A whole glorious bank bank holiday weekend lies before us, and while it's all well and good to want to do something productive with this time, it's also perfectly acceptable (and just lovely) to kick back, put the kettle on and just let the good old tellybox entertain you.
Be prepared though, unsurprisingly, there's a LOAD of 1916 programmes,
FRIDAY
The Graham Norton Show
BBC1: 10.25pm
He's back! There's been a big gaping hole in our Friday night TV schedules the last few weeks but thankfully Graham Norton is back after his mid-season break. He has quite the show in store too as the host meets the stars of the highly anticipated 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice', Oscar-winning actor Ben Affleck who plays Batman as well as Henry Cavill who plays Superman. They will also be joined by their co-star, five-times Oscar-nominated actress Amy Adams, who portrays Lois Lane.
Live International Football: Republic of Ireland v Switzerland
Setanta Ireland: 7.30pm
Martin O'Neill's men have booked their place for this summer's European Championships, now it's up the players to secure their place in the 23 man squad. With Robbie Keane, Jonathan Walters and Jeff Hendrick all ruled out through injury there may be an opportunity for some new blood to stake their claim in the team. Unfortunately Harry Arter, who has impressed for Bournemouth this season has been ruled out. Switzerland will offer a stern challenge to the boys in green. After making the last 16 in the World Cup in Rio, the Swiss qualified as runners up behind England in Group E. (Kick Off: 7.45pm)
Dirty Dancing
TV3: 9.00pm
It's Good Friday so while there's no pubs to be going to, you can still have the 'time of your life' watching Dirty Dancing, even if it is for the 233rd time. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, this iconic movie has long been elevated to the status of a classic. In summary, loads of romance, loads of dancing, and most of it's duuuurty, but sure the clue is in the title there.
SATURDAY
The State Commemoration of the 1916 Rising
RTE1: 11.45am
No doubt this will draw a large crowd to Dublin's city centre today but if you can't make it that far, you can watch this historic event unfold on RTE1. Brian Dobson will be presenting live coverage of the cultural and military ceremony at Dublin's Garden of Remembrance, held to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Brian will also be joined by Eileen Dunne, Aine Lawlor, Cathal Mac Coille, John Bowman and Mary Kennedy.
Pro 12 Rugby: Connacht vs Leinster
TG4: 4.45pm + Sky Sports 1: 5.00pm
Connacht are the Pro12's Leicester City. A year ago no one would have predicted they'd be title contenders but, with five rounds left to go, they are top of the table. Leinster are only a single point behind, so tonight could determine who goes on to finish at the head of the league.
Both teams will have their internationals backs, which should benefit Leinster more than it does Connacht. This could provide an opportunity to see Robbie Henshaw face off against his future teams, if he is included in the match day squad.
After losing last week, Leinster will be determined to get the win, and have the experience and talent to do it. Connacht have the home advantage, and will not want to slip up this close to a potential semi-final. A tough fight is guaranteed.
Kick-off 5.15pm
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
TV3: 10.00pm
Cillian Murphy stars in this haunting, beautiful and harrowing take on the Irish War of Independence and the Civil War. Set primarily in West Cork, it follows two brothers (Cillian Murphy and Padraic Delaney) as they join the IRA to fight against British occupation. It's not long before the Treaty is signed and brother inevitably turns against brother. Ken Loach's keen eye for scenery, pacing and drama are on full display here. Get the tissues ready.
SUNDAY
The Queen of Ireland
RTE2: 10.00pm
Conor Horgan's eye-opening documentary won rave reviews upon its release and makes it premiere on Irish television tonight. Charting the life and times of Rory O'Neill and Ireland's gay culture, from secretive underground clubs to marriage equality, The Queen of Ireland is as much as biography about Panti Bliss as it is a mirror for Ireland. See what all the fuss was about and watch it.
'16 Letters
RTE1: 7.00pm
The Voice of Ireland was on last night to make room for this 1916 documentary this evening presented by Ryan Tubridy. It's set to be a major television event, according to RTE, and sees the written words of people involved in the Easter Rising brought back to life 100 years after they were written. The stories within the letters are told using dramatic reconstruction, archive and interviews with the letter writers’ descendants. It aims go behind the headlines of history to hear the intimate thoughts and words of the people who actually lived through this momentous time for Ireland.
Children of the Revolution
RTE1: 9.35pm
Based on his bestselling book, broadcaster Joe Duffy tells the story of the Irish 1916 Easter Rising as seen from the perspective of the 40 children who lost their lives during the conflict. These children were from every class and corner of Dublin life, and were much more than just collateral damage, as Joe Duffy retraces, respects and remembers these little ones’ lives and deaths.
Garth Brooks: The King of Country
TV3: 9.15pm
Is it safe to say Garth Brooks name here again? He certainly has enough Irish fans out there as we all learned back in 2014. This documentary celebrates the country singer's amazing career that has spanned over 25 years, which has seen him breaking records for both sales and concert attendance, winning two Grammy awards, while he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame back in 2012. He truly is a legend, and this documentary will tell you how it all came to be for Mr Brooks.
MONDAY
Centenary
RTE1: 9.35pm
The last of the 1916 TV programmes this Bank Holiday weekend is this concert which promises to be a great night of entertainment. It features some of Ireland's best-known singers, musicians and performers who get together to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, telling the story of modern Ireland through music, dance and song. Performers include Imelda May, Jack L, Gavin James, The High Kings, Colm Wilkinson, Danny O'Reilly, Iarla O Lionaird, Sharon Shannon, Donal Lunny, John Sheahan, Celine Byrne and Seo Linn.
The Island with Bear Grylls (New series)
Channel 4: 9.00pm
A new series of Bear Grylls survival show kicks off tonight with 16 new contestants left on a remote, uninhabited Pacific island for a month, to see if they can use teamwork to survive. In this opening episode, the two groups - one of eight men and the other of eight women - are abandoned on opposite sides of the same island and must swim to shore and search for drinking water. The women find a huge lagoon, but drinking from it could prove to have severe consequences, while tensions mount among the men as they fail to find a suitable place to set up camp. We seriously don't know why anyone would want to put themselves through this, but fair play to them all the same.
The Dark Knight
TV3: 9.00pm
The sequel to Batman Begins, and we're going to go out on a limb here and say it's the best Batman movie ever made, if not the best Christopher Nolan movie ever made. Christian Bale is in the role of the caped crusader but it was Heath Ledger who stole the show as the startling, unhinged Joker. He blew the world away with his performance but sadly, it was a posthumous Oscar win for the star. The story follows his path of destruction through Gotham City as our hero Batman finds a new ally in Harvey Dent, although as we all know, that won't be for too long...
