork than Dylan McGrath !! LOL

BuilderPlumber

Gamayun wrote: »

I was making some broth the other day with the TV on in the background, there were so many cooking shows on that I got distracted, forgot about the broth and it was spoiled!

Cooking distracting one from cooking! Rachel Allen on a fork, Kevin Dundon on a spoon, Richard Corrigan on a knife, the Hairy Bikers on the table ......

BuilderPlumber

Mario Rosenstock taking off that Donal Skehan was very funny.

BuilderPlumber

The greatest anti-chef in Ireland is King Nidge. I remembered that concentration on Love/Hate is what killed off chef drama Raw.

Go Harvey Go

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

The greatest anti-chef in Ireland is King Nidge. I remembered that concentration on Love/Hate is what killed off chef drama Raw.

Way to bump this thread, dude.

As it happens, BBC2 is currently repeating Keith Floyd's series from the 1980s (Floyd on Food, Floyd on Fish, et cetera).

Utterly brilliant shows from an utterly brilliant, and much missed, chef.

GHOST MGG

and keith was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet...a gentleman.

wandatowell

I liked the Austrailian MasterChef but all the bollox bores me now.


That cake show on BBC is pretty good though

BuilderPlumber

Yes, Keith Floyd was excellent. A chef that one could watch over and over. He had a nice way about him and was able to make things interesting.

mike65

Floyd was and is the lobster thermidor of telly cooks. he wins just for having the Stranglers Waltzinblack as his theme tune.

fryup

alot of those cookery progammes are just fillers, handy ways of filling in half an hour of TV

touts

The whole cooking thing "jumped the shark" with Donal Skehan. Now it's all about teaching the basics mainly because most of the celeb "chefs" can't do any more than the basics. If you have the patience to blog for a couple of years about what you cooked the night before, are reasonably good looking and have a niche you can fill you'll get a book deal and maybe a TV show if the book does well.

K-9

touts wrote: »

The whole cooking thing "jumped the shark" with Donal Skehan. Now it's all about teaching the basics mainly because most of the celeb "chefs" can't do any more than the basics. If you have the patience to blog for a couple of years about what you cooked the night before, are reasonably good looking and have a niche you can fill you'll get a book deal and maybe a TV show if the book does well.

I like the back to basics chefs, Raymond Blanc did an excellent series explaining roasts, grilling, frying etc giving all his tips. Tom Kerridges Proper Pub Food is good as well.

touts

K-9 wrote: »

I like the back to basics chefs, Raymond Blanc did an excellent series explaining roasts, grilling, frying etc giving all his tips. Tom Kerridges Proper Pub Food is good as well.

There is a big difference between the "basics" as presented by Raymond Blanc etc and the "basics" that the likes of Skehan are attempting to demonstrate.

Sir Gallagher

Rick Stein is top notch in fairness.

BuilderPlumber

touts wrote: »

The whole cooking thing "jumped the shark" with Donal Skehan. Now it's all about teaching the basics mainly because most of the celeb "chefs" can't do any more than the basics. If you have the patience to blog for a couple of years about what you cooked the night before, are reasonably good looking and have a niche you can fill you'll get a book deal and maybe a TV show if the book does well.

Donal Skehan's Kitchen Hero is one of the worst programmes ever made for Irish TV.

Go Harvey Go

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Donal Skehan's Kitchen Hero is one of the worst programmes ever made for Irish TV.

Well, a case could certainly be made that it's one of the worst cookery programmes ever.

But one of the worst ever in any genre?

Of the tens of thousands of programmes that have been made since Eamon de Valera's sombre address on New Year's Eve 1961, I'd say that there have been quite a few that are worse still than Kitchen Hero...

BuilderPlumber

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

Well, a case could certainly be made that it's one of the worst cookery programmes ever.

But one of the worst ever in any genre?

Of the tens of thousands of programmes that have been made since Eamon de Valera's sombre address on New Year's Eve 1961, I'd say that there have been quite a few that are worse still than Kitchen Hero...

There are many awful chef/cookery programmes and KH is certainly one of the worst of them. However, The Big Bow Wow comes to mind as one of the worst non-chef programmes.

