Toy Show the Musical - Farce or Triumph

PierreLeCake

Some geñius in RTE had a Riverdance fantasy.They thought they would be multi millonaires like Michael Flately,John Colgan and Moya Doherty.

RoTelly

It is interesting to see how even by mistake the press are re-writing history. The day before any cancellation Dee Forbes wrote an article for the Indo defending the decision. She basically made 2 points : -

1. A commercial risk can be a public service and should be seen as how we in RTÉ have give people an opportunity and isn't that the definition of public service!
2. Think of the Children: basically she went down the road of saying that throwing criticism at the Management of RTÉ is the same as throwing criticism at the cast and crew of the show!

Now the Irish Time is saying that she made this plea to the public after the problems associated with illness.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/12/20/toy-show-musical-risk-was-too-high-in-saturated-christmas-market-pac-chairman/

washiskin

The "Toy Show" is nothing but a telethon these days...... a vehicle for stage schools and a bolstering of the public service card to be played when RTÉ are called in front of a committee.

I don't know a child who watches it for toys anymore, it's more of an occasion for staying up late and having a party.

Yes, there were a few stand outs over the last decade, but they ruin them by constantly trying to squeeze more out of those over the years.

It's the arrogance of the entertainment dept. RTÉ that really irks me, the assumption that they could crash and cash in on Panto season with their unlimited budgets and people would be falling over themselves to get to the Convention Centre. They're so cocooned in their own back-slapping that they can't and won't accept that a big swathe of the public is sick of it.

freshpopcorn

I like Christmas but never was a massive fan of these musical Toy Shows.

When I heard about the musical I thought it was going to be a success with all the publicity it got and how popular The Toy Show is.

I was surprised tough when they kept on advertising it and I looked up ticket prices and they were rather expensive.

Maybe people like The Toy Show but don't think it's worth paying to see. You'd be better off watching an old one on the player.

I do feel sorry for the kids involved who maybe a little disappointed now.

greenspurs

still advertising it.

Heard it on the radio around 10am today .....

George White

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120016288#Comment_120016288

At first, that's what I thought, like the way you'd get stage plays of BBC sitcoms playing at seaside resorts.

George White

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120017352#Comment_120017352

Shudders at the memory of The Ha'Penny Bridge.

GAAcailin

Hi,

its getting so much ad coverage on RtE radio but nada from tubs in his show. If it was any kind of success he’d be interviewing some of those involved on his radio show, would be expecting a few on the LL this Friday etc

tubs show not showing any interest now it’s going south!

fritzelly

Was sure I read a comment here about it (can't find it) or maybe it was a news article but...

Because its a vanity venture by RTE they can plug it as much as they like at no cost to the venture - I would have thought that 'get out clause' only extended to something within their sphere of TV/Radio and not when they are going into competition with other businesses?

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120020223#Comment_120020223

Huge question over that TBH. You very rarely see an ad for the RTÉ Guide or the RTÉ CO on any channel any more, both of which would be outside of broadcast TV.

RoTelly

@fritzelly Also AFAIK, or I have heard, that the ad free digital radio station all carried ads for The Toy Show The Musical, but I don't think they have ever cross promoted any other stations or the FM stations. You'd very rarely here a promo for 2fm on Radio 1 or Lyric FM, you might get a promo for Lyric on Radio 1 but never on 2FM, same goes for RnaG. While RTÉ TV has reduced its promos for RTÉ 2 to promos for RTÉ Sport and some Children's content, you'd never see an RTÉ2 promo on RTÉ ONE but RTÉ ONE promos across RTÉ2. And very rarely do you see a cross promo of Radio on TV and Visa Versa.

Mainly they all keep to themselves with little or no cross promotion save for Sport on RTÉ2 | RTÉ Player, and yes the Player is constantly promoted, but you'd never get a promo for the RTÉ Radio Player!

KevRossi

Looks like it was something that they expected to run for a few years around Christmas. Seems to be a total disaster. I just tried to see what tickets are available next week and the best seats are available on the night you'd never expect to get them like next Friday.

I heard about it first at work from someone who used to do Tops of the Town back in the day and still does plenty of amateur drama, that it was a vanity project from a small number of people in RTE, with a blank cheque to cover it. He knew there was no market for it past a few thousand people. RTE were looking to get 60,000 in over the few weeks. I'd also love to see the contract and what the intellectual rights on it were, and how they were covered. Let's say it was a success and bought in a few million over a few years; who got what? I doubt the usual heads in RTE would just take their standard wage for it.

Would also be good to se who benefitted from what; who outside RTE was paid to provide services and whose family, friends and kids were involved.

That Tubridy didn't get involved wondered me a bit. Either he was simply astute and realised this was a pig, or he figured it was too much work and hassle for little pay. Interesting that he's not even trying to support the project on his show, from what I gather. His lack of backing it may come back to hurt him. People in RTE have long memories and longer knives. Will as much effort be put into the 2023 Toy Show? We'll wait and see.

