Grainne Seoige

Seoige

Seoige is an Irish television chat show. The show, hosted by sistersGráinne and Sile Seoige (from Autumn 2008), is broadcast live on weekdays at 16:30 on RTÉ One with a hiatus in the summer months. Episodes are repeated at 08:20 the following weekday morning on the same channel.

The programme was originally launched in 2006 as Seoige and O'Shea with Grainne Seoige and Joe O'Shea at the helm. It follows a similar format to ITV's This Morning programme. Moving easily between serious issues and lighter subjects, there are usually interviews, debates and musical performances. Viewers can call, text or e-mail the programme's studio to give their opinions on topics. The presenters chat with four sets of guests, which consist of interviewees, discussion groups and musical artists.

The show was rebranded Seoige in August 2008 after Joe O'Shea announced he was leaving RTÉ to pursue a career in radio broadcasting.

Episodes

First series

The first series began on 9 October 2006 and ran until 20 April 2007. In the first series, Seoige and O'Shea ran a short story and photograph competition. The top 14 writers were published in a book entitled Do The Write Thing.

The winner, Ellen McCarthy, from Waterford was signed by publishers Poolbeg and her debut novel, Guarding Maggie was released on May 2 2008.

Second series

The second series began on 1 October 2007 and ran until 18 April 2008. In the second series, the programme has a whole new look, and a live studio audience. As part of the new look series, there are also a number of new features. Relative Values takes a look at the family life of some of the nation's stars, Home Values shows exclusive peeks into the homes of some of Ireland's celebrities, and Money Matters offers solutions to sorting out money worries. There is also a regular travel slot and a weekly feature concerning psychics. There is a daily feature as well - Talking Point - where burning social issues are discussed. Following on from the success of the Do the Write Thing competition, Seoige and O'Shea now host their own book club. On Wednesday, a well-known personality introduces his/her favourite book and is joined by a book club to review the week's best reads. On Friday, there are musical performances and the preview spot where a panel of previewers inform viewers about the entertainment, music and sport events taking place around the country at the weekend.

Third series

The third series will begin in October 2008 and will see Sile Seoige replace Joe O'Shea as co-presenter with her sister, Gráinne.

Guests

Guests on the first two series' of the show include:

David Norris, senator
Cecelia Ahern, author
Louis Walsh, music manager
Mickey Joe Harte, singer
Bosco, children's television presenter
Gordon Ramsay, chef
John Waters, journalist
Mary O'Rourke, TD
Mary Harney, TD
Eddie Hobbs, financial advisor
Katy French, model
The Wolfe Tones, Irish band
Keith Duffy, television personality
Joe Duffy, radio personality
Brian Ormond, presenter
Aidan Power, presenter
David Mitchell, actor
Gerry Ryan, radio personality
Ryan Tubridy, presenter
Derek Davis, television personality
Pat Shortt, comedian
Eamonn Dunphy, broadcaster
Terry Prone, director
Mary McEvoy, actress

Reception

The show has been very negatively received by the public. Although Seoige and O'Shea claim that the programme has proved successful, television ratings have regularly shown that it has failed to enter the top 20. It pulls in an average viewership of 20-21 percent of the available audience.Critics believe that the show's time slot and topics are responsible for its low viewing figures.

Criticism

The show's format has been criticised in editorials in both the Irish Independent and The Sunday Times.

John Meagher has asserted that Seoige and O'Shea have no chemistry between them: "Where was the on-screen chemistry, the "telly marriage" that both had talked up so much in the days leading up to the start date?"

Seoige and O'Shea are perceived, by John Boland, as being unsuited to the field of chat shows as this description of their presentation styles stated: "As they [Seoige and O'Shea] lurched awkwardly from trivial items to serious topics they were nervous and stilted - she as much as he - and nowhere did they convey the ease that would put the make viewer feel at home."