Virgin rebranding TV3 in Ireland

Police drama Red Rock is set to return to TV3

TV3 in Ireland has added the first local version of the Got Talent format to its spring schedule as parent company Virgin prepares to rebrand the broadcaster.

The commercial broadcasting group will be renamed Virgin Media Television later this year. The group’s three channels, flagship TV3, younger-skewing 3e and drama- and soaps-driven be3, may face name changes as a result.

The announcement came as the broadcaster revealed details of its spring schedule, which includes Ireland’s Got Talent and a spin-off show.

Ireland’s Got Talent, the first local version of the globetrotting format, will begin airing in a primetime slot on TV3 on February 3.

It will be followed in the schedule by Ireland’s Got Mór Talent, which will feature behind-the-scenes gossip, unseen auditions and exclusive interviews.

TV3, which was acquired by Liberty Global-owned Virgin Media in 2015, claims its 2018 spring schedule is its most ambitious to date.

Forthcoming dramas include the returning Red Rock and Smalltown, plus two-part series The Bailout and contemporary thriller Next of Kin.

Other shows include The Restaurant, starring celebrity chef Marco Pierre White, alongside imports such as The Voice UK, Celebrity Big Brother, Dancing on Ice, Love Island, Survival of the Fittest, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Take Away and The Graham Norton Show.

TV3 is also home to exclusive coverage of sporting events such as the NatWest Six Nations, the UEFA Champions League, The Cheltenham Gold Cup, Aintree Grand National and the Epsom Derby.

Factual content includes the return of the True Lives documentary strand, plus docs Karen Koster’s Mammy Guilt, Paul Williams’ Ireland’s Jihadis and Joanne McNally’s Baby Hater.