What's on the box this week?

'If Lynch Had Invaded' (RTE 1, Tuesday) - On 13th August 1969, the Taoiseach Jack Lynch made a dramatic television broadcast on RTE which outlined his government's response to the outbreak of violence in Derry the day before with the 'Battle of the Bogside.' The crisis marked the greatest challenge to his political career as Lynch declared that "the Irish government can no longer stand by and see innocent people injured and perhaps worse." What did Lynch mean, and was this a precursor to an armed invasion of Northern Ireland? As part of the 'Hidden History' strand of programming, 'If Lynch Had Invaded' is a 90-minute documentary which examines in forensic historical detail the story of how Jack Lynch and his government dealt with the crisis of August 1969, explores the tensions within his cabinet over the issue of military intervention in Northern Irish affairs, and asks what might have been the consequences had the Irish Defence Forces actually crossed the border. _____________________________________________________________ 'What Katie Did Next' (ITV2, Thursday) - This new series follows Katie Price's life since her split with husband, Peter Andre, earlier this year. The show chronicles her story as she starts a new phase in her roles as model, businesswoman and now single mum. In this first episode, the cameras follow Katie as she hosts a birthday party for her three children on her own just after her split from Peter. Viewers then get to see her on a trip to Ibiza which is both business and pleasure. She is there to shoot a series of glamorous images for her new brand calendar and both works and plays hard on the party island. _____________________________________________________________ 'How To Snare A Millionaire' (CH4, Friday) - Twenty-eight-year-old Essex girl Rebecca is single, broke and has never had a long-term relationship. She is married to her job and regularly burns the candle at both ends. So she decides it's time to find a man, and a rich one at that. It's not unusual to hear of women pursuing men for their money, some who even make careers out of it, and Rebecca sees no reason why she can't get a slice of the high life, too. In the hope of escaping her lonely singleton life, Rebecca embarks on her quest using different approaches to bag a man with money, singing frank and humorous musical interludes along the way. Having had a taste of the 'bling' world, she advertises for a more 'mature' man who can treat her like a princess and, as the offers roll in, she meets up with a sugar daddy, even if he is old enough to be her father. In the meantime, she's signed up to one of the world's most exclusive dating agencies, with fees to match. They set her up with a tall, dark, handsome stranger who whisks her off to Cannes in a helicopter. But, amidst all the glitz and glamour, Rebecca soon discovers that a rich man comes with his compromises, and as this modern-day Cinderella gets closer to finding her very own Prince Charming, she is forced to question how far she'll have to go to snare her millionaire. _____________________________________________________________ 'Grease: The School Musical' (Sky One, Sunday) - Following on from the success of last year's 'Hairspray: The School Musical', the new series returns with new host Duncan James taking on the challenge of staging the hit West End musical 'Grease'. Last year's show saw ordinary secondary school pupils spend their summer holidays working with some of the best names in musical theatre to become Hairspray's Nicest Kids In Town at London's Apollo Theatre. Now, another set of students will be given the chance to tread the boards as they perform their version of the smash-hit musical 'Grease'. Over 500 schools applied to take part and the series opens with presenter Duncan James, choreographer Stacey Haynes and vocal coach Zoe Tyler whittling down six short-listed schools to just three. The winning school will have their work cut out putting together a West End-worthy show which will eventually be performed on stage at the Novello Theatre in Aldwych. _____________________________________________________________ Movie Of The Week: 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe' (RTE 1, Saturday) - Starring Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone, Dawn French, Rupert Everett and Liam Neeson, this wonderful children's tale gets the full Hollywood treatment and is worth it if only for the special effects. A winner for all the family.