Go Harvey Go

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

There are many awful chef/cookery programmes and KH is certainly one of the worst of them. However, The Big Bow Wow comes to mind as one of the worst non-chef programmes.

But the point I was trying to make there was that while Kitchen Hero could be considered one of the worst cookery programmes ever, to say that it's one of the worst ever made for Irish television regardless of genre is jumping the gun...

(Italics indicate emphasis, BTW.)

As I said, it's quite likely that there have been a fair few programmes over the years that are even worse than KH. The Big Bow Wow certainly springs to mind, as do The English Class and Fade Street.

And let's not forget The House of Love (not Sean Moncrieff's finest hour) or The Dinner Party (another vehicle for Amanda Bleeding Brunker).

Oh, and what about some of the programmes that TV3 have come up with in the last few years, like Dublin Housewives?

You do have to admit, these and more do make Kitchen Hero look pretty good in comparison...

Cork boy 55

Rachel Allen is alright, one of the better ones ... sound .

Its that "Martins mad about Fish" does my head in

Martin is not mad about fish ...
Martin hates fish and wants as many Humans as possible to kill and eat as many wild fish as possible in an unsustainable fashion and orgy of violence.
This is the premise of the show I kid you not He is worried that humans are not killing enough wild fish.
He even does shows where he goes to the midlands and gives out samples
of dead fish to humans there because god forbid their levels of fish slaughter might be lower than coastal areas.

Did an eel bite him when he was fishing as a KID or something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTvSvVYDnT4

BuilderPlumber

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

But the point I was trying to make there was that while Kitchen Hero could be considered one of the worst cookery programmes ever, to say that it's one of the worst ever made for Irish television regardless of genre is jumping the gun...

(Italics indicate emphasis, BTW.)

As I said, it's quite likely that there have been a fair few programmes over the years that are even worse than KH. The Big Bow Wow certainly springs to mind, as do The English Class and Fade Street.

And let's not forget The House of Love (not Sean Moncrieff's finest hour) or The Dinner Party (another vehicle for Amanda Bleeding Brunker).

Oh, and what about some of the programmes that TV3 have come up with in the last few years, like Dublin Housewives?

You do have to admit, these and more do make Kitchen Hero look pretty good in comparison...

Unfortunately, all of what you say above is true!! As much as I may hate to say it, all these programmes you mention make Kitchen Hero look good by comparison. Dublin Housewives is terrible and that's the only good thing I can say about it! The Dinner Party actually is the worst cookery-orientated show on TV when you think about it. Awful stuff.

BuilderPlumber

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

Rachel Allen is alright, one of the better ones ... sound .

Its that "Martins mad about Fish" does my head in

Martin is not mad about fish ...
Martin hates fish and wants as many Humans as possible to kill and eat as many wild fish as possible in an unsustainable fashion and orgy of violence.
This is the premise of the show I kid you not He is worried that humans are not killing enough wild fish.
He even does shows where he goes to the midlands and gives out samples
of dead fish to humans there because god forbid their levels of fish slaughter might be lower than coastal areas.

Did an eel bite him when he was fishing as a KID or something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTvSvVYDnT4

I'm sure a new series of Martin being mad about fish is due. As a fan of Love/Hate, your description of Mad about fish shows us King Nidge has a rival in Martin! Martin has a love/hate relationship with fish!

Yes, I remember he was in Leitrim, Tipperary and Carlow in one series promoting his killing of inland fish! He mainly is in Cork and the programme all comes back to his own restaurant in Kinsale. As Nidge might say: the old Fishy Fishy

Sir Gallagher

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

Rachel Allen is alright, one of the better ones ... sound .

Its that "Martins mad about Fish" does my head in

Martin is not mad about fish ...
Martin hates fish and wants as many Humans as possible to kill and eat as many wild fish as possible in an unsustainable fashion and orgy of violence.
This is the premise of the show I kid you not He is worried that humans are not killing enough wild fish.
He even does shows where he goes to the midlands and gives out samples
of dead fish to humans there because god forbid their levels of fish slaughter might be lower than coastal areas.

