- Stream some of the most talked about TV shows for free with the brand-new Virgin Media Play app, opening up a world of entertainment at your fingertips including brilliant dramas, unmissable live sport and reality boxsets.
- The highly anticipated Virgin Media Original drama‘Dead & Buried’, which was filmed in Ireland, launches on Virgin Media One on 2ndSeptember. The full boxset will drop on Virgin Media Play after episode one.
- A whole host of new documentaries exploring modern-day life in Ireland, including landmark fly-on-the-wall docu-series ‘Women Locked Up: Inside the Dóchas Centre’. Other original documentaries include ‘Ireland’s Most Dangerous Hospital’, ‘Borders & Lies’ and ‘Generation Rent’.
- Lucy Kennedy returns to our screens with a new series ‘Real Life with Lucy’. She will take an unfiltered look at life for young people in Ireland including transgenderism, addiction and the increase in sophisticated online scams. ‘Life Actually’ follows eight couples over a full year, as they navigate the reality of babies, mortgages, marriages and much more.
- The nation’s favourite ‘Gogglebox Ireland’ returns for its tenth season, with new households joining our seasoned TV fanatics ready to comment on the week’s top telly. The Irish dating show with a twist, ‘Grá ar an Trá’, is back for a second series withten new singletons checking in to the ‘Love Teach’ to find a love for the Irish language and each other.
- Virgin Media Television remains the go-to destination for sports fans this season, with the best of free-to-air sport, including the 2024 Autumn Nations Series, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Nations League, Diamond League Athletics and much more.
Virgin Media Television (VMTV) has announced details of its New Season Schedule, with an exciting range of content. Unveiling some brand-new gems and featuring fan-favourites, VMTV’s autumn schedule has something for viewers everywhere, broadcasting nationwide across Ireland, free-to-air and on the new Virgin Media Play streaming service.
Virgin Media Play, the new and improved free Virgin Media streaming app for mobile, tablet or smart TV, will be home to all the content you love including jaw-dropping drama, unmissable sport and reality boxsets, from 2ndSeptember. Available live or on demand, viewers can restart content so you don’t miss a single moment, seamlessly watch all our channels in-app and stream major shows minutes after they have aired so you don’t get FOMO. New exclusive drops include drama series‘The Arrangement’ and reality shows such as ‘Below Deck Mediterranean’,‘Million Dollar Listing’‘TheReal Housewives of Beverly Hills’ and ‘Vanderpump Rules’.
Anthony Nilan, Director of Programming, Virgin Media Television said:
“We’re thrilled to launch a new season of programming that truly reflects the diversity, ambition, and creativity at the heart of our content. This lineup brings together bold new voices and familiar favourites across a range of genres, that will captivate and engage audiences, staying true to our role as a valued public service broadcaster for Irish viewers.”
Virgin Media Television will unleash a host of world-class, gripping dramas this season including the highly anticipated Irish series ‘Dead & Buried’. Written by acclaimed Irish author, Colin Bateman, and filmed across various Irish locations, ‘Dead & Buried’ will launch on Virgin Media One on Monday 2ndSeptember. A happily married schoolteacher [Annabel Scholey,BeingHuman,The Serial Killer’s Wife] literally bumps into the man [Colin Morgan,Belfast,Merlin] who killed her brother when she was a teenager – a man she presumed was still in prison. But the knowledge that he is back in the same town spawns an obsession which threatens to tear two families apart and ultimately leads to murder.This four-part series is produced by Three River Fiction [Trackers] and Vico Films [The Young Offenders] for Virgin Media Television and BBC Northern Ireland in association with All3Media with support from Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen and Coimisiún na Meán.
Another big drama this autumn is‘Coma’, starring Jason Watkins as Simon, a family man at breaking point who is being terrorised by local teenagers. He confronts the leader of the group, and a split-second decision changes everything.
If true crime is your thing, ‘Until I Kill You’ is one for your watch-list, as it captures the strength of a truly remarkable woman’s traumatic journey to achieving justice, having survived a series of violent attacks at the hands of a man who should never have been free to commit his heinous crimes.
Dramas set to return for additional series this season include hit police drama ‘The Tower S3’ and critically acclaimed detective series ‘Grace S4’.
Viewers will enjoy a feast of new original Irish documentaries this season, including ‘Women Locked Up: Inside the Dóchas Centre’, which provides unprecedented access and compelling insights into life behind bars in Ireland’s largest women’s prison. Filmed over the course of seven months, with support from Coimisiún na Meán’s Sound and Vision funding scheme, this three-part docuseries tells the human story on both sides of the prison door, from staff and prisoners.
Against a backdrop of continuing protests and riots, the explosive two-part documentary ‘Borders & Lies’ explores the role of social media in inciting hate, fuelling fear and shaping public opinion in relation to immigration. Through real-life stories, we examine how genuine local concerns are being lost in an online world of disinformation and rising tensions.
Virgin Media News investigates University Hospital Limerick in ‘Ireland’s Most Dangerous Hospital’. The documentary, fronted by Richard Chambers, focuses on the harrowing stories of families who have lost loved ones due to systemic failures.
‘Generation Rent’, presented by Virgin Media News correspondent Zara King, explores issues surrounding the housing crisis in Ireland, speaking with young people who are struggling to put their renting days behind them and get on the property ladder.
Another homegrown documentary set to air this autumn explores the world-wide Thalidomide scandal. ‘Ireland’s Thalidomide Scandal’ examines how pregnant women in the late 50s and early 60s were prescribed the drug which was marketed as a sedative and treatment for morning sickness, subsequently leading to their babies being born with a range of disabilities. Fronted by Paul Quinn, this documentary follows Irish victims as they fight for justice.
