Chemistry gives off wrong smell on Daily Show
Date Published: {J}
Okay so given that it’s afternoon TV, nobody expected a big budget – but even with a limited spend, when it comes to getting an expert in to talk about the state of the economy, what professions might come to mind? A former Minister, an economist, a leading businessman, a financial dealer ... or a celebrity gardener?
Yes, when RTÉ’s new Daily Show looked for someone to discuss our economic situation, they turned to Diarmuid Gavin, a man – according to Daithí Ó Sé, who is ‘best recognised for his quirky garden’. In fairness, his hair looked alright to me.
He’s done for gardening what Jamie Oliver did for cooking, added his co-host Claire Byrne, who fills the role of current affairs presenter on the show while her partner hovers around the edges like a frisky puppy.
Anyway Diarmuid’s newly-acquired reputation as an economic commentator comes on the back of a Late Late Show polemic where he urged us all the get off our butts – although that makes watching television a more testing leisure activity.
Gavin at least has the decency to admit that he’d found his new status as an economic commentator somewhat embarrassing, pointing out that he’d prefer to be concentrating on getting his hands dirty.
“It’s not my role,” he says – but then to add to his embarrassment, Daithí kindly points that Bono doesn’t stick to music.
Neither does Daithí given that he manages to mangle a mention of Michael Bublé into something that could only be described as Michael Boobelow – and his teaching days haven’t gone away either you know given his slapdown to guests chatting as the sig tune rolled after the break: “Will you shtop talkin’ will ya.”
He enlivened the movie review slot by revealing: “Grizzly Adams was the only thing I saw when I was young”, which may well have been around the Dingle peninsula as opposed to the small screen.
Afternoon television is low budget by its nature, but this is a sort of twilight zone version of TV3’s Vincent Browne with an ever moving panel of contributors who will discuss the economy, the internet, escaping mink, Jay Leno on Cowen, and other daily highlights, albeit with the seasoned pros like Terry Prone, Niall Stokes, Tom Clonan and Eugene McGee.
For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.