Did an eel bite him when he was fishing as a KID or something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTvSvVYDnT4

I have to say this is the stupidest comment i've read on boards in a while.
What do you think food is? We kill it and eat it. What do you propose the show should be called "Martin's mad about eating fish" to avoid confusion?There should be more efforts for Irish people to eat fish, as islanders it's scandalous how little fish we eat.

Go Harvey Go

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

The Dinner Party actually is the worst cookery-orientated show on TV when you think about it. Awful stuff.

Be thankful, then, that it only lasted one series - all the way back in the autumn of 2004.

That was when Network 2 reverted to being RTE2, of course, and The Dinner Party was one of a number of programmes commissioned as part of the re-brand. And as well as being hosted by Amanda Bleeding Brunker, it was produced by the makers of The Restaurant.

So it's not surprising that it was considerably hyped prior to its first episode, with regular airings of a trailer featuring numerous dinner-table actions accompanied by football-style commentary from George Hamilton. (I swear I didn't make that up.)

Hype doesn't always lead to long-lasting memories, though. Nine years on, Amanda Bleeding Brunker is still very well-known - but the same can't be said for The Dinner Party, which is probably a good thing.

BuilderPlumber

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

Be thankful, then, that it only lasted one series - all the way back in the autumn of 2004.

That was when Network 2 reverted to being RTE2, of course, and The Dinner Party was one of a number of programmes commissioned as part of the re-brand. And as well as being hosted by Amanda Bleeding Brunker, it was produced by the makers of The Restaurant.

So it's not surprising that it was considerably hyped prior to its first episode, with regular airings of a trailer featuring numerous dinner-table actions accompanied by football-style commentary from George Hamilton. (I swear I didn't make that up.)

Hype doesn't always lead to long-lasting memories, though. Nine years on, Amanda Bleeding Brunker is still very well-known - but the same can't be said for The Dinner Party, which is probably a good thing.

It's hard to believe it was 2004 when it was on. But time flies and the torturous memories remain. 2004 also was the year of The Big Bow Wow as well of course and also only lasted 1 series. Finbarr's Class is another poor one from a decade before, an attempt at comic drama.

Cork boy 55

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

I have to say this is the stupidest comment i've read on boards in a while.
What do you think food is? We kill it and eat it. What do you propose the show should be called "Martin's mad about eating fish" to avoid confusion?There should be more efforts for Irish people to eat fish, as islanders it's scandalous how little fish we eat.

Contrary to martinis call for piscicide to promote his "restaurant"
Wild fish is not unlimited resources I suggest you educate yourself to wild fishing sustainable and the health of the dying oceans

You can start with the "end of the line" documentary
The End of the Line is a powerful film about one of the world's most disturbing problems - over-fishing. Advances in fishing technology mean whole species of wild fish are under threat and the most important stocks we eat are predicted to be in a state of collapse by 2050. The film points the finger at those most to blame, including celebrity chefs, and shows what we can do about it. This is not just a film, it is also a campaign - for sustainable consumption of fish, for marine protected areas to allow the sea to recover, and for a new ethic of responsible fishing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bedirwk95Oc

BuilderPlumber

Martin Fishy Fishy is part of an obsession with food that has developed in this country. While I am not a fan of TV chefs and while most think there are too many of them on, they have their loyal fan base and are popular with a segment of the population who are foodies and food entrepeneurs. I think the Allens and Ballymaloe launched this and others saw their success and copied it (even as far as going onto TV).

John_Rambo

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Martin Fishy Fishy is part of an obsession with food that has developed in this country.

Have you eaten in Fishy Fishy? What did you think? Did you try his recipes? You obviously have some sort of Donal Skehan stalker obsession judging by your posts on boards.ie, he's a good looking lad, can't blame you. Have you tried his recipes? I have tried Fishy Fishys food in the restaurant and I have cooked their food, Donal Skehan's recipes are good, Fishy Fishys restaurant is good value and the food is cracking. Both of them seem to hit the nail on simple, natural, reasonable whole food.

