The Ryan Tubridy Era

BuilderPlumber

Yet again, I have been horrified by the content of recent Tubridy Late Late Shows. For some, the show is considered religiously insulting and blasphemous (haunted bread). For others, it is considered vulgar and sex obsessed. But for me and I guess most people, the Tubridy era of this show is stale, bland, stupid and above all a closed shop designed to force onto the people and make gods out of the mediocre.

I stopped watching this show in its entirety years ago. Nowadays, I pick and choose what I watch from it and often don't watch it at all. I happened to see parts of the shows over recent weeks. Here are typical extracts from recent weeks that sum up all that is wrong:

• Last Friday: Mike Denver yet again singing bland versions of songs other singers who don't get a chance could do better.
• 10th February: The Valentines special was worse than ever. For some, it was offensive but for me it was a bland and poor attempt that offered up tame vulgarity and little talent. Full of clowns like that Dean guy. Enough said.
• The last I think before Christmas: this Louis Walsh protege from Hometown is launched as our Eurovision singer. Tubridy and Walsh are seen overhyping him.
• Katie Hopkins being on: she was on there a few weeks before Christmas and it came across as yet another attempt of the show to be offensive and controversial. This is not what should be supported, talent should be supported.

It seems this show has turned into a show for airheads, opinionated atheists, crude comedy, poor pop and modern country singers, sex mad drunken divorcees, people who use their sexuality to become famous, and RTE employees. Tubridy and co fail to realise there is more to Ireland than this. He is turning off 99% of his audience by focusing on a narrow agenda that the rich and privileged of RTE and its inner circles assume is normal for everyone else.

The Tubridy show does not offend or shock me but it makes me angry. You first off have a presenter who earns a fortune and does not try even to put on a good show. Secondly, the show makes mediocre singers, comedians, and indeed clowns with nothing at all to offer (Dean anyone) famous and potentially rich. Thirdly, its attempts to be controversial are pathetic. Tubridy's attempts to have drug dealer John Gilligan on was yet another attempt to try and court controversy. That Gilligan had the sense to turn down the offer shows at least he has some sense, whereas Tubridy seems to have none. Finally, what REALLY maddens me is that the show claims to be liberal and all that but yet closes off other views apart from the ones their darling guests hold and other styles of music, comedy, etc. that does not fit with the style the likes of Mike Denver, boybands and Oliver Callan have are silenced.

If this was a private members club, the way they act would be fine. Instead, the Tubridy show is something most of the population have to pay a mandatory tax for. Yet, this and other RTE shows give 2 fingers to the people and do not care about others out there with things to offer. Tubridy and his show has become a joke but the cost of the joke is on the TV taxpayers.

BorneTobyWilde

Gives new talent a chance, old talent a stage and people a voice. Maybe it would be worse to have celebrity after celebrity talk crap every show.

Zaph

In fairness, the Late Late wasn't worth watching long before Tubridy got his hands on it. It's always been bland, mediocre crap, he's just fine tuned it to perfection.

mickdw

I think it worked well when all the guests stayed and joined the conversation.
Tubridy has done this once or twice and I believe it still works.

Duggie2012

as well as tubridy been a bad host you would have to blame the researching team who book the guests. are they transition year students?? do you think Gay would have overseen some of the sh1te in the last few years on the show. i don't think so. It was good up till Pat left. i don't watch it anymore.

BuilderPlumber

Duggie2012 wrote: »

as well as tubridy been a bad host you would have to blame the researching team who book the guests. are they transition year students?? do you think Gay would have overseen some of the sh1te in the last few years on the show. i don't think so. It was good up till Pat left. i don't watch it anymore.

Whoever is to blame the end result is the same. The whole problem is that RTE is a closed shop. It selects certain handpicked individuals and then force them on us in every way they can. You see the same old faces doing everything inclusive of things they are not even associated with doing! Oliver Callan, Mike Denver, Ruby Walsh and Louis Walsh are 4 examples. While Ruby may be good at what he does, the other 3 are very mediocre and are blocking better music and comedy that is out there. The show should be more open and should know and respect its audience more than it does. I daresay Transition Year students would do a better job producing and researching it.

I feel that the show has been going downhill for a long time. The later Pat Kenny seasons were poor too but Tubridy's tenure (apart from his first season which was above average in the grand scheme of things) has been generally abysmal. This year and last year especially have been particularly bad. Gay Byrne and Pat Kenny had more respect for what they presented whereas Tubridy comes across as a total lightweight buffoon who is just going along with whatever comes his way.

BrianBoru00

mickdw wrote: »

I think it worked well when all the guests stayed and joined the conversation.
Tubridy has done this once or twice and I believe it still works.

This.

When Gaybo was there he had editorial control and it meant that if a particular topic was going well he'd keep going.
Think of all the controverseys which were nevertheless greath television.

The Graham Norton Show is brilliant- its light hearted and gives a platform for interaction between the guests. Cheryl Cole, Brendan O Carroll, John Bishop and Don Johnson on one show. for example.

I think he should stick to light hearted material because bad and all as he is at that, once its a serious topic or he's a fan of the guest it just becomes embarrassing.

