The Late Late Show - Presentation

Presentation

The Late Late Show has featured many presentation schemes over its long history, with titles, graphics and set changed on a regular basis, although an owl has been featured in the opening title sequence for most of the show's history. In more recent times the show has seen a change in appearance generally every four years. Its most recent revamp was launched on Friday 7 September 2007, featuring a completely new set but retaining the existing title sequence as used since 2003. Designed by Darragh Treacy of RTÉ Production Design, the new set makes for a more complex and layered background than the previous arrangement, and is heavily dependant on saturated lighting and modern construction materials. It is made of metal, timber and polycarbonate, with carpet as a floor covering. According to Treacy: "I wanted something contemporary that would be architectural and structural, the horizontal lines and boxes that you see running throughout the set." "The back wall of the has textured panels which just take the light beautifully and give a great three-dimensional effect. Then the polycarbonate boxes sit in front of that. The fins – the large timber sections – to the left of the chat area are replicated in the entertainment area as well, and are large pieces of timber with a paint finish that take the light."

A new development in the evolving presentation of the show has been the reintroduction of a desk in the chat area as originally continued on after Byrne's departure in 1999, but disposed of shortly afterwards, in spite of a final-attempt redesign in 2000. Kenny notes: "After eight seasons of sitting around, lounging around, as if in a living room, we decided just for a change that we'd put the desk in and see what difference it made. We'll work with it: I mean if it doesn't work after five or six weeks, it goes - if it does work, well we'll find ways of using it effectively. I mean it does put a little barrier between myself and the guest, but on the other hand it can be very useful for a formal interview where you don't want to be too intimate with your guest if it's a little bit antagonistic, whereas in the past I was always reclining and even if I had to be a bit aggressive with a guest the body language was a little bit confusing in that regard. So we'll see." In an apparent effort to resolve such problems, the new desk is more of a table design with a transparent underside, is angled to be narrower at the guest end, and is composed of thin elegant profiles of timber and glass.

A new entrance flight of steps has also been introduced, somewhat redolent of former Kenny Live sets. "I wanted a grand entrance, but I also wanted an entrance that was part of the background of the set, so they arrive down and join Pat – and it's a feature walk-on for guests" according to Treacy. Kenny approves of the steps, noting: "as you come down the steps, be it myself or a guest, you're slowly revealed: more and more of your body is revealed to the audience until finally you're standing in the 'doorway' as it were. I think it’ll be interesting; a more dramatic entrance than we've had for the past three or four years." New chairs were also specially provided by Irish company Design Classics Direct, made to an original 1929 design of Irish designer Eileen Gray.