I wasn't too impressed with Martin from Fishy Fishy assuming that nobody can buy or cook fish, but otherwise I found the show really good with excellent tips. I found Donal Skehan's show was pretty good. Certainly aimed at people who might be struggling to come up with cheaper, healthier dinner alternatives and in fairness, that's what we need.

BuilderPlumber

John_Rambo wrote: »

Have you eaten in Fishy Fishy? What did you think? Did you try his recipes? You obviously have some sort of Donal Skehan stalker obsession judging by your posts on boards.ie, he's a good looking lad, can't blame you. Have you tried his recipes? I have tried Fishy Fishys food in the restaurant and I have cooked their food, Donal Skehan's recipes are good, Fishy Fishys restaurant is good value and the food is cracking. Both of them seem to hit the nail on simple, natural, reasonable whole food.

I wasn't too impressed with Martin from Fishy Fishy assuming that nobody can buy or cook fish, but otherwise I found the show really good with excellent tips. I found Donal Skehan's show was pretty good. Certainly aimed at people who might be struggling to come up with cheaper, healthier dinner alternatives and in fairness, that's what we need.

Yes, I actually was in the Fishy Fishy (I'm living in Cork at the moment) and would not be too far from it. It is a nice restaurant.

I'm sure cookery programmes are of benefit to some people. Personally, I have no interest in them. I have nothing per se against Donal Skehan or any of the other chefs. It is just there are way too many of these type of programmes on: one night, I flicked through a few channels and there was a chef on at least 4 of them!!

John_Rambo

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

I'm sure cookery programmes are of benefit to some people

Most health conscious people cook.

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Personally, I have no interest in them

You talk about them enough.

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

I have nothing per se against Donal Skehan

Really? You're constantly posting about him, look.
Here

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

I suppose you mean Donal Skehan?

Here

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

But with the likes of Donal Skehan and Brian Ormond on the rise in RTE, one wonders if Tubridy's successor will be even worse!

Here

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

With regard to the RTE-ers, I think Tubridy, Craig Doyle, Brian Ormond, Donal Skehan are among the worst. I also cannot stand Rachel Allen at all mostly because she seems to be on everywhere! Tonight, sat down and guess who was on? Rachel Allen!!

Here

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

that's why we are seeing a lot of Skehan, Ormond and other such airheads being used to do various programmes

Here

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

It would be great if RTE got rid of these people:Tubridy, Donal Skehan.

And here

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Gets one thinking. These upstarts in RTE appear of a sudden out of nowhere. Then they are all over our screens. Brian Ormond and Donal Skehan are two of the most annoying recent ones

And there's plenty more of your obsessive posts about Skehan.

BuilderPlumber

John_Rambo wrote: »

Most health conscious people cook.



You talk about them enough.



Really? You're constantly posting about him, look.
Here


Here

Here

Here

Here

And here


And there's plenty more of your obsessive posts about Skehan.

Not because I hate them, it is because we see too much of them in the same old format. As people, they are all ok I;m sure. Maybe some things I said were too unkind but it is we get a whole forgive the pun diet of these people doing the same things.

John_Rambo

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Not because I hate them, it is because we see too much of them in the same old format. As people, they are all ok I;m sure. Maybe some things I said were too unkind but it is we get a whole forgive the pun diet of these people doing the same things.

What other Irish cookery program does shoestring, healthy recipes? What format would you like to see? Are you in the business? Have you an idea to put forward to a production company or are you just a jealous keyboard warrior saying nasty things about people that work hard and do well for themselves?

Cork boy 55

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Not because I hate them, it is because we see too much of them in the same old format. As people, they are all ok I;m sure. Maybe some things I said were too unkind but it is we get a whole forgive the pun diet of these people doing the same things.

Cork boy 55

BuilderPlumber

John_Rambo wrote: »

What other Irish cookery program does shoestring, healthy recipes? What format would you like to see? Are you in the business? Have you an idea to put forward to a production company or are you just a jealous keyboard warrior saying nasty things about people that work hard and do well for themselves?

I have nothing whatsoever got to do with the food sector and I am not jealous of any of these. All I meant is there are too many chefs on and we see them too often.

