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Child Item

The Late Late Show Tribute to Gay Byrne, Tuesday, RTÉ One, 9:35pm

sligojoek

Ryan Tubridy has promised that tonight's Late Late Show tribute to Gay Byrne will be "really special".

The veteran broadcaster passed away on Monday, November 4, after a long illness.

Tubridy saluted his "great friend" and "magnificent mentor" on his RTÉ Radio 1 programme on Tuesday morning ahead of tonight's show. He described the Late Late tribute programme as "a happy wake".

Speaking to The Today Show's Brenda Donohue ahead of the show, Tubridy said: "Gay was a once off, so tonight is a once off.

"It makes perfect sense that we gather the troops, gather the family, the friends and to say a final thank you. Tonight isn't going to be maudlin, or morose, or mawkish, it's going to be upbeat, it's going to be fun."

The 90-minute live special on RTÉ One at 9:35pm will feature contributions from Gay Byrne's friends and colleagues across the world of entertainment and beyond, including Bob Geldof, Andrea Corr, Pat Kenny, John Sheahan and Mary McAleese.

Also appearing will be President Michael D Higgins, Joe Duffy, Sharon Shannon, John Sheahan, Finbar Furey, Tommy Tiernan, Pat Shortt, Eamon Dunphy, Twink and Mary Black.

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Welsh Megaman

NOT CARK!

SEPT 23 1989

This is how you do it Ryan

BorneTobyWilde

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Will there be a viewers prize?

Two tickets to the funeral

Beechwoodspark

McDermotX wrote: »

An audience full of RTE heads, no doubt.

No thanks.

Yep. RTÉ “talent” and RTÉ off camera ppl.

HildaOgdenx

Nice idea to have a tribute.

Tubridy is just not able to handle a show like this though. I'm thinking of the LLS fiftieth anniversary show, dreadful stuff on his part.

I don't watch the LLS, I have tried but he is so uncomfortable as a presenter and interviewer, it's painful.

Itssoeasy

Be right back wrote: »

Could they put together a show featuring some of his best interviews? I'd watch that more than this programme tonight.

Do RTE have those saved ? I mean rte put out a DVD about the den and it was fairly poor from reviews of it because the amount of footage was low. I mean rte aren't alone in wiping footage of shows but I doubt rte have many of the 1960s late lates saved.

[Deleted User]

Be right back wrote: »

Could they put together a show featuring some of his best interviews? I'd watch that more than this programme tonight.

Undoubtedly there will be lots of such programs over the coming weeks. The researchers will be doing night duty pulling it all together, although likely much will have been put together in preparation.

Itssoeasy

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

This is how you do it Ryan

Two pros in gay Byrne and spike Milligan. The current crop can't hold their coats.

AMKC

Now that is a proper show. Looking forward to this and hoping they do it with dignity and respect for Gay Byrne. Imagine if every Late Late show was that good.

Beechwoodspark

HildaOgdenx wrote: »

Nice idea to have a tribute.

Tubridy is just not able to handle a show like this though. I'm thinking of the LLS fiftieth anniversary show, dreadful stuff on his part.

I don't watch the LLS, I have tried but he is so uncomfortable as a presenter and interviewer, it's painful.

If Byrne was premier league

Kenny was 1st division.

Tubridy was bottom of non league small town district league

[Deleted User]

Ironic that a death special is going to be more joyous and entertaining than a normal LLS episode.

RobertKK

I get why RTE are doing this, but I will not be watching, for me it feels like RTE are projecting their grief onto the nation, as if we all should be in mourning.
I know some people will be happy with this program and that fine, its just not for me.

sligojoek

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

If Byrne was premier league

Kenny was 1st division.

Tubridy was bottom of non league small town district league

Darcy used to play a bit of rugby.

Arghus

I think people should give the show a chance, there'll be loads of people watching it tonight, I'm sure we'll hear a lot more about him on Friday, but I don't think it's a bad idea of RTÉ to put something on tonight.

Beechwoodspark

sligojoek wrote: »

Darcy used to play a bit of rugby.

One of the stupidest most shallow presenters on RTÉ ever.

Atlantic Dawn

It's perhaps too many people on for 90 minutes for each of them to convey their fondness for him, they should have cut it back to 10 good friends who know him over the years and some musicians.