Laois_Man

BrianBoru00 wrote: »

The Graham Norton Show is brilliant- its light hearted and gives a platform for interaction between the guests. Cheryl Cole, Brendan O Carroll, John Bishop and Don Johnson on one show. for example.

You could scarcely have thought of a worse example. Don Johnson and Brendan O Carroll didn't exactly hit it off and their exchanges were distinctly uncomfortable TV.

But to the point of the thread. Tubridy isn't a brilliant chat-show host and if he was, RTE wouldn't be able to keep him for long. However, he's not the producer and should not be held accountable for the lack of quality guests.

Gay Byrne was around at a time when it was easier to be entertaining, easier to get an audience with less competition available, easier to be controversial with things like showing a condom on TV being a point of discussion for a week afterwards and he had 35 odd years of it all. I'm pretty sure there were plenty of awful Late Late Show episodes doing those years also.

Duggie2012

gay byrne could interview a lampost and it would be interesting. lenny henry, dermot morgan, spike milligan, peter ustonov etc etc. i remember as a child and seeing gay interview these was hilarious and brilliant. the best tudridy can come up with is, how irish are ya...have you been to ireland before...sure u know your always welcome in ireland. like WTF like.

BuilderPlumber

BrianBoru00 wrote: »

This.

When Gaybo was there he had editorial control and it meant that if a particular topic was going well he'd keep going.
Think of all the controverseys which were nevertheless greath television.

The Graham Norton Show is brilliant- its light hearted and gives a platform for interaction between the guests. Cheryl Cole, Brendan O Carroll, John Bishop and Don Johnson on one show. for example.

I think he should stick to light hearted material because bad and all as he is at that, once its a serious topic or he's a fan of the guest it just becomes embarrassing.

Tubridy does not seem to be capable of doing an interesting interview. It is clear he is no Gay Byrne or Graham Norton.

Laois_Man wrote: »

But to the point of the thread. Tubridy isn't a brilliant chat-show host and if he was, RTE wouldn't be able to keep him for long. However, he's not the producer and should not be held accountable for the lack of quality guests.

Gay Byrne was around at a time when it was easier to be entertaining, easier to get an audience with less competition available, easier to be controversial with things like showing a condom on TV being a point of discussion for a week afterwards and he had 35 odd years of it all. I'm pretty sure there were plenty of awful Late Late Show episodes doing those years also.

Tubridy is not great but I agree the producer of the show should arrange better quality guests. It is true that this show has become just interviews of RTE people who are doing other shows.

No doubt, Gay had his poor shows too but not constantly like today. There was better talent then too. Singers and songs were clearly much better, comedy did not have to rely on just dirt, etc. Today's whole mainstream media culture seems to promote mediocre acts over and over.

Duggie2012 wrote: »

gay byrne could interview a lampost and it would be interesting. lenny henry, dermot morgan, spike milligan, peter ustonov etc etc. i remember as a child and seeing gay interview these was hilarious and brilliant. the best tudridy can come up with is, how irish are ya...have you been to ireland before...sure u know your always welcome in ireland. like WTF like.

Gay clearly has much more talent than Tubridy. He knew what he was about. He did not have to rely on cliches like how Irish a person was or what they thought of Dublin. He did not have to rely on such things.

From 2007 to 2009 my friday night ritual was steaks for dinner, bottle of wine and then watch the Late late. Yes, even in 2008 I was showing my age. In 2009 I emigrated to lands far, well reasonably far, but tried to keep some of my habits and kept watching some of the programs I regularly watched and that included the late late, only I watched it on Saturday afternoon, instead of Friday night. Being far from home, I couldnt get enough "Irish media" but the Late Late under Tubs was where I had to draw the line. Week after week of land, boring or stupid programs, predictable to the point where you could predict why each guest was on. "So Mary, tell us about your book".

When a guy desperate for irish media because he is in a foreign land with no english speaking TV stops watching a programme because its so bad, well, I think it speaks volumes for how bad it got.

For Reals

I blame nepotism a lot. Tubs was groomed from his youth for this. He had no character building knock backs or struggle. He's analytical in his approach and has no charisma.
I'd say he struggles to make small talk with people off camera. Everything looks laboured.
The Louis Walsh take over of the Eurovision killed it. And he has carte blance on the Late Late too.

Icsics

For Reals wrote: »

I blame nepotism a lot. Tubs was groomed from his youth for this. He had no character building knock backs or struggle. He's analytical in his approach and has no charisma.
I'd say he struggles to make small talk with people off camera. Everything looks laboured.
The Louis Walsh take over of the Eurovision killed it. And he has carte blance on the Late Late too.

Totally agree. Saw Tubs in action Fri night, ignored the audience off camera & only spoke with staff. Disappeared as soon as music finished, totally charmless

lukin

Yeah he seems to have no personaity whatsoever. Makes you wonder how the hell he pulled Aoibhinn ní Shúilleabháin.

BuilderPlumber

Deleted User wrote: »

From 2007 to 2009 my friday night ritual was steaks for dinner, bottle of wine and then watch the Late late. Yes, even in 2008 I was showing my age. In 2009 I emigrated to lands far, well reasonably far, but tried to keep some of my habits and kept watching some of the programs I regularly watched and that included the late late, only I watched it on Saturday afternoon, instead of Friday night. Being far from home, I couldnt get enough "Irish media" but the Late Late under Tubs was where I had to draw the line. Week after week of land, boring or stupid programs, predictable to the point where you could predict why each guest was on. "So Mary, tell us about your book".