I'm sure Donal Skehan, Fishy Fishy Martin and others have done very well and fair play to them. But I don't find cookery programmes particularly entertaining and feel there are too many of them on. I am sure if you are in that business, you would find them useful. For me, I'll stick to the Love/Hate, Breaking Bad and so on - even though I'm not in that business either!!

Skid X

John_Rambo wrote: »

What other Irish cookery program does shoestring, healthy recipes? What format would you like to see? Are you in the business? Have you an idea to put forward to a production company or are you just a jealous keyboard warrior saying nasty things about people that work hard and do well for themselves?

That's just silly.

This is a TV Forum for discussion of TV programmes. It is perfectly reasonable to criticise the amount of cookery programmes on Television at the moment.

And nobody here is required to have a proposal for alternative programming in order to be entitled to post their opinions.

John_Rambo

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

I have nothing whatsoever got to do with the food sector and I am not jealous of any of these. All I meant is there are too many chefs on and we see them too often.

I'm sure Donal Skehan, Fishy Fishy Martin and others have done very well and fair play to them. But I don't find cookery programmes particularly entertaining and feel there are too many of them on. I am sure if you are in that business, you would find them useful. For me, I'll stick to the Love/Hate, Breaking Bad and so on - even though I'm not in that business either!!

I don't work in the sector at all, I work in the advertising business. I also watch Love/Hate, breaking bad etc. I cook a lot and eat good food. I'd rather books on cooking than TV, but I do like some of the shows, they are well made and have great tips. Both Skehan and McKenna's books are excellent.

I find it odd that you don't like these shows or these people, but you spend so much time bitching about them online, you obviously watch them.

Lets look at me then, I don't like X-factor like shows, I find them boring and slightly annoying, so, guess what?

I don't watch them.

They are obviously very popular and people love them, otherwise they wouldn't be aired. I don't bitch about the people on them because I don't know much about them, I'm sure they are talented and very good at what they do, but they don't float my boat. I'd think it would be weird if I singled out Louis Walsh (for example) and spent hours online (like you do) bitching about him. I prefer my online input to be positive, and on subjects I know something about.

<Mod Snip>

Skid X wrote: »

That's just silly.

This is a TV Forum for discussion of TV programmes. It is perfectly reasonable to criticise the amount of cookery programmes on Television at the moment.

And nobody here is required to have a proposal for alternative programming in order to be entitled to post their opinions.

Yep, absolutely, I take your point and I see where you're coming from <Mod Snip>

Mod Note:

You were overly personal about another poster, it was bordering on personal abuse. Please adjust your posting style, if this happens again you'll receive an infraction or a ban.

Go Harvey Go

Guys, before this gets nasty, I'll chip in and say that it is hard to disagree that there hasn't really been much imagination in RTE's cookery shows over the last decade or so.

Rachel Allen's series have only really differed in their titles - and the format they follow hasn't been considerably deviated from by Neven Maguire or by Clodagh McKenna.

Or even by Donal Skehan. Indeed, he's the only really different thing about Kitchen Hero, being a young boy band member...

Perhaps the only show that has broken away from this "tried and tested method" is The Restaurant. This was a good show at first, before the producers developed something of an obsession with the likes of Amanda Bleeding Brunker and that woman who more often than not winks...

grey_so_what

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

Guys, before this gets nasty, I'll chip in and say that it is hard to disagree that there hasn't really been much imagination in RTE's cookery shows over the last decade or so.


Perhaps the only show that has broken away from this "tried and tested method" is The Restaurant. This was a good show at first, before the producers developed something of an obsession with the likes of Amanda Bleeding Brunker and that woman who more often than not winks...

