[3] The first programme to be pre-recorded for the new television service was The School Around the Corner, an interview/quiz show created and presented by Paddy Crosbie and produced by James Plunkett.

The first outside broadcast in colour for RTÉ Television was the 1971 Railway Cup Finals (Gaelic Athletic Association), and soon after that, the Eurovision Song Contest 1971 from Dublin.

Fair City and The Clinic have showcased a broader range of diversity which includes members of the Roma community, LGBT movement, African heritage, Eastern Europe and other ethnic minorities groups in Ireland.

In 1961 as Teilifís Éireann got ready to begin broadcasting it appointed Hilton Edwards as head of Drama, he was heavily involved in Irish theatre at the time.

Both of Edwards' successors Jim Fitzgerald and Chloe Gibson would continue with stage play adaptations but would also look for original dramas for television.

[30] In 1965 The Riordans began broadcasting, this would begin the Wesley Burrowes trilogy of Irish Agrisoaps (Agricultural based dramas), it was followed by Bracken in 1978 (and was aired on RTÉ One) as Gabriel Byrne's character (Pat Barry) moved from Kilkenny to Wicklow and in 1982 two of Bracken's main characters Dinny and Milie Byrne moved to Glenroe which ran until 2001.

Partners in Practice was RTÉ's first medical drama and was loosely based on successful TV formats from abroad such as Emergency Ward 10, Dr. Finlay's Casebook, Marcus Welby M.D.

Problems surrounded both the content (A very critical look at the VEC system in Irish Education) and poor scriptwriting to deal with major issues.

Extra!, as I am afraid we still must, even seasoned RTÉ observers seem unable to answer the question why a series so pathetically weak should have been allowed to reach the screen at all".

In the late 1990s RTÉ co-produced many period dramas based on novels by significant modern day Irish novelists, such as Falling for a Dancer and Amongst Women.

These drama's have discussed a broad range of issues such as the Irish Hepatitis C scandal in No Tears (2002)[37] which featured Academy Award Winner Brenda Fricker.

[38] The series was a huge audience success for the channel often getting over 500,000 every Sunday night, with its Christmas specials becoming some of Ireland's most watched TV programmes during its run.

[39] Mattie initially centred on the move of a rural Garda to the big city, however the series received poor reviews and audience figures were lacklustre.

RTÉ will also air Quirke a Dublin-based detective series, starring Gabriel Byrne and commissioned by the BBC and The Irish Film Board.

[48] Due to the success in the Popstars format RTÉ set about looking for a new series for 2002, You're a Star was a similar show to American Idol and The X Factor, running from 2002 to 2008, during which they select acts to go to the Eurovision Song Contest.

[52] Cabin Fever (2003) which had a group of people set sail around the Irish coast, this caused controversy when the ship ran aground halfway through the series.

Their first daytime show was hosted by Thelma Mansfield – one of their regular continuity announcers – Good Afternoon was a mix of live interviews, music, children's television and soap operas.

Ciana Campbell had prior to this tested out a live afternoon phone in show (called Over to You), similar in format to RTÉ Radio's successfully Liveline, this eventually led to 12 to 1.

[61] In the late 1990s Marty Whelan, Ciana Campbell and Thelma Mansfield all remained as part of the daytime TV line-up and featured on PM Live.

The Big Bite was an unusual departure for RTÉ's daytime schedule as it had heavier content than previous shows which aired in this time-slot, it was hosted by economist David McWilliams.

In 2017 Stellify Media produced Goodbye House, a property show in which three siblings compete to find the perfect home for their parents.

Prime time imports included Lights Out, The Spanish Farm, The Brady Bunch, Bridget Loves Bernie, Fawlty Towers, Little House on the Prairie, "The Waltons", "Poldark" The Muppet Show, Anne of the Thousand Days, Midnight Is a Place, Are You Being Served?.

[68] In 1978 RTÉ One began broadcasting many UK TV show such as ITV's Sale of the Century and Match of the Day which was simulcast with the BBC.

During the 1980s many of the language courses on during daytime hours moved to the weekend, children's was presented first as Good Afternoon with many adult daytime shows mixed in, until 1986 when Dempsey's Den started to broadcast, imports for Children included The World of Jules Verne, Ludwig, Yogi's Treasure Hunt, Danger Bay, Arthur and the Square Knights of the Round Table, Supergran, European Folk Tales, Kaboodle and The Real Ghostbusters.

British imports included Are You Being Served?, Codename Icarus, The Paper Lads, Dempsey and Makepeace, Tomorrow's World and Executive Stress.

Daytime TV consisted of repeats and daytime soaps such as Little House on the Prairie, The New Adventures of Black Beauty, CHiPs, Delia Smith's Cookery Course, Emmerdale, Knots Landing, A Country Practice, Perry Mason, Carson's Law, The Love Boat, G. P., The Sullivans, Santa Barbara, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Take the High Road, Forever Green and Highway to Heaven.

Elsewhere, MacGyver, Masquerade, Father Dowling Mysteries, Dallas, Midnight Caller, Home Improvement, Space: Above and Beyond, JAG, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, RoboCop, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, ER and The Practice.

British shows broadcast included Bergerac, Agatha Christie's Poirot, After Henry, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, An Audience with... Victoria Wood, Lovejoy, Hearts and Minds, Ballykissangel and from 1992 to 2001 Coronation Street.

Educational programming at the time moved to Sunday morning including Espana Viva, A Vous La France and Russian Language and People.

Late night TV consists largely of imported programming such as Australian drama serials Rush, Blue Heelers and Tangle.