When a guy desperate for irish media because he is in a foreign land with no english speaking TV stops watching a programme because its so bad, well, I think it speaks volumes for how bad it got.

Tubridy took the meaning of poor chatshow to a whole new dimension! He is a brutal interviewer and the Mary's book example is exactly how he operates. He has done many a bad interview down the years. The most infamous for me was his interview with Nigella Lawson. Tubridy kept on saying he'd bake a cake for her and Nigella looked embarrassed and annoyed and was too polite to snap at him. Around then was when I decided never to watch this show in its entirety ever again. That must have been 2012.

For Reals wrote: »

I blame nepotism a lot. Tubs was groomed from his youth for this. He had no character building knock backs or struggle. He's analytical in his approach and has no charisma.
I'd say he struggles to make small talk with people off camera. Everything looks laboured.
The Louis Walsh take over of the Eurovision killed it. And he has carte blance on the Late Late too.

Nepotism and cronyism is 100% at play in RTE. That's why these brutal hosts and poor singers and comedians are being forced on us all the time. Tubridy has no charisma and is staged in all he does.

Louis Walsh is lauded as the greatest thing ever to hit Irish music. Some of the acts he unleashed killed music in this country and inspired much worse acts like Lee Matthews/Lee Mulhern in all his guises.

Icsics wrote: »

Totally agree. Saw Tubs in action Fri night, ignored the audience off camera & only spoke with staff. Disappeared as soon as music finished, totally charmless

Tubridy has no personality at all. That comes across right away. Looking at that idiotic Valentine's special is proof the man hasn't a clue about entertainment.

lukin wrote: »

Yeah he seems to have no personaity whatsoever. Makes you wonder how the hell he pulled Aoibhinn ní Shúilleabháin.

His massive salary and his pull!

NIMAN

Deleted User wrote: »

. "So Mary, tell us about your book".

Now, I'm no fan of Tubs or the LLS, and bith are well past their sell-by date, but if you look at any show on TV, everyone is selling.

Graham Norton show for example. It is often used as a stick to beat the LLS with, and to be fair it does come across as a lot more craic than the LLS. But fundamentally, every person on the GNS, be it Denzel Washington, or Ben Affleck or Ricky Gervais are selling something, usually a new film, or record.

Only thing is, there is usually more life on the GNS. The LLS is often as exciting as a wake.

mistersifter

He has no ability to empathize with people. He's insensitive. He's condescending and smug. He cannot take a friendly slagging and comes across as a spoiled child. He's awkward with animated/ funny/odd guests. His questions are inane and bland. He is totally biased and his attacks on non FF heads are just plain boring and cringeworthy. He is not able to argue when someone like hopkins comes on . He frequently gets the absolute least value out of interviews. He is unable to go into much depth about anything or offer original views on any matter, usually just spouting whatever the trending opinion is on music/sport/etc etc etc. He's having a field day with stupid Trump-related comments now (e.g. called Conor McGregor "a bit Trumpy" - what are you on about, you fool!?!). His playing up to the young fogey, nerd, rat pack, lounge music thing is detestable. He really loves jelly beans (F*ck off). He epitomizes RTE nepotism. He has the infuriating habit of not finishing sentences (which probably comes from his lack of detailed knowledge about anything).

Horrible, really. Stating the obvious and all, but he should not be on air. Terrible to think he'll be continually 1. employed and 2. paid a colossal salary by our public service broadcaster for ever and ever. And when he does retire sure one of his younger relations will probably take over!

NIMAN

That description could be used word for word for Ray D'arcy too.

Duggie2012

NIMAN wrote: »

That description could be used word for word for Ray D'arcy too.

at least Ray gave us "The Den" years. i lived through those great days as a child/teenager. memories memories.

mistersifter

I agree that most of that stuff goes for Ray Darcy, too. Plus, he constantly sounds totally lethargic and lifeless in interviews. Maybe this is because he knows how awful his interviews and show in general are. I find it hard to believe that there are people outside of RTE who think, "yeah, this is money well spent", when watching either presenter. Even the lunatics who find them in some way entertaining cannot possibly think that their salaries are justifiable. I can safely say, though, I find Ryan Tubridy much more difficult to take than Ray Darcy and I'd love to know how he can be gotten off our screens because complaints made to RTE seem not to have any impact whatsoever.

darkdubh

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Yet again, I have been horrified by the content of recent Tubridy Late Late Shows. For some, the show is considered religiously insulting and blasphemous (haunted bread). For others, it is considered vulgar and sex obsessed. But for me and I guess most people, the Tubridy era of this show is stale, bland, stupid and above all a closed shop designed to force onto the people and make gods out of the mediocre.