I'd go as far to say Harvey this program has nothing to do with cookery and everything to do with serving to "boost" the ego of the Judges/Competitors alike who are full of their over-rated importance in the wonderfully fulfilled role of a fun-filled "Irish Society" imo.....:rolleyes:

I loved it when Mary Kennedy used the Paxo stuffing, the snobbery was delicious!...:D

I liked the Head-Waiter and the real Chef's........:).......Bless them, they had their hand's full as they say!

johnnymt

grey_so_what wrote: »

I'd go as far to say Harvey this program has nothing to do with cookery and everything to do with serving to "boost" the ego of the Judges/Competitors alike who are full of their over-rated importance in the wonderfully fulfilled role of a fun-filled "Irish Society" imo.....:rolleyes:

I loved it when Mary Kennedy used the Paxo stuffing, the snobbery was delicious!...:D

I liked the Head-Waiter and the real Chef's........:).......Bless them, they had their hand's full as they say!

That show was quality just to watch the wannabie critics slating the food

grey_so_what

johnnymt wrote: »

That show was quality just to watch the wannabie critics slating the food

I think then we're agreed it wasn't a "Cookery" program?.......:D

Go Harvey Go

grey_so_what wrote: »

I think then we're agreed it wasn't a "Cookery" program?.......:D

Well, there was cookery in it... and the recipes were made available on RTE's site after the show.

grey_so_what

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

Well, there was cookery in it... and the recipes were made available on RTE's site after the show.

:D:D

I bet Tom D & guests ran out the door and downloaded them......;)...:eek:

:P

John_Rambo

johnnymt wrote: »

That show was quality just to watch the wannabie critics slating the food

So funny!

BuilderPlumber

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

Guys, before this gets nasty, I'll chip in and say that it is hard to disagree that there hasn't really been much imagination in RTE's cookery shows over the last decade or so.

Rachel Allen's series have only really differed in their titles - and the format they follow hasn't been considerably deviated from by Neven Maguire or by Clodagh McKenna.

Or even by Donal Skehan. Indeed, he's the only really different thing about Kitchen Hero, being a young boy band member...

Perhaps the only show that has broken away from this "tried and tested method" is The Restaurant. This was a good show at first, before the producers developed something of an obsession with the likes of Amanda Bleeding Brunker and that woman who more often than not winks...

I'm going to surprise everyone! I actually watched a bit of Donal Skehan's programme a couple of weeks back and have to say he has grown into it and is a good presenter. He talks about the history of the area (Trim in this case) and overall I found it watchable.

But yes there are way too many chefs on TV. That said and done, we have to be thankful that there isn't a revival of The Frontline and other negative political debate shows. Cookery may bore me, but looking at political debates depresses me and makes me want to smash the screen!

BuilderPlumber

Skid X wrote: »

That's just silly.

This is a TV Forum for discussion of TV programmes. It is perfectly reasonable to criticise the amount of cookery programmes on Television at the moment.

And nobody here is required to have a proposal for alternative programming in order to be entitled to post their opinions.

I think there is a lot of positives in Irish TV at present overall. I have emailed them with ideas and praised the best series. Here are what I consider the best and worst of Irish TV (and none of the worst are chefs actually!):

Best: Love/Hate. Clearly, Ireland can make realistic quality drama and this show is one of the best thing to come out of here ever imo. Especially season 3. Classic TV at its best. Quite clear that this is what RTE should focus on more. Strumpet City is another quality drama from an earlier time. Family (featuring the violent Charlo, played by Sean McGinley (Tony in Love/Hate)) by Roddy Doyle is another. I love Killinaskully by Pat Shortt too.

Generally good: Fair City. Fair City is as good as any soap. It is always at its best when you have a Paddy Bishop or Billy Meehan type in it.

Well produced but repetitive: The chefs, Room to Improve, talent competition, etc. type programmes come into this category.

Poor: Dramas like The Big Bow Wow and Trouble in Paradise. These gave Irish drama a bad name. The current Late Late Show also is poor and seems to have lost its way. Also, I just don't get Mrs Brown's Boys. Series 1 was slightly amusing but the rest, no.

Awful: The Frontline. Arguably, the worst thing ever allowed onto Irish TV. Pat Kenny is a great presenter by the way but I can't understand why he saw this drivel as his favourite presenting gig when it clearly is the lowest point of both Kenny's broadcasting career and of RTE's programming. The Week in Politics of course is another awful programme and the last thing people need on a Sunday. This drivel is on twice actually.