TV Review: Ireland's Fittest Family would be better if they made it ...
I’ve always liked Sonia O’Sullivan. She was a brilliant competitor and has this lovely understated way about her on the telly, suggesting she can take it or leave it.
So it was a bit much when they made a huge palaver of her announcement as the newest coach on Ireland’s Fittest Family (RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.) Sonia had the good sense to say that for her, it was more about the action than the words, the less shouting the better. But that’s not really the way things go on this show. So before we got to see any action, we had to sit through a session of coach-banter, with the four coaches joshing each other about the families that they have chosen to mentor.
It was grand, but it took ages before we got to see someone falling into a lake. Before that, we had to watch some over-scripted segments with new presenter Laura Fox. It’s a big ask, given that she replaces Mairead Ronan, who always brought her bubbly authority and sharp wit to proceedings. Fox has what it takes on this evidence, although at times it felt like she was doing a good impersonation of her predecessor.
Anyway, on with people falling into lakes. The Saved by the Bell test involved paddle-boarding on a lake, with one family member climbing up a rope to ring a bell. Commentator Darragh Maloney wasn’t kidding when he told us we were all dying to see this, given that we were already 10 minutes in.
The real test for the Heaney family from Tyrone was trying to concentrate while coach Davy Fitzgerald shouted ‘let’s go’ at them. They managed it, and rang the bell in six minutes 14 seconds. It felt longer. There’s a really good half-hour episode here, but they’ve buried it in a much longer show.
The Noonans are next. Sonia doesn’t shout at them too much, and when she does it’s to encourage them, so they respond.
It’s all action now, with less coach banter and lots of people struggling in a lake. The O’Regans are next, a shy family from Kerry, who blow the competition away. Typical Kerry. The father in the final family is Colm Bonnar, two-time All-Ireland hurling winner with Tipperary. No one points out this might be unfair. It doesn’t matter, they still can’t beat the O’Regans’ time, that feels like justice.
High and Dry is the next test, where two family members hang on to rings as long as possible over water, while the other two run up and down touching bales of hay. It’s like the Ploughing Championships crossed with a Medieval Torture Tournament, and I like it.
Laura Fox asks Davy Fitzgerald about his game plan, he says it’s to stay hanging on the rings as long as possible. It’s a simple game plan, but then it’s a simple game.
The O’Regans came out on top with a minimum of fuss. This is good Sunday evening viewing — it would be better if they made it as lean and fit as the O’Regans.
