Satirical RTÉ comedy The Savage Eye looks set to return to Irish screens later this year, with comedian Dave McSavage currently writing a second series.


The programme, which was due to be a one-off skit, proved to be a hit with viewers last year, and the second series is expected to be given the green light.


Last December, the show received over 20 e-mails of complaint from angry viewers about the graphic nature of the content.


"The truth is, when people don't like something they let you know. In fact, in my experience, people get inappropriately angry if something isn't funny enough. The Irish viewing public get close to violence about it sometimes," said McSavage.


Sketches in the first season included skits satirising popular broadcaster Joe Duffy as he enjoys Liveline callers' anger perhaps a little more than he should, and sketches focusing on former president Mary Robinson.


"They were the two which got the most reaction, especially Joe Duffy. Liveline is like radio porn, and the sketch of him shows him becoming aroused by his angry callers. It had an amazing amount of both angry and positive reaction," he said.


McSavage is hoping to put an end to RTE's reputation as a graveyard for comedy.


"The thing is that RTE had a particularly bad run of comedy shows. When that happens, it basically ruins the brand of comedy, so people will start assuming that all comedy shown on the station will be similarly bad."


The first season is currently nominated for an IFTA award. One of its competitors is TV3's The Apprentice which McSavage compared to ice cream: "Sickening after the first few tastes".


McSavage has now taken on an apprentice of his own, young comedian Gearóid Farrelly. They are currently filming a pilot chat show from his bedroom, satirising current chat shows and highlighting the "smallness of Ireland".


"We are arranging for him to interview never-have-beens and wannabes, and to just be honest that we don't have anyone interesting to interview in Ireland, to stop pretending we do, and make a comedic chat show about it."