Itssoeasy

Arghus wrote: »

I think people should give the show a chance, there'll be loads of people watching it tonight, I'm sure we'll hear a lot more about him on Friday, but I don't think it's a bad idea of RTÉ to put something on tonight.

I might still watch it and the idea of RTÉ putting on this show in and of itself isn't a bad idea it's just I have my doubts that the right tone will be achieved.

Gods Gift

Think of the viewing numbers.
This could be the late late show with highest viewership ever.

And it’s Ryan’s. With a little help from Gaybo.

[Deleted User]

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

One of the stupidest most shallow presenters on RTÉ ever.

There must be a couple of people in Ireland of higher broadcasting caliber than what is on offer within RTE, but they don’t have the right connection, and it seems the organisation doesn’t want anybody who will encourage diversity of opinion.

Beechwoodspark

Gods Gift wrote: »

Think of the viewing numbers.
This could be the late late show with highest viewership ever.

And it’s Ryan’s. With a little help from Gaybo.

Doubt it. From talking to ppl today on my rounds ppl are turned off by the whole thing. Over the top.

elperello

Sounds like it will be unmissable.
I'm in and a brand new USB stick to preserve it for posterity.

Aidric

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

This is how you do it Ryan

Wonderful stuff. Byrne's greatest quality was his empathy. He understood the need to connect with his interviewees on a human level in order to extract from them an interview the listeners/viewers wanted to hear. The important distinction from today's interviewers is that his empathy was genuine and not affected.

Contrast him to Tubridy who displays a robot like quality in getting through his list of pre prepared questions and you see why he is such a loss to broadcasting. He wasn't afraid of the flow of live TV, in fact he embraced it.

koura

They should invite P Flynn.

Beechwoodspark

Prediction. Viewing figures will be an above average prime time.

Talked to over 100 ppl today. Most were bemused or annoyed at the coverage.

The over 60 women’s demographic are very into this though.

Pelvis Parsley

I listened to the Drivetime podcast from yesterday on the way home this evening.

Two things struck me;

-Firstly John Sheahan stressed (and I hope he does so again tonight in front of Turgidity) what a good listener Gay was-I think the phrase used was along the lines of, not looking at his cue cards for the next question while you were answering the first one.

-Secondly, someone mentioned that Gay was more than capable of independent thought, and able to steer the show, producer or not, and appear (mostly) apolitical and impartial while doing so.

I hope the Gurning Beanpole will pick up on that too, although he'll probably be so excited by a veritable motherlode of bereavement, it's unlikely.

Professor Genius

Gods Gift wrote: »

Remember the night he rang the woman at her daughters wake. Handled it well.

Imagine that happened tubs and the questions he’d ask.

Was the full clip of that available any where?

Better Than Christ

RobertKK wrote: »

I get why RTE are doing this, but I will not be watching, for me it feels like RTE are projecting their grief onto the nation, as if we all should be in mourning.
I know some people will be happy with this program and that fine, its just not for me.

100%

The coverage, like that of Gerry Ryan's death, has been hideously self-indulgent. For the likes of Tubridy, Duffy and all the other RTE lifers, the world begins and ends in Montrose. For the rest of us, outside of that bubble, Gay Byrne's death is little more than a case of "ah God, that's very sad". No doubt many of us will enjoy seeing the old clips, but nowhere near as much as RTE will enjoy showing them to us.

Gods Gift

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Prediction. Viewing figures will be an above average prime time.

Talked to over 100 ppl today. Most were bemused or annoyed at the coverage.

The over 60 women’s demographic are very into this though.

Thank you pat mustard.

HildaOgdenx

Mentioned it on the RIP thread, but one of the shows I loved was the tribute show for The Dubliners. You have a feeling all through it, that anything at all could happen, or be said, and that Gay was in his element, and whatever happened, he would be equal to it.

None of the current, vastly overpaid, RTÉ presenters could do it, in my opinion.

machiavellianme

HildaOgdenx wrote: »

Nice idea to have a tribute.

Tubridy is just not able to handle a show like this though. I'm thinking of the LLS fiftieth anniversary show, dreadful stuff on his part.

I don't watch the LLS, I have tried but he is so uncomfortable as a presenter and interviewer, it's painful.

It's RTE. They probably celebrated at having something to fill 90 minutes midweek and a full 2 pages of the Christmas rte guide. Watch them repeat this tripe ad nauseum now and fill a few more weeks of "quality" homegrown programming.