OPINION: I like the 2 Johnnies but their new RTE TV show is awful for one big reason

Let me preface all of this with the fact that I like the 2 Johnnies. I'm not a big afternoon radio person, but I enjoy their podcast and was looking forward to their new show, an enthusiasm that waned fairly quickly upon first viewing.

The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In sounded good on paper; an informal chat show with the lads probing celebrity guests in the boisterous surroundings of the local pub. Perfect, I thought, a show that really suits their style and might emulate the slot on their podcast where they chat famous guests.

They've had Jon Kenny, Davy Fitz and many more over the years and it's the biggest podcast in the country for a reason; they strike the right note. The 2 Johnnies disarm guests on the podcast with their relaxed and laugh-along charm. Guests often speak more freely on the podcast than they would say if they were on the Late Late Show where things can be more stage-managed. They've even tackled some big issues in way that's relatable to a younger audience; sex and consent, alcohol and drugs and even anxiety to name a few.

Translate that to TV and you've got a winning formula, I thought, but that's not what they and their producers did for the new RTE TV show. They've created a show full of gimmicks that take any and all natural interaction out of it. A quiz, a mystery game, an audience member in the dog house, a live feed to Dublin to decipher culchies from Dubs, and on and on it goes until you reach the end and you're left wondering if you watched a chat show or an episode of the Den from 1995. 

The interactions with their guests are contrived. Una Healy appeared on the first show and was brought to a high stool at the bar for a chat, but instead of anything substantial, she was put through a screen of random games which ended with her taking her shoes off and wiggling her toes at the camera. No, I'm not joking, check the RTE Player if you catch it on a good day and it works.

PICTURED: Tipperary singer Una Healy on the 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In

The 2 Johnnies are a huge draw and have found a place in Irish popular culture as a mash-up of Marty Morrissey and Zig and Zag. They're manic and funny and yet they are the rural everyman that almost everyone can relate to. There's a reason RTE snapped them up after their podcast success. I forgot to mention Marty even appeared on the new chat show, in a toilet making a few terrible gags. Yes, again, really.

The 2 Johnnies TV shows have always done well for RTE, including their trips to the US, but the bosses controlling the format of this one have missed the mark badly. There's no 'bang, over the bar' about this one. The umpire has his arms spread. Wide ball, pure and simple. 

And I absolutely hate saying that because I root for the 2 Johnnies in all they do. They are a bit of craic in a world far too serious sometimes but the version of craic on the Late Night Lock In is a bit too paddywhackery, a forced version of Irish fun that viewers can see straight through. It's one step away from a show runner holding up a card to the camera saying 'laugh here.'

Again, it pains me to criticise it because I loathe the very Dublin-centric critics who bash the lads at every opportunity. The Irish Independent called it "hellish." The Irish Times review read: "The baffling rise of the 2 Johnnies is a testament to the fact that there’s no accounting for strangers and their taste. You certainly can’t argue with McMahon and O’Brien’s enthusiasm. Their audience enjoys it, too, so good luck to them." 

That leaves a bad taste in my mouth to be honest even though I agree with 90% of their review which labelled the show as a bad attempt to bring 1990s laddism back to TV screens. The writer even labelled their style as "bogger shtick." That just doesn't sit well with me. We read stellar reviews of productions far less successful in the same pages, but perhaps those shows are more artsy and worthy of predictable praise. 

Success is success is success. The 2 Johnnies have earned theirs by paving a very varied path in the entertainment world. From social media skits to hit songs, huge arena shows, festivals, a national radio show and multiple TV shows. That is something you can't argue with and far from baffling, it is testament to a duo who know their audience very well and cater to them. They knock on the right doors all the time.

I'm really on the 2 Johnnies' side here and I want their shows to do well but I won't be watching their Late Night Lock In again in its current format. It's something that can be salvaged. I'm not qualified to give TV producers or performers advice but for what it's worth, lose the gimmicks and you'll command a far bigger audience. People want something real to watch; not old-fashioned 'bits' that have been rehearsed to death.