- Millennium Eve: Celebrate 2000
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Millennium Eve: Celebrate 2000 Format Millennium television special Presented by Miriam O'Callaghan
Mark Little
Geri Maye
Pat Kenny
Liz Bonnin
Joe DuffyCountry of origin Ireland Language(s) English No. of episodes 1 Production Executive producer(s) Noel Curran Location(s) RTÉ Television Centre, Donnybrook, Dublin 4 Distributor RTÉ Broadcast Original channel RTÉ One Original run 31 December 1999 – 1 January 2000 Millennium Eve: Celebrate 2000 was RTÉ's coverage of the turn of the millennium from 31 December 1999 into 1 January 2000. Part of the 2000 Today programming in Ireland, a series of well-known broadcasters presented various stages of the nineteen-hour broadcast.
Contents
Development
2000 Today was conceived as part of the so-called Millennium celebrations, given the numerical significance of the change from 1999 to 2000.
The programme was produced and televised by an international consortium of 60 broadcasters, including RTÉ and headed by the BBC in Britain and WGBH in the United States. The BBC provided the production hub for receiving and distributing the 78 international satellite feeds required for this broadcast.
Production
RTÉ launched their millennium eve programming on 30 November 1999. At the time the programme was described as the largest, single television show in Irish history. Up to 5,000 staff worked on the 2000 Today project worldwide, with 500 workers based at the RTÉ Television Centre. In all three television studios were utilised while four outside satellite units, forty cameras in twenty Irish locations worked to pull together an array of images from around both the country and globe. As part of a Reconciliation 2000 theme RTE and BBC Northern Ireland co-operated on several events during the broadcast.[1]
Programming
Time Programme Description 9:30am Millennium Eve: Celebrate 2000 Miriam O'Callaghan began the international countdown on RTÉ. 1:10pm RTÉ News and Weather 1:20pm Millennium Chorus A special concert featuring Michael Crawford, Jennifer Holiday and Kathie Lee Gifford. 2:25pm Millennium Eve: Celebrate 2000 Mark Little and Geri Maye presented further coverage from around the globe. 4:05pm Millennium Bells A special broadcast from St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh, County Cork. 4:10pm Last Lights Ceremony Live coverage of the lighting of the special millennium candles, beginning at Áras an Uachtaráin. 5:00pm Celebrate 2000 A programme of song and reflections from the Abbey of Multyfarnham and Áras an Uachtaráin. 6:30pm RTÉ News and Weather The main news stories by Bryan Dobson and Úna O'Hagan. 7:20pm Celebrate 2000 Pat Kenny, Liz Bonnin and Joe Duffy presented a gala programme of music and chat from Studio 4. 9:00pm RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock The evening main news. 9:20pm Celebrate 2000 Pat Kenny, Liz Bonnin and Joe Duffy presented the final leg of the countdown to midnight. Ratings
The Millennium Eve: Celebrate 2000 schedule reached 75 per cent of the people of Ireland, the equivalent of 2.6 million viewers. At midnight 74 per cent of the available audience were watching RTÉ One.[2]
References
- ^ "RTE gears up for TV marathon to ring in New Year". Irish Independent. 1 December 1999. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rte-gears-up-for-tv-marathon-to-ring-in-new-year-386332.html. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
- ^ "Millennium joy for RTE". Irish Times. 5 January 2000. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2000/0105/00010500018.html. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
Categories:- RTÉ television programmes
- New Year's on television
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