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''The Late Late Show'' is Ireland 's longest running Chat Show (and the oldest in the World ) and the flagship television programme of Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ). The show, hosted by Pat Kenny , is broadcast live for two hours in front of a studio audience at 9.30pm on Friday nights between September and May from Studio 4 in RTÉ's Montrose headquarters, a studio specifically adapted in 1995 to cater for this flagship production, and Kenny Live . The show was previously broadcast on Saturday nights. The Late Late Show was first broadcast on Friday, have credited it with influencing Irish attitudes towards many issues. HOSTS GAY BYRNE , presenter (1962-1999).]] When the show was launched, its original presenter was Gay Byrne , a young Irish broadcaster who had been working with Granada Television in Britain. Byrne remained the presenter for thirty-seven years until retiring in 1999. His 37 year stewardship of The Late Late Show means that he has hosted a chat show longer than any other presenter. Indeed, Byrne's style of presentation is credited as contributing largely to the show's success. Internationally Byrne's presentation style has been studied by 'would be' chat show hosts in many countries. Although the show began as a light summer "filler" in 1962, it soon became a forum for controversial opinion and debate. Topics such as divorce, contraception and a number of hitherto undiscussed areas were now being debated openly on television. Politician Oliver J. Flanagan , when a guest on the show, claimed that there was "no sex in Ireland before television," reflecting the greater openness which The Late Late seemed to have brought to Irish society and culture. The show appeared to represent the new liberalism of the 1960s in Ireland when the Archbishop of Dublin , John Charles McQuaid , was attacked by a guest in the show's first series. It is difficult to explain today just how sensational and shocking so many people in Ireland found this event to be. The country was devoutly Roman Catholic . This incident was just one of a number of incidents that have gone down the folklore associated with the programme. The Late Late Show, with Byrne as host, was never reluctant to introduce controversial topics, topics which needed to be discussed in a progressive, post-protectionist Ireland. Other controversies include:
During Byrne's Late Late Show a number of shows were devoted entirely to paying tribute to some person or persons. A number of celebrities who were the subject of such shows include Micheál MacLiammoir , Maureen Potter , Micheál Ó Hehir , Brian Lenihan , Jimmy Magee , Christy Moore , Mike Murphy and Paul McGrath . There were also special programmes marking the six-month anniversary of the Omagh Bomb, paying tribute to The Chieftains and The Dubliners , celebrating Irish music and a Late Late Show special devoted to Irish comedians. Producer and director The flexibility of the show was augmented by Byrne's position not merely as the show's presenter but also as its producer and '''director''' for much of his period with the show. He intentionally reminded the viewer that the show was being broadcast live through his interaction with people working behind the scenes. Some of his phrases became well known; when instructing that a piece of videotape be played, he invariably announced 'you can roll it there, Colette', chat to the floor manager, inquiring as to what telephone line a caller was ringing in on, and on some shows would extend its running time by fifteen or thirty minutes, discussing the extra running time with the floor staff and production team as an 'aside' during an interview. The effect of all these mannerisms was said to add to the sense of realism in the show, that, as the theme music at the end of the show stated, 'it started on The Late Late Show.' ''(This was a clip of a Nat King Cole song 'The Late Late Show', which appeared on his 1959 album 'Big Band Cole'). Final Show Byrne presented his last Late Late Show on Friday, from all quarters and there were many high-profile guests. There were musical performances from The Corrs , Christy Moore , Sarah Brightman and Rosaleen Linehen . U2 members Bono and Larry Mullen presented Byrne with a brand new Harley-Davidson motorcycle as a retirement present. There were glowing tributes for Byrne from President Mary McAleese , An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern , Billy Connolly , Des Cahill , Larry Gogan , Mike Murphy , Marian Finucane , Merv Griffin and various other celebrities. FRANK HALL In the late 1960s, with the start of BBC 2 , Byrne decided to return to British television, where his career had originally began. The ''Late Late Show'' was passed to another stalwart presenter, Frank Hall . After one year, Byrne agreed to return to RTÉ to present his old show, augmented by his own award winning radio show. PAT KENNY , presenter (1999-present).]] In 1999, having presented the show for 37 years, along with a radio show for approximately 20 years, Byrne stepped down from fulltime broadcasting, though he remains an occasional broadcaster, returning to do such shows as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (which was controversially axed by RTÉ in June 2003). The retirement of Byrne left RTÉ with a problem. The Late Late Show dominated its ''TAM ratings'' (viewership figures). Without it, it risked losing its dominance on Friday nights to the other stations available to Irish viewers; The UK's BBC One , BBC Two , ITV , Channel 4 and the various Sky satellite channels, as well as Ireland's own TV3 and TG4 . Some suggested that the show be dropped, arguing that the day of chat shows was over and that the show's success was too linked with Byrne to work with any other presenter. RTÉ however, supported by Byrne, decided to keep the show, arguing that it was too valuable a franchise to lose, particularly when it would then be open to the possibility of TV3 (a new and largely unwatched Irish station whose lack of Irish programming was being criticised extensively) launching a new show using the name and capturing many of the show's traditional viewer base. While media reports suggested that comedians and chat show hosts Patrick Kielty and Graham Norton might be asked to present it, and Byrne had groomed Joe Duffy , someone he thought could take on both his radio and TV shows, RTÉ gave the show to Byrne's main rival, Pat Kenny , who for nearly a decade had presented his own Kenny Live show in the Late Late's old Saturday night spot. Choosing Kenny |
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