Catch Dancing with the Stars, The Tommy Tiernan Show, Operation Transformation, First Dates Ireland, and Room to Improve 

Plus, brand-new documentaries on Sinéad O’Connor, Dolores Keane, and new series Inside Penneys 

Kick back with RTÉ One, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player this New Year with an exciting slate of upcoming programming to keep viewers entertained into the first month of 2024 and beyond.

On Wednesday, January 3rd, RTÉ One, 8.30pm, five brand-new leaders from all over the country take on a health and wellness plan with the aim of resetting and kick-starting a new chapter in their lives in Operation Transformation. The series is once again presented by Kathryn Thomas, who will be on hand as always to encourage the leaders and those taking part from home every step of the way.

First Dates Ireland is back on Thursday January 4th, RTÉ 2, with a double date, an unmarried dairy farmer, and a life coach among this year’s new batch of hopefuls embarking on a quest to find true love. The Tommy Tiernan Show kicks off on Saturday, January 6th, at 9.40pm on RTÉ One, with the master of improvisation thriving on the adrenaline of no preparation ahead of meeting his guests in what will be the eighth series of the hugely popular chat show. With this inquisitive and articulate host, every conversation has the potential for great honesty and insight, humour, and sometimes freewheeling wildness.

Tommy on Saturday will be followed on Sunday 7th by the brand-new series of Dancing with the Stars, live on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player from 6.30pm. Hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy, the 11 celebrities taking on the challenge this year are Eileen Dunne, Rosanna Davison, David Whelan, Blu Hydrangea, Miriam Mullins, Laura Fox, Shane Quigley Murphy, Davy Russell, Katja Mia, Rory Cowan, and Jason Smyth. Audiences can settle in for 11 weeks of Sunday evening glitz and glamour from the hit series, culminating in the grand final on March 17th.

Also on Sunday 7th, a brand-new series of Room to Improve kicks off at 9.35pm. First stop for Dermot Bannon and Claire Irwin this season is Urlingford, Co Kilkenny, where Gráinne Murphy and Ivan Williams have been dreaming about renovating Ivan’s forefather’s old farmhouse for many years. This season features builds of different shapes and sizes, with varying budgets, grants and tight deadlines.

With contributions from David Holmes, Christy Moore, Imelda May, Don Letts, BP Fallon and many more, Sinéad, airing January 8th, RTÉ One at 9.35pm, reflects on the late Sineád O’Connor’s influence on Irish life and on people throughout her life. Using a wealth of unique archive footage from RTÉ and international sources, it features an Ireland Sinéad both fought against and strove for. From Pope John Paul arriving in Ireland, to Charles Haughey and Gay Byrne, and to the struggle for Irish women’s ‘right to travel’ - Sinéad’s magical body of work provides the soundtrack to it.

On January 9th, at 7pm on RTÉ One, High Road Low Road pairs top celebrities and sends them off to popular holiday destinations, city break favourites and far-flung places for an unforgettable adventure of discovery, culture and fun. First up this season are Anna Daly and James Kavanagh, who head off to popular hotspot Lanzarote for a sunny break. The Christmas aftermath on Carrigstown continues into 2024 on Fair City, with Fergal exacting the ultimate revenge on Dean, and Hughie punishing Bob for wronging him.

Inside Penneys, starting January 9th on RTÉ One at 8.30pm, is a six-part series that takes us behind the scenes of the iconic Irish brand, starting where it all began – in Penneys on Mary Street in Dublin.

On RTÉ Player, boxsets with all episodes of Yellowstone, The O.C. and The West Wing are now available, along with the addition of new movies including Irish favourites - Brooklyn, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Intermission and Breakfast on Pluto. New series drops throughout January on RTÉ Player include Bloodlands series 2, Payback, For Her Sins, Royal Flying Doctors Service, Screw, Dopesick, and The Curse.