I stopped watching this show in its entirety years ago. Nowadays, I pick and choose what I watch from it and often don't watch it at all. I happened to see parts of the shows over recent weeks. Here are typical extracts from recent weeks that sum up all that is wrong:

• Last Friday: Mike Denver yet again singing bland versions of songs other singers who don't get a chance could do better.
• 10th February: The Valentines special was worse than ever. For some, it was offensive but for me it was a bland and poor attempt that offered up tame vulgarity and little talent. Full of clowns like that Dean guy. Enough said.
• The last I think before Christmas: this Louis Walsh protege from Hometown is launched as our Eurovision singer. Tubridy and Walsh are seen overhyping him.
• Katie Hopkins being on: she was on there a few weeks before Christmas and it came across as yet another attempt of the show to be offensive and controversial. This is not what should be supported, talent should be supported.

It seems this show has turned into a show for airheads, opinionated atheists, crude comedy, poor pop and modern country singers, sex mad drunken divorcees, people who use their sexuality to become famous, and RTE employees. Tubridy and co fail to realise there is more to Ireland than this. He is turning off 99% of his audience by focusing on a narrow agenda that the rich and privileged of RTE and its inner circles assume is normal for everyone else.

The Tubridy show does not offend or shock me but it makes me angry. You first off have a presenter who earns a fortune and does not try even to put on a good show. Secondly, the show makes mediocre singers, comedians, and indeed clowns with nothing at all to offer (Dean anyone) famous and potentially rich. Thirdly, its attempts to be controversial are pathetic. Tubridy's attempts to have drug dealer John Gilligan on was yet another attempt to try and court controversy. That Gilligan had the sense to turn down the offer shows at least he has some sense, whereas Tubridy seems to have none. Finally, what REALLY maddens me is that the show claims to be liberal and all that but yet closes off other views apart from the ones their darling guests hold and other styles of music, comedy, etc. that does not fit with the style the likes of Mike Denver, boybands and Oliver Callan have are silenced.

If this was a private members club, the way they act would be fine. Instead, the Tubridy show is something most of the population have to pay a mandatory tax for. Yet, this and other RTE shows give 2 fingers to the people and do not care about others out there with things to offer. Tubridy and his show has become a joke but the cost of the joke is on the TV taxpayers.

Agree with your post but mystified by the atheist comment. The only time I've seen a high profile atheist on under Tubs tenure was Richard Dawkins. Tubs gives far more airtime to mystic/new age/psychic crackpots like that headbanger Joe Coleman who he had on not once but twice and one of the Medjugorje "visionaries" who spoke no English and yer wan who was Trapatonis translater was there to translate for her, one of the worst interviews I've ever seen on the show.

NIMAN

Tubs and Darcy, I would love RTE to some day come to their senses and say, "max wage at RTE for all presenters is 150k, take it or leave it".

They'd save a fortune, and you can guarantee Tubs, Darcy, Joe Duffy, Marion Finucane and their like would all still be working for the company, cos no one else would employ them.

mistersifter

I personally wouldn't want Ryan Tubridy or Ray Darcy on screen even if they were earning jobseekers plus 50 quid a week expenses (for bus fares and lunches and that). I might give em 150k per year to stay away from television, though (plus 50 quid a week for staying at home expenses).

But taking those two out of the equation, yes, I think 150k per year is more than enough for any broadcaster in Ireland to earn. If it were up to me I would cap it at less. I mean, even 100k is bloody loads and they're getting it for doing what is presumably their dream job. There must be so many competent people out there who would do a great job for not much more than the average wage. If RTE was more open maybe it would be possible to find such individuals.

This business of 500k is just astonishing. FIVE HUNDRED GRAND A YEAR! TO RYAN F*CKING TUBRIDY?! For loving jelly beans and not finishing his sentences? Hard to know whether to laugh or cry or f*ck my tele out the window or invade the LLS set live on air to tell him what an insufferable gobsh*te he is!

NIMAN

Don't forget Joe Duffy and Marion Finucane too, they are on 400k+ every year.

At that sort of money, you should be getting the best in the business, not just in Ireland. These 4 are far from the best in the business.

Imagine what a young Gay Byrne or Terry Wogan would be worth in todays money?

mistersifter

It's such an unjustifiable use of money it's almost funny. 400-500 thousand euro year after year, after year. EACH. It would take most with the same level of education (and a lot more talent) around a decade to earn what these deluded people earn in 12 months. It's a real scandal and it needs to stop. I just cannot comprehend for the life of me who signs off on these things. Who comes up with the idea of lashing half a million quid per year to Ryan Tubridy? How does the conversation go when the heads of RTE are signing off on this stuff? At no stage does anyone say, "Wait! I know this might sound craaaaaaaazy, but maybe, just maybe, we could get someone to do the job for way less? And get this for an idea - maybe that person doesn't have to be a smug pr*ck?"

Vorenus400

darkdubh wrote: »

Agree with your post but mystified by the atheist comment. The only time I've seen a high profile atheist on under Tubs tenure was Richard Dawkins. Tubs gives far more airtime to mystic/new age/psychic crackpots like that headbanger Joe Coleman who he had on not once but twice and one of the Medjugorje "visionaries" who spoke no English and yer wan who was Trapatonis translater was there to translate for her, one of the worst interviews I've ever seen on the show.

Yea Tubs really doesnt like atheists who speak out. I remember his cringe inducing attack on dawkins (who can be a complete a**hole) "If God doesnt exist, then what is the Vatican" Dont forget his badgering of Terry Pratchett about the right to die either. Cant find that interview anywhere online so I suppose RTE have been getting rid of it. He aslso talked about ouija boards being for contacting demons on radio years ago. I also remember him interviewing some wan who saw angels, not one critical question did he ask.