‘Stormy’ is a captivatingand unvarnished documentary about Stormy Daniels, who unexpectedly found herself in the international spotlight when news broke of a secret payment she had received to keep quiet about an encounter with Donald Trump, before he became U.S. President. As she unwittingly became a household name overnight everyone had an opinion about the former p*rn-star and her involvementwith Trump. Stormy shares her story, an account of events that have become part of American history, and the heartbreak and fallout that she has faced over the years.
‘Harry & Megan: Is America Turning Against Them’ looks at the heavy criticism the ex-royals have received as their popularity plummets. Only a few months ago they were the darlings of LA and indeed America, lapping up their celebrity lifestyle. From mega money deals, podcasts, and books to exclusive TV appearances, the pair seemed to be quite content to cash in on their new chapter. But the tide appears to be turning, and the once enthralled American public interest is waning. What do the Harry and Meghan do if their American Dream turns into a nightmare, and can they ever come back to Blighty and all be forgiven?
Alongside this host of top documentaries, we have the best of new and returning home-grown entertainment formats produced with support from Coimisiún na Meán Sound and Vision funding scheme.
‘Real Life with Lucy’follows self-confessed nosiest woman in Ireland, Lucy Kennedy, on a deep dive into the diverse lives of young Irish people. From identity theft to romance fraud, Lucy explores how young people are falling victim to the increasingly sophisticated and murky world of scams. She spends time with young addicts recovering from substance abuse and discovers just how accessible drugs now are. With so much noise around sports, schools and bathrooms, Lucy takes an unfiltered look at what life is really like for the transgender community in Ireland. With equal measures of scepticism and obsessive belief, Lucy embarks on an other-worldly experience, as she meets psychics, mediums and witches. The first episode hits our screens on Monday 30thSeptember at 9pm on Virgin Media One.
Another new Irish format ‘Life Actually’ follows eight young Irish couples over the course of a year as they navigate the real-life highs and lows of the modern day ‘happily ever after’. From planning a family and buying a house to life-changing diagnoses and walking down the aisle, this six-part series provides a raw look inside the lives of Ireland’s twenty, thirty and forty-somethings. Nothing was off limits for our couples, and we explore just how relatable their lives are through a national survey examining the habits and attitudes of couples in Ireland. Be prepared for a roller-coaster of emotions, from desperation to utter joy because life actually ain’t no rom-com.
‘Grá ar an Trá’ is back for a second series with ten new singletons hoping to discover a love for the Irish language and each other.Bean and Man an tí, Síomha Ní Ruairc and James Kavanagh, have thrown open the doors of their ‘Love Teach’ once again andif our newdaltaí (students) think they have it all figured out, they’re in for some surprises.This year, contestants can secretly vote for other couples they don’t think are making enough of an effort to teach and learn. This new twist will see the couples who aren’t pulling up their socks face theCinnire Grá, Grainne Seoige, who ultimately decides who stays and who goes. There’ll be even more fireworks, fun, focail and of course grá in this Gaeltacht for grown-ups as our couples compete to becrowned 'Couple with the most focail', walking away with €10,000! The series airs at 9pm on Monday 14thOctober on Virgin Media One, so focail up, this beach is about to get rocky!
Another favourite returning to our screens for its tenth series is TV phenomenon ‘Gogglebox Ireland’, following the nation’s top television critics as they watch, analyse, dissect and comment on beloved Irish shows, all from the comfort of their own sitting rooms. Back with some new and returning households every Wednesday night on Virgin Media One.
Virgin Media Television will continue to offer viewers live studio programming every day, sharing unique, engaging and relevant Irish stories from morning to night. The country’s longest-running breakfast show,Ireland AMwill celebrate 25 years on air, with a week of celebrations to mark the occasion. Brian Dowling returns from his summer break to join Katja Mia back on the Six sofa as they continue to keep us entertained every evening from 6pm to 7pm onThe Six O’Clock Show.
With a General Election due to take place here over the coming months and Kamala Harris and Donald Trump facing off in the U.S. Presidential Election in November
Virgin Media Television will be your go-to destination for all things news and current affairs.‘Virgin Media News’will continue to keep viewers fully updated throughout the day with bulletins at 12:30pm, 5:30pm and 7:00pm whileGavan Reilly, Richard Chambers and Zara King team up once more for the ‘The Group Chat’ each Wednesday night.
Claire Brock and Ciara Doherty are back for a new series of ‘The Tonight Show’, which returns on 2ndSeptember with a panel of nightly guests discussing the latest developments in Irish politics and beyond.
There’s no shortage of top-class sport this autumn, as VMTV remains the go-to destination for rugby fans. In November, with Andy Farrell's Ireland will be looking to finish an impressive 2024 on a high in theAutumn Nations Series. The Six Nations champions will face New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia in the Aviva Stadium, with all four games live on VMTV.
Irish viewers will have access to more free-to-airUEFA Champions Leagueaction than ever before, with eight games live every match-week, with two games live on Virgin Media Two and two live on Virgin Media More, every Tuesday and Wednesday. Football fans will also be treated to the best of international football, with live coverage of theUEFA Nations League.
In addition, there will be top-classhorse racingfrom the UK and further afield throughout the autumn, MMA action fromBellatorandUFC, world-class athletics in theDiamond LeagueandNFLgames. So, strap in for a bumper few months of live sport on VMTV!
Viewers will continue to get the very best of international TV shows, including fan-favourites ‘Big Brother’, ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’, ‘The Voice’, ‘Ant and Dec’s Limitless Win’, ‘The Graham Norton Show’, ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’, ‘I Kissed A Girl’, ‘My Mum, Your Dad S2’ and‘For the Love of Dogs with Alison Hammond’,along with all your favourite soap drama from the cobblestones of Weatherfield in‘Coronation Street’and‘Emmerdale’s’Yorkshire Dales.
