Tonight with Vincent Browne
Tonight with Vincent Browne, (formerly Nightly News with Vincent Browne), was a news analysis, current affairs and politics programme which was broadcast on Ireland's TV3 from 2007 to July 2017. Its time on air coincided with the premierships of Brian Cowen and Enda Kenny, bookended by the conclusion of Bertie Ahern's premiership and the initial weeks of Leo Varadkar's. The Tonight Show, hosted by Ivan Yates (initially) and Matt Cooper, replaced it in mid-September 2017. It was moderated by Vincent Browne — a journalist noted for his rather acerbic style, with The Guardian describing him as "Ireland's Jeremy Paxman". Format It was broadcast on Monday to Thursday nights, usually from 23:05 to 23:55, though it was occasionally extended during referendums and general elections. When Browne was absent, another person presents instead: this was typically one of Ger Colleran, Declan Ganley, Tom McGurk, Mary O'Rourke, Sam Smyth or Ivan Yates. When anyone other than Vincent Browne hosted the show, it was simply called Tonight. Each year, approaching the Christmas period, Browne gave out political awards to deserving recipients. Tonight with Vincent Browne moved to TV3's Sony HD studio but vacated it for two weeks while RTÉ borrowed it to film School Around the Corner, hosted by Ray D'Arcy. History Tonight with Vincent Browne is noted for having coerced various experienced politicians, including Joan Burton and Conor Lenihan, into embarrassing meltdowns live on air. Burton asked Browne if he was "asking me a question or just trying to harangue me?" and then set about repeatedly interrupting Joe Higgins leading Browne to interject: "Joan, you get hyper-irritated when anyone harangues you so please don't harangue Joe", but to no avail as Burton continued to interrupt. When Conor Lenihan refused to resign over the Brian Cowen leadership vote, Lenihan stood up angrily, glared, pointed his finger at Browne and sneered, "It's easy for you to be cynical about people who go into public life and I really do resent the sneering insinuation that you're trying to put to me", with Browne responding, "Conor, you're not going to shout me down and you can take me full-on on this if you like" which is exactly what happened. Lenihan lost his seat dramatically in the general election the following February. After airing an interview with Fianna Fáil politicians Charlie O'Connor and Darragh O'Brien, recorded outside Leinster House following the vote of confidence in then Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Browne popped up onscreen back in the studio and remarked: "God, it would do your head in, wouldn't it?". Banking analyst Peter Mathews made a name for himself with regular appearances on the programme and was later elected to the Dáil. In August 2012, Cian O'Connor gave his first television interview since winning a bronze medal at the London Olympics to stand-in presenter Tom McGurk, while lawyer Eddie Hayes was interviewed by Sam Smyth on the show the following week. The programme was critical in informing the Irish public about the death of Savita Halappanavar as the news was