Tubs is an old school 1960/70s catholic but lacks the talent of that generation of presenters. He does a good job on the toy show and rehearses for that. But he is wildly unprepared for the average friday night and even looks surprised when he reads the cards sometimes.

darkdubh

Vorenus400 wrote: »

Yea Tubs really doesnt like atheists who speak out. I remember his cringe inducing attack on dawkins (who can be a complete a**hole) "If God doesnt exist, then what is the Vatican" Dont forget his badgering of Terry Pratchett about the right to die either. Cant find that interview anywhere online so I suppose RTE have been getting rid of it. He aslso talked about ouija boards being for contacting demons on radio years ago. I also remember him interviewing some wan who saw angels, not one critical question did he ask.

Tubs is an old school 1960/70s catholic but lacks the talent of that generation of presenters. He does a good job on the toy show and rehearses for that. But he is wildly unprepared for the average friday night and even looks surprised when he reads the cards sometimes.

I remember that, infuriating that he gave her such an easyride. He also had this complete bull****ter of a woman on who was claiming John Lennon was sending her song lyrics from the other side and compared to the grilling he gave Dawkins you'd think it was the most natural thing in the world.

BuilderPlumber

darkdubh wrote: »

Agree with your post but mystified by the atheist comment. The only time I've seen a high profile atheist on under Tubs tenure was Richard Dawkins. Tubs gives far more airtime to mystic/new age/psychic crackpots like that headbanger Joe Coleman who he had on not once but twice and one of the Medjugorje "visionaries" who spoke no English and yer wan who was Trapatonis translater was there to translate for her, one of the worst interviews I've ever seen on the show.

These are among the types I mean along with Richard Dawkins. I feel the show mocks religious beliefs of all kind incl. atheist beliefs. I don't know what you call the likes of Coleman and co. RTE seemed to be obsessed with them for a time. Pat Kenny also had al Qaeda devil worshippers on incl. that Irishman who got killed in Iraq last year. So, Tubridy's plan to have John Gilligan on was not a first.

Agricola

mistersifter wrote: »

It's such an unjustifiable use of money it's almost funny. 400-500 thousand euro year after year, after year. EACH. It would take most with the same level of education (and a lot more talent) around a decade to earn what these deluded people earn in 12 months. It's a real scandal and it needs to stop. I just cannot comprehend for the life of me who signs off on these things. Who comes up with the idea of lashing half a million quid per year to Ryan Tubridy? How does the conversation go when the heads of RTE are signing off on this stuff? At no stage does anyone say, "Wait! I know this might sound craaaaaaaazy, but maybe, just maybe, we could get someone to do the job for way less? And get this for an idea - maybe that person doesn't have to be a smug pr*ck?"

Your posts on this hit the nail on the head squarely!

What really boggles the mind is that Gay Byrne, as he has often alluded to, was on a 3 month (I think) contract from the time he began the late late show right up until the 1990's! He has said before that he lived in fear of getting axed all through the 70's and 80's and snapped the contract out of DG's hand every time, without so much as a cursory haggle! Relatively speaking, he was paid a pittance compared to even the most low level RTE journeyman presenters today.

What Gay Byrne must think now, looking at Tubridy commanding such a salary and not a worry in the world that it will ever be taken off him!

What I hate about the show now is that it's a bad half way house between light and serious topics. It's light entertainment is piss poor because Ireland really doesnt have a regular parade of interesting internationally recognised people passing through Dublin anymore. Celebrities selling their shows, book, films, etc no longer need to come to a 2 channel Ireland to let the people know. So we are left with the fabled RTE canteen most weeks.

On the serious topics, it is either misery slots for misery's sake or it's really poor current affairs coverage which looks like it was knocked up by a bunch of TY students.

Tubridy & his team have openly sought to dumb down the show since Pat Kenny's time. Since he is an intellectual lightweight who can't referee a real debate about current affairs, he steers clear of hard hitting panel scenarios, which were the bread and butter of the show in years gone by. So instead of a panel of experts to talk about, for example Brexit or Trump, we get Katie Hopkins wheeled out to say some awful shít and get some controversy going. That's where we're at now.

I mean, you don't have to be Jeremy Paxman to do a good current affairs slot. Even Gerry Ryan would have made a good fist of grilling some politicians and political journalists. Which leads me onto Tubs major flaw..... he lacks an inquiring mind, which all good interviewers need.

He isn't actually curious about anyone he interviews and it's obvious that he hasn't spent much time forming opinions on anything himself. Even on the rare occasion when he hits paydirt, like the Dawkins interview, he uses it as an excuse to attack the man, instead of asking him interesting and thought provoking questions. The real sign of a lightweight.

NIMAN

Sad to say that Tommy Tiernan looks like he would be able to host a serious discussion better than Tubs or F-Arcy.

degrassinoel

Vorenus400 wrote: »

Tubs is an old school 1960/70s catholic but lacks the talent of that generation of presenters. He does a good job on the toy show and rehearses for that.

