Tall Tales & Murder: RTÉ One Start Date, Cast and What We Know
Tall Tales & Murder starts on RTÉ One on Sunday 27 September, with every episode also on RTÉ Player; it's an Irish production, so the first showing is here rather than in Britain, and RTÉ One is free-to-air on Saorview.
- Start date: Sunday 27 September 2026, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
- Length: six episodes.
- Who made it: Love/Hate creator Stuart Carolan, co-created with Chris Addison, for RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland.
- Start time: not confirmed by RTÉ at the time of writing.
Is Tall Tales & Murder definitely starting on Sunday 27 September?
Yes. RTÉ gave the date in its autumn schedule announcement in August, and it hasn't moved since. The same announcement confirmed that the series runs to six episodes and premieres on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player together.
| Episode | Date | Irish time | Channel | Free | New or repeat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 1 | Sunday 27 September | Not confirmed | RTÉ One, RTÉ Player | Yes (Saorview) | New |
| Episodes 2–6 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | RTÉ One, RTÉ Player | Yes (Saorview) | New |
RTÉ's announcement doesn't give a time, so we've left that column open. It will be filled in once RTÉ's schedule for the night is published, and the byline below will show when.
What time is it on, and is it every Sunday?
Neither is confirmed yet. RTÉ has named the Sunday for episode 1 and nothing else, so we can't tell you whether the other five follow weekly on Sundays or whether more of the series lands on RTÉ Player at once.
This summer RTÉ launched The Traitors Ireland on a Sunday night too. That is a pattern, not a promise, and we'll only list later dates once RTÉ does.
What is Tall Tales & Murder about?
It's a dark comedy rather than a straight crime drama. RTÉ describes it as a Bonnie and Clyde-style chase involving crooked gardaí, a kidnapping, underworld fixers and a gang bootlegging horse medicine, running alongside an eighth-century tale of monks, Vikings, buried treasure and a priceless holy book.
The series is adapted from Caimh McDonnell's Dublin Trilogy novels. At its centre are a nurse, played by Ella Lily Hyland, and a car thief, played by Casey Walsh, who are pulled into all of this after an encounter with a patient in a coma.
Who is in the cast?
Aidan Gillen leads alongside Ella Lily Hyland, with Casey Walsh, Philippa Dunne, Brian Doherty, Aisling O'Sullivan and Packy Lee. First-look images name Gillen's character as Grinner McNair, Hyland's as Bridget, Walsh's as Paul and Packy Lee's as Wesley Swanson.
Behind the camera, Stuart Carolan wrote it and Chris Addison, known for Veep and Breeders, co-created it and directs alongside Neasa Hardiman. It's made by Avalon with Metropolitan Pictures, the Irish company behind KIN, with support from Screen Ireland.
Where can you watch it in Ireland?
RTÉ One is the broadcast home, which means Saorview viewers get it free. RTÉ Player carries the series as well, from launch day, so you don't need to catch the Sunday slot.
Because RTÉ is the first broadcaster, this isn't one of those shows where Ireland waits for a British channel. It's the other way round.
If you're in Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland co-commissioned the series and it's due on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer this autumn, but the BBC hasn't announced a date.
What else is new on Irish TV this autumn?
Tall Tales & Murder arrives in a busy spell for RTÉ. The Late Late Toy Show build-up has started, and we've gathered the date and application details in our Late Late Toy Show 2026 guide. If you followed Slane Castle this summer, every winner of The Traitors Ireland is on one page.
For the week-night schedule, our soaps-by-night guide covers Fair City, Emmerdale and Coronation Street; Saturday night belongs to The Graham Norton Show on Virgin Media One, and teatime to The Chase on Virgin Media. Our sister site covers the British soap schedule at UK Soap On Air.
More sections: RTÉ · Guide · Christmas & Events · Winners
FAQ
How many episodes are there?
Six, according to RTÉ's announcement.
Is it on RTÉ Player?
Yes. RTÉ says it premieres on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player together on Sunday 27 September.
Is it based on a book?
Yes, on Caimh McDonnell's Dublin Trilogy novels.
Sources
- RTÉ Communications — Coming soon to RTÉ (26 August 2026): premiere date, six episodes, cast
- RTÉ Communications — RTÉ announces biggest ever year for new drama (21 July 2026): BBC NI, Avalon and Screen Ireland partners
- Hotpress — first-look images and character names
- TVmaze — Tall Tales & Murder, show and cast details
- RTÉ on YouTube — official trailer