Nostalgia, sport and factual in new RTE line-up

It is thirty years since Ireland"s legendary television soap, 'The Riordans" came to an end, and in its new autumn schedule, RTE is taking a look back at the series filmed in Dunboyne and Kilbride. Michael Riordan, one of its main characters, was played by Chris O"Neill, and in a new documentary from Wildfire Films, his daughter, Aisling O"Neill, who plays Carol in 'Fair City", journeys back into her father"s past to rediscover the cutting-edge drama series and social phenomenon. Created by writer Wesley Burrowes, 'The Riordans" dealt with taboo controversial issues like contraception and marriage breakdown. Tom Hickey, who played Benjy Riordan, recalls: 'We were huge. Mass times changed in order not to clash with 'The Riordans" and televisions were put on bingo buses. 'It was the first comedy series on Irish television. The difference between 'The Riordans" and soaps today is that it is very hard to offend people today as everyone is so liberal.' Directed by Gerry Nelson, the Arts Lives documentary will look at the impact 'The Riordans" had on society as well as the continuing place of soap in our homes and lives. The autumn RTE schedule includes a new cookery series with Ballivor chef Richard Corrigan. In 'Corrigan"s City Farm" he takes on the role of helping families take on the most amazing challenge of their lives, where inner city volunteers attempt to transform a plot of derelict wasteland into a lush and fertile smallholding, and then cook what they have grown. 'How Low Can you Go Reality Check" is the title of a new series featuring Navan"s Michael Hayes, Baz Ashmawy and Mark O"Neill, back in town after four years on the road and trying to establish new careers and lives after their time away. An actor familiar to many in Meath years back was Anew McMaster, who for decades toured Ireland with a group of actors known as the fit-ups, will be the subject of a documentary from RTE"s archive unit. Another new series is 'Traffic Cops", an observational documentary that follows the activities of the Garda Traffic Corps, at all levels, and all across the country. It will be focusing on two divisions, the Louth/Meath division and the Dublin Metropolitan Division, and on the new accident forensic unit operating countrywide. A new series of 'Garda Ar La" will look at gardai killed in the course of duty. Two new sports documentaries will also have a local element. 'Big Time: Bernard Dunne" is an hour long documentary that goes behind the scenes with the Irish super-bantamweight boxer and his manager and promoter, Brian Peters from Dunshaughlin. The documentary gives a fascinating insight into Dunne and Peters" journey together, charting their progress since their return from the US in 2005 and their pledge to revitalise Irish boxing together. 'The History of the Irish Horse" tells the story of the golden age of modern Irish horse racing, charting the lineage of a great tradition of horsemanship and celebrating the success of the sport in Ireland today. The hour-long documentary follows trainers Noel Meade and Aiden O"Brien and offers an insight into flat and national hunt racing over an entire season. RTE Sport also includes a new six part series 'Pride of the Parish", in which well-known sports personalities revisit their roots, returning to the GAA club in their native parish, as well as a documentary on 'Stanley Woods: Forgotten Hero", the story of the Dublin-born racing motorcyclist who was judged to be one of the best riders in the world over the past century, in the 1920s and '30s. And there will undoubtedly be local interest in 'Cromwell in Ireland", a major three-part series with interviews, battle recreations and imagery to recreate and analyse the impact made on Ireland in the space of nine months in the late 17th century.