He blows his own trumpet on that one too, months of self advertising on the late late itself and on the radio. I dunno why Brendan O'Connor cant take over for him and let tubbers just do the toy show.

Tubs is a woeful interviewer, even when he does ask a semi intelligent question he interrupts his guest halfway through their answer with something completely stupid and/or irrelevant.

mistersifter

Agricola wrote: »

Your posts on this hit the nail on the head squarely!


What I hate about the show now is that it's a bad half way house between light and serious topics.

...Tubs major flaw..... he lacks an inquiring mind, which all good interviewers need.

He isn't actually curious about anyone he interviews and it's obvious that he hasn't spent much time forming opinions on anything himself. Even on the rare occasion when he hits paydirt, like the Dawkins interview, he uses it as an excuse to attack the man, instead of asking him interesting and thought provoking questions...

You've elaborated on my point perfectly. A "bad half way house" is a good way of putting it. I think, despite what many say, the unorthodox mix of serious and light could conceivably work if the right person was running the show. If nothing else, its original and god knows the LLS needs that. Tubridy, as mentioned, has no ability to think originally. Just look at his attempts to be an American, Leno/Letterman type host with his pain-in-the-hole house band. He used to have the city silhouette backdrop, too. I cant stand that tendency to imitate and turn out "poor mans" versions of other shows.

I couldn't agree more about Tubridy's lack of curiosity being a major flaw. Whenever he conducts potentially interesting interviews, he is oblivious to interesting lines of questioning that present themselves in a very blatant manner. There'll be an obvious follow up question staring him in the face and he'll simply change topic and ask something really meaningless. His tendency to attack people (which you mentioned) is an attempt to come across as a hard-hitter who'll "ask the questions that need to be asked", even if that means ruffling a few feathers. However, the reality is that he misreads situations on a regular basis. This is related to his inability to empathize or put himself in someone else's shoes. He is disconnected from normality in a snobbish, well-to-do world. ( Dont get me started on his failed attempts to sound like some kind of twee character out of a Roald Dahl story - needlessly describing everything as "curious", "intriguing" and "peculiar")

The Dawkins interview is a good example of how inept he is. He kept talking along the lines of The God Delusion and overlooked a newer book that was the reason for the appearance on the LLS in the first place. Tubridy panicked when pulled up on this by Dawkins and said something insulting like "im asking interesting questions" (insulting the new book to cover up his poor interview planning maybe). Then, when Dawkins clearly introduced the topic euthanasia, Tubridy missed the opportunity to discuss something interesting and highly relevant and asked "what kind of funeral would you like?".

Clearly, I would rather he wasn't contracted by RTE at all. However, If there are enough people out there who like him for whatever crazy reason, he should at least be taken off the public service broadcaster's flagship show and left in some niche radio slot for deluded people (probably already has one such show, i know!). The real question is , how can he be removed from TV?

Some think Tommy Tiernan should be given the LLS. Maybe he would be able to handle the light/serious mix. He is undoubtedly more curious and thoughtful than Tubridy, what with being able to get half-decent interviews out of guests he doesn't know are going to appear on his show. There would be nothing to lose by giving him a go anyway. That's for sure.

NIMAN

The problem with Ireland is, we have a very small talent pool, so who would be the next host of the LLS is anyones guess.

I honestly can't think of anyone right one who is good enough to host the countrys No1 show, but then again the show itself it dying from lack of guests and maybe Tubs might be the last host?

BuilderPlumber

NIMAN wrote: »

The problem with Ireland is, we have a very small talent pool, so who would be the next host of the LLS is anyones guess.

I honestly can't think of anyone right one who is good enough to host the countrys No1 show, but then again the show itself it dying from lack of guests and maybe Tubs might be the last host?

This problem is exacerbated by the closed shop mentality of the media especially RTE. They are obsessed with a certain set of handpicked individuals who they will push all the way. A lot of them are mediocre (Mike Denver, all them boybands, PJ Gallagher being some examples of mediocre acts catapulted to fame and fortune by RTE and its associated channels).

RTE need to open the door to all and change its closed shop mentality. Until it does, then Tubridy's show and all the rest will continue to be poor and will be just rehashing a format, guests, type of guest, etc. that have been repeated over and over for the past 15 years at least.

BuilderPlumber

mistersifter wrote: »

I agree that most of that stuff goes for Ray Darcy, too. Plus, he constantly sounds totally lethargic and lifeless in interviews. Maybe this is because he knows how awful his interviews and show in general are. I find it hard to believe that there are people outside of RTE who think, "yeah, this is money well spent", when watching either presenter. Even the lunatics who find them in some way entertaining cannot possibly think that their salaries are justifiable. I can safely say, though, I find Ryan Tubridy much more difficult to take than Ray Darcy and I'd love to know how he can be gotten off our screens because complaints made to RTE seem not to have any impact whatsoever.

While Ray D'Arcy's show can be poor too (it suffers again from RTE's deliberate blocking of talent outside of the handpicked individuals they feel they have to push on us) but he has more excuses that Tubridy. Ray has only 2 years experience as a chatshow host and he is more professional than Tubridy even if the material on his show does not add up to much. Secondly, his show is short and therefore not the borefest the 2h15min Tubridy show is. Finally, this is the second chatshow and the 'poor relation' to Tubridy's show. The supposedly flagship chatshow and indeed programme of RTE is belonging to Tubridy and it is much worse than the 'poor relation'.

