Rugby World Cup: South Africa v New Zealand (TV3, 2.30pm)
The stakes at this year’s World Cup have always been high for the nations who will have been looking to reach the semi-final stage, but now they ramp up another notch as the victorious quarter-finalists are 80 minutes away from the final. There have been a number of shocks along the way and South Africa, Wales, New Zealand and France competed in an extremely tough previous round.
Wreck-It Ralph (RTE One, 6.35pm)
(2012) Affectionate animated ode to computer games past and present. In the videogame universe, Ralph is the villain of a classic 8-bit arcade game. While the hero of his game laps up the adulation of the pixelated community, block-busting Ralph is a virtual outcast, and he's sick of it. To prove he is capable of matching his rival, Ralph exits his own world and crash lands in candy-coated racing game Sugar Rush, where he meets sparky Vanellope von Schweetz. Vanellope is also ostracised by her peers for being a 'glitch', a mistake in the game that could cause it to crash beyond repair. But recognising a fellow outsider, Ralph decides to help Vanellope achieve her dream of participating in the karting championships, even though it could spell game over for both of them.
Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, 6.35pm)
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman present another round of pro-celebrity ballroom action as the celebrity hoofers who upset the judges in earlier editions try to do better – and hope to avoid the same fate as last week’s eliminated couple - while those who have shown early promise aim to climb further up the leaderboard. Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel Horwood and Darcey Bussell are the ones to impress as the hopefuls perform a mixture of routines, looking to avoid following the likes of Iwan Thomas and Anthony Ogogo out of the competition.
The Chase: Celebrity Special (ITV, 7pm)
Looking up the Chase board to the all-knowing quiz genius at the top is an intimidating experience for the best of us, and four more famous faces feel the strain tonight. Joining affable master of proceedings Bradley Walsh are newsreader Fiona Bruce, TV presenter Rick Edwards, Springwatch host Kate Humble and I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here’s Joe Swash. They each face an individual round against the Chaser and, if they survive, work as a team to win as much money as they can for charity.
The X Factor (TV3, 8pm)
The biggest singing competition on the planet returns exclusively to TV3 this autumn with a whole new presenting line up and judging panel. X Factor veterans Simon Cowell and Cheryl Fernandez-Versin are back to pave the way for new recruits, pop sensation Rita Ora and much-loved radio DJ Nick Grimshaw. Our favourite Xtra Factor duo, Olly Murs and Caroline Flack are making their return but this time it's for the main show. The new series will also see the auditions move out of the rooms and straight into the arenas, with hopefuls having to perform in front of an arena audience from the start in the hope of making it through to the next stage.
The Sex Change Spitfire Ace (Ch4, 8pm)
Born in 1918, Robert Cowell was a fighter pilot during the Second World War who later founded a motor-racing team and took part in various contests across Europe. He also married and had two children before attempting to combat depression by seeking therapy with a Freudian psychiatrist. Cowell later claimed that the sessions made him realise that he had been repressing his dominant feminine side and was, in fact, in the wrong body. Sex changes were rare in the late 1940s, but Cowell’s friendship with Michael Dillon, a medical student who was the first woman to become a man, led to an extraordinary sequence of events that eventually enabled him to become her. She spent the rest of her life as Roberta, and this fascinating documentary profiles both Cowell and the men who helped her.
Doctor Who (BBC1, 8.20pm)
Last week, the gallivanting Gallifreyan and his sidekick arrived in Britain during Viking times, where they helped save villagers from destruction and met a mysterious young woman who captivated the Doctor. Now he and Clara are off on their travels again, this time turning up in England in 1651. They’ve hardly had time to step out of the Tardis before they’re confronted by The Knightmare, a highwayman who, along with his assistant, stalks the dark streets of London. The robber is certainly a vicious chap, but the Time Lord realises there’s more to him than meets the eye – or at least, he has a mysterious force behind him. But perhaps most remarkably, the adventure will reunite the Doctor with a couple of very familiar faces... Maisie Williams and Rufus Hound guest star again in the conclusion of a two-part tale.
UFC Fight Night (3e, 9pm)
Live from Dublin’s 3 Arena, Ireland lightweight Joseph Duffy takes on Dustin Poirier in the headline bout along with the UFC Heavyweight Championship title contest between Stipe Miocic and Ben Rothwell. Paddy Holohan starts the main card with his flyweight clash with Louis Smolka.
American Gangster (RTE Two, 9pm)
(2007) Oscar-nominated drama based on a true story. In 1970s New York, a drug kingpin has built a vast and powerful empire thanks to his unique high-quality heroin supply lines from the Far East and his mafia connections. However, on the other side of the law, a dedicated detective is charged with heading up a narcotics task force to crack down on drug dealers and break heroin's hold on Harlem.
Scream 4 (5*, 9.00pm)
(2011) Cult director Wes Craven returns with another instalment in the popular horror franchise, as three-time massacre survivor Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns to her home town as part of a promotional tour for her new book. But her homecoming proves to be a far from pleasant experience as a mysterious masked killer is seen prowling the streets and the body count soon begins to rise. Courteney Cox and David Arquette reprise their roles as reporter Gale and police officer Dewey in what is to date the final chapter in the Scream saga – and with Craven’s recent death, it seems unlikely that there will now be a fifth entry.
Arne Dahl: Requiem (BBC4, 9pm)
These adaptations of the Swedish novelist’s crime thrillers are proving every inch as addictive as other recent treats from the well-stocked Nordic noir stable. In this feature-length piece, Kerstin Holm (Malin Arvidsson) is caught up in a murderous bank robbery committed