Markus Antonius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120017806#Comment_120017806

I don't think anyone outside Dublin understands "De Pantoe-mieme"

or many other things like for example why Aslan are popular...

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120021453#Comment_120021453

They have panto in most of the Cities around the country Cork, Galway and Limerick at least, more of a "townie" thing, definately in Belfast not sure about Derry, maybe Waterford.

I was talking to my parents about how it wasn't an Irish tradition for us and I didn't really understand it ... my Dad pipes up ... "Oh! we went every year with my Father... he got free tickets.."

Even as a child I'd not have been interested in the Panto. I think my sisters brought some of their kids at one point and it was a never again moment for them.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120021409#Comment_120021409

At least Tops of the Town had a few live finals on RTÉ each year, a few have been posted on Twitter.

He talked about the show on his radio show and had them on as guests on The Late Late Show. Tubs is one of the reason for low ticket sales, if they'd only said he has nothing to do with it :)

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120012999#Comment_120012999

Considering the Toy Show itself is by a huge margin RTE's most profitable show, it was probably worth a try.

My own view is that they are diluting the Toy Show brand and that could be detrimental.

But these things have to be tried and you should not be afraid of failure to appease some loud mouth politicians or the "how dare they" brigade or the Tubridy haters that seem to lack a lot of their own self esteem and therefore target public figures.

RoTelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120021985#Comment_120021985

In fairness up to this point RTÉ were let away with taking the risk until it fell apart, and this is before illness hit.

As I say RTÉ have said 2 things

1. A commercial risk that is now dressed up as a Public Service
2. Think of The Children: RTÉ management are directing the criticism aimed at them toward the cast and crew.

RTÉ make very few risks on TV or on Radio, they cut children's TV by 25% in 2016 and a further 50% in 2017 and have kept at a low level ever since.

IMO RTÉ should have sold the name as a franchise or tried it out at small venues first.

Markus Antonius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120021985#Comment_120021985

Toy show brand? The reason the toy show was so popular was because it showed parents (before the internet era) what toys were sh1te. It just so happened to be something children also enjoyed.

The toy show histeria today is only because the children who watched it in the Gaybo days are now parents themselves. It is useless now! Tubridy wants to do away with the toy element altogether and make it all about himself and the greedy advertisers.

It will soon wear very thin as kids now won't give a toss about it when they are adults.

greenspurs

Has the show gone ahead since then?

Has anyone on here seen it ??

NIMAN

Just as an update, yes Derry does have a panto. What do you think we are, third world!!

kneemos

Should be a public inquiry into that place,the waste and incompetence needs to be highlighted.

Throwing millions at a stage show apparently at a whim. 2FM the only music station in the country that can't make a profit. The outlandish salary's for very mediocre talent. The nepotism. Endless repeats,not even of different programs,but the same shows.

I'm sure there's more.

Oh yeah,the ad player.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120016042#Comment_120016042

Delete 'how much' and insert 'what' 😛

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120021145#Comment_120021145

Remember when they used to promote those amazing LPs on the RTE label?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igc0BvN4dvs

😮😮

cheese sandwich

Remember this farce when Dee Forbes comes rattling the tin can and putting on the poor mouth again in the new year.

cheese sandwich

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120022574#Comment_120022574

The Toy Show today is a very different to the charming amateurism of the Gaybo and Kenny years. I find it to be cynical and overly commercialised, with a blatant focus on trying to create memeable content from mawkish sentimentality.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120022897#Comment_120022897

Isn't she leaving the job soon?

If so she'll escape without having to answer any difficult questions about her stewardship, where from my angle not a single cost saving was made.

shesty

Ah it's ridiculous.

I have kids, I'm an 80s baby, and I loved the Toy Show as a kid.I don't make my kids watch it now because I don't think it means a thing to them.They dip in and out due to hype at school but none of them have ever staayed up late to watch it, or sat and watched the whole thing at any stage.It's total rose tinted glasses by parents.

Heard the ads for the musical and wondered what the f%&k they were going to write it about.It's a ridciulous, self congratulatory spectacle.A complete waste of money.I feel very sorry for the kids in the show.But RTE....disgraceful.They have over estimated the Toy Show "appeal", they chose the wrong time of year - pantos, and anyone who knows anything about kids knows that November/December is just sickness central for smaller kids, ask any class teacher trying to put on a Christmas play - and they clearly put no thought into wasting a lot of money on the whole thing. A total farce that they should be answerable for. I wouldn't bother going to see that and I love a good musical.

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120022970#Comment_120022970

Getting rid of the National Symphony Orchestra apparently,which somehow costs them eight million. Otherwise it's looking bad for meeting targets.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/rte-s-cost-savings-update-won-t-be-music-to-everybody-s-ears-1.4782678

lawred2

Sounds dreadful

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120020152#Comment_120020152

"giving out free tickets to poor Ukrainian refugees as if they haven't suffered enough."

You might have hit on the get out clause there! Cut the number of shows and stuff the empty seats with refugee families and they might just about pass it off.

NIMAN

That's what will happen.

They will give tickets away and say they had near full houses.