BuilderPlumber

Vorenus400 wrote: »

Tubs is an old school 1960/70s catholic but lacks the talent of that generation of presenters. He does a good job on the toy show and rehearses for that. But he is wildly unprepared for the average friday night and even looks surprised when he reads the cards sometimes.

I feel Tubridy tries to be some sort of a modern Gay Byrne but he is not fit to carry his boots. Tubridy is good at the toy show and that's why there is a big deal made of this each year as it is the only thing he is good at.

I don't think Tubridy has any respect for anyone's religion. He is probably born a Catholic (or else is from a very similar background like CoI or Methodist) but whatever he was born into is long gone and replaced instead by a smug belief in himself. The media are on such an ego trip that it is a sight to behold: they have replaced god with themselves. This is an insult to religious people and atheists alike.

That Valentines show turned off both religious and atheist people alike and whatever it was trying to do did not work. In fact, shows like that only worked on the level of total stupidity. I feel too that Tubridy does not partake in the research and is not involved in either deciding who is on or what is researched about who is on. As said, those behind the scenes have decided that only a small pool of mostly mediocre acts in comedy, music, etc. along with RTE employees get airtime most of the time on this show.

mistersifter

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

This problem is exacerbated by the closed shop mentality of the media especially RTE. They are obsessed with a certain set of handpicked individuals who they will push all the way. A lot of them are mediocre (Mike Denver, all them boybands, PJ Gallagher being some examples of mediocre acts catapulted to fame and fortune by RTE and its associated channels).

RTE need to open the door to all and change its closed shop mentality....

A closed shop is right. Ireland's talent pool is bigger than RTE would have you believe. We are churning out well-informed, knowledgeable people who have the ability to be entertaining and want to work in media but can't get a look in. As far as I know, RTE has no type of graduate programme that might allow people to get some experience.

D'arcy's show does suffer from being the late late's little brother. The LLS renders his show even more pointless than it naturally is. It's just second advertising mechanism for other RTE shows, which shows how turned in on itself and disconnected this closed shop is. Regarding D'arcy's level of experience, he has been presenting since the early 1990s so I think two years on a Saturday night chat show should have been more than enough to become half decent at that format. He's not going to improve. They should just show a film instead. RTE can't even get one weekly chat show right, never mind two.

Dubh Geannain

The depressing thing is, he is relatively young. Does he have ambitions further afield? I hope so.

PS. I actually don't dislike the guy himself.

AndyBoBandy

The whole of RTE is just a shambles, with Tubs & the LLS being the flagship of it's failure
(Do they still repeat the LLS on a Monday night?)

They repeat that dancing show monstrosity twice in the week following initial broadcast (the 1st repeat being a midweek evening primetime slot, the second being Saturday afternoon primetime slot), so thats a 2+ hour show being repeated twice in the following week, just to fill air time (despite them having the 4k ultra HD 480p RTE Player for repeats) that could be better filled with original shows (shows they can't afford to make because most of their cash goes on bloated salaries)

Marian gets 400k? for a 2 hour show every Saturday?, that works out at about €4,000+ per hour (assuming she has 4 weekends off per year).

FrancieBrady

Personally, all this talk about the 'brilliant' Gay Byrne has me confused.
As they said about Wagner, 'he had some wonderful moments but some awful half hours' too. A high percentage was as cringe inducing as anything Tubridy or Kenny did.

He made an impression in an era when it was easy to make one, at most people had 4-5 channels, the majority maybe just one or two, there was no real distractions like the internet or other shows and channels and many many taboo subjects were just coming to be dealt with by the public.

I am not for a minute saying Tubridy is as good or even good, I just think the harking back to some golden era is a bit overdone. Byrne is just a simpering lightweight now entirely in love with his own 'importance'.

AndyBoBandy

FrancieBrady wrote: »

He made an impression in an era when it was easy to make one, at most people had 4-5 channels, the majority maybe just one or two, there was no real distractions like the internet or other shows and channels and many many taboo subjects were just coming to be dealt with by the public.

Also back then, the subject of the show, however controversial or not, had to wait til the Monday for discussion with colleagues etc... whereas now the entire show can be dissected online before midnight!

Duggie2012

well i generally dont tune into the late late anymore cause its gone beyond pathetic. if gay came back next friday night i'd be glued to it. it would instantly be 100% better. im in my early 30's so maybe its cause i have great memories as a child watching Gay on the late late.

mistersifter

Dubh Geannain wrote: »

The depressing thing is, he is relatively young. Does he have ambitions further afield? I hope so.

PS. I actually don't dislike the guy himself.

I doubt Tubridy or D'arcy intend to do anything other than continue to produce tripe for RTE while taking huge amounts of cash off the public.

I don't necessarily "dislike" D'arcy as a person either, he's just depressingly bad at presenting and generally representative of RTE's incompetencies.

