Virgin Media Television has unveiled its new Autumn season schedule, with a strong emphasis on original Irish programming, live sport, news and current affairs alongside returning entertainment favourites and international drama.
The broadcaster said the new season is designed around many of the issues and conversations shaping Ireland, including housing, education, women’s health, online abuse and the impact of artificial intelligence.
Anthony Nilan, director of programming at Virgin Media Television, said audiences continued to value programmes capable of cutting through an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
“For all the talk of algorithms and endless choice, audiences still want the same thing, programmes worth stopping for,” he said.
“As a national broadcaster, our job is to cut through the doom scrolling and bring together trusted information, unforgettable moments, and brilliant stories that get people talking.
“This season delivers exactly that. From homegrown Irish productions to major international hits, breaking news and trying to convince your friends you’d definitely make it into The 1% Club, we’ve built a schedule packed with the shows you’ll recommend, the characters you’ll become invested in and the kind of telly obsession that keeps you hitting ‘next episode’.”
Among the centrepieces of the schedule is Home Truths, a new documentary strand featuring familiar VMTV personalities examining issues with which they have personal connections.
In Crisis in the Classroom, Ireland AM presenter and former special needs assistant Eric Roberts examines pressures facing special needs education,while Katja Mia explores women’s experiences of the health system in Health Hysteria: Are Women Being Gaslit?
Gráinne Seoige will front Deepfake Ireland, investigating the rise of AI-generated abuse following her own experience of becoming the target of an AI-generated pornographic image.
Meanwhile, Brian Dowling Gourounlian will examine online bullying and harassment in Toxic Threads.
Virgin Media is also continuing its investment in Irish scripted content with Complicit, a new Dublin-set drama starring Claire Goose, Moe Dunford and Jason O’Mara. Created by Caroline Carver, it follows a woman whose life unravels after an unexpected death.
Another new format, Strangers, is built around deception and deduction as contestants attempt to uncover each other’s identities while protecting their own.
VMTV will also launch its first vertical drama developed specifically for smartphones. Zero Focals Given is set in Coláiste Lorcáin and follows the fallout from an unexpected Department inspection.
Comedian Martin Angolo, meanwhile, fronts Stand Up If You’re Racist, following his attempt to stage a multicultural comedy showcase with contributions from Aisling Bea, Ardal O’Hanlon, Deirdre O’Kane and Paul Tylak.
Returning Irish programmes include Brain Doctors: Inside Neurosurgery, Help Me Buy a Home, Gogglebox Ireland and Living with Lucy.
Sport will remain a major part of the schedule, led by exclusive free-to-air coverage of every game in the new Nations Championship rugby competition. Ireland will face Argentina, Fiji and world champions South Africa at the Aviva Stadium in November before the competition concludes with a finals weekend in London.
Virgin Media will also continue its coverage of the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland, while the UEFA Champions League returns to the broadcaster in 2027 alongside the UEFA Nations League.
Horse racing coverage will include the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Breeders’ Cup, while VMTV will show a live NFL game every Sunday evening as well as the Super Bowl.
News and current affairs will feature Week in Review, the Truth Matters misinformation strand and the return of The Tonight Show with Shane Coleman. Monday With Gavan Reilly and Colette Fitzpatrick’s The Big Interview will also return.
New news documentaries include Policing Dublin City, Ireland Under Water, Sophie Toscan du Plantier: 30 Years and Surviving Fred and Rose West: Inside Cromwell Street.
Elsewhere, Lottie Ryan will join Brian Dowling Gourounlian on The Six O’Clock Show from September, while Ireland AM returns with its weekday and weekend presenting teams.
International highlights include new dramas Adultery, Number One Fan, The Dark and The Party, alongside returning entertainment including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, The Voice UK, The Graham Norton Show, The Masked Singer UK and The 1% Club.
