RTÉ to air new series of show imagining Athlone in 2050

An RTÉ science show which imagined what Athlone might look like as a city in the year 2050 will be returning for a new series next week.

The debut series of 'Futureville Ireland' was broadcast last summer, envisaging Athlone as a brand new city, with new neighbourhoods and transport networks, 25 years from now.

In the show, co-hosts Carla O'Brien and Dr Lollie Mancey called the new city Futureville.

An RTÉ spokesperson said, "There was a strong response to the programme, with some who thought Futureville was a great idea and wanted to know how they could help, while others thought the pair were off their rockers!"

The second series of 'Futureville Ireland' will be shown on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next, November 11-13, at 7pm on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player.

"Athlone is referenced as Futureville through the series. A lot of the stories in the series are about inventions or ways of working around the country that will improve life in Futureville, aka Athlone," said the RTÉ spokesperson.

The second series, which is airing as part of RTÉ's Science Week coverage, aims to show that Futureville "is no pipe dream".

In the three episodes, the co-hosts "explore the potential for Ireland’s future even further and set out to see what daily life would be like in their new city.

"They travel the country to meet the scientists, researchers and ordinary men and women working on remarkable ideas that could revolutionise how we live our daily lives 25 years from now."

The first episode of the new series, on Tuesday, introduces viewers to the idea of life with an AI companion.

'Futureville Ireland' is produced by Rare TV Ireland Ltd and is funded by RTÉ and Research Ireland.