Tubridy, on the other hand, I find despicable. The irony here is that this is someone who sells himself as a fun, charmingly child-like and up for a laugh, when he is a rude, spoiled snob and square of the highest order. Is it too much to ask that the people who are presenting our national chat shows are a capable of having a bit of craic!? Just look at Tubridy when Gordon Ramsay slagged him. Couldn't take it , couldn't "to-and-fro" a bit, just got offended and came out with the ridiculous criticism that Ramsay was "a bit British" for his liking. Look at how he dealt with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, making things awkward when the lads were clearly up for a laugh. All of these foreign guests are used to being on shows where craic is had and they rightly expect to be able to bounce off the presenter a bit. Their efforts are smothered by a wet-blanket. The only thing you can take from it is that the cringe-worthiness of it itself offers a sort of Alan Partridge/David Brent comic value.

FrancieBrady

Duggie2012 wrote: »

well i generally dont tune into the late late anymore cause its gone beyond pathetic. if gay came back next friday night i'd be glued to it. it would instantly be 100% better. im in my early 30's so maybe its cause i have great memories as a child watching Gay on the late late.

Well, I'm in my 50's and I can assure you there was plenty to bore and frustrate as well. Byrne got away with his own agenda quite a bit back in the day.
One of his underlying opinions being inadvertently revealed the night he interviewed Annie Murphy, the woman who had Casey's baby.


Anyway, just saying. I wouldn't be elevating him to sainthood, too much has changed in television to make fair comparisons.

Duggie2012

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Well, I'm in my 50's and I can assure you there was plenty to bore and frustrate as well. Byrne got away with his own agenda quite a bit back in the day.
One of his underlying opinions being inadvertently revealed the night he interviewed Annie Murphy, the woman who had Casey's baby.


Anyway, just saying. I wouldn't be elevating him to sainthood, too much has changed in television to make fair comparisons.

i'd take Gay's own agenda anyday over the muck the Late Late has become.

Ash.J.Williams

Tubridy is a terrible broadcaster and I find it strange that rte seem to dumb everything down to suit him,which is odd considering he sees himself as an intellectual heavyweight.

valoren

The irony is that for all his criticism of Trump, he is paid significantly more than the President of the United States.
I know Trump actually refuses remuneration for the job, but the pay packet for the role is less than what he get's.
Self awareness seems to be lacking in the canteen there.

Regarding the pay scale, I'm reminded of the ex-President in UCC who was asked similar pointed questions about his salary of €250,000 and how feasible or justified it was. His response, in all seriousness, was that his privileged position required that he portray a lifestyle that was commensurate with his privileged position of a 'University President'.
That he needed to live in a large home, with a Jaguar in the drive. He was required to be so handsomely paid to allow for that.
It was UCC. Not Harvard. Not MIT. Similar delusions of grandeur can be seen in RTE.

I'm sure they, Tubs et al, feel that they are perhaps not being paid enough. I would see them as perfectly competent people but they are also amateurs rewarded with superstar wages which, like the UCC president, are out of touch with reality.

FrancieBrady

Duggie2012 wrote: »

i'd take Gay's own agenda anyday over the muck the Late Late has become.

Be careful what you wish for. I guarantee Boards would grind to a halt with traffic queuing to complain about him.
That simpering, patronising religious show he does is all the evidence you need.

valoren

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Personally, all this talk about the 'brilliant' Gay Byrne has me confused.
As they said about Wagner, 'he had some wonderful moments but some awful half hours' too. A high percentage was as cringe inducing as anything Tubridy or Kenny did.

He made an impression in an era when it was easy to make one, at most people had 4-5 channels, the majority maybe just one or two, there was no real distractions like the internet or other shows and channels and many many taboo subjects were just coming to be dealt with by the public.

I am not for a minute saying Tubridy is as good or even good, I just think the harking back to some golden era is a bit overdone. Byrne is just a simpering lightweight now entirely in love with his own 'importance'.

Agreed. It's the rose tinted glasses effect. Think about how people reflect kindly on say Italia 90. That it was a magical time in our country with the influence it had with people. If we were to actually go back and rewatch the matches themselves we would wince at how ****e the actual content itself was, how crap the football was. Instead, we think of Italia 90 and remember the goals, the penalty shootout, memorable quotes etc.

The Late Late with Gaybo was similar. We remember it fondly, we recall the memorable moments. Yet, pick a random show from say 1988 or 1994, watching the whole thing might serve as a reminder that it was not as brilliant as some would like to think.

Ash.J.Williams

The odd time we do have an international guest Tubridy makes a show of us. "Will how about anchor man 3 the Ireland adventure"

Vorenus400

NIMAN wrote: »

The problem with Ireland is, we have a very small talent pool, so who would be the next host of the LLS is anyones guess.

I honestly can't think of anyone right one who is good enough to host the countrys No1 show, but then again the show itself it dying from lack of guests and maybe Tubs might be the last host?

They could just have one chatshow on year round but rotate the presenter every couple of weeks till they find someone semi competent. Would mean every presenter would bring their A game or not be invited back.

There is a small talent pool in Ireland but there is an even smaller pool of talent that keeps popping up on the LLS.

Anyone remember when one of Gerry Ryans kids lip synced on LLS and then Ryan went to pains to explain that any up and coming band or act could apply? I certainly havent seen many new un discovered bands on the show unless you count Louis Walshs creations.

I cant see anything changing in RTE as the current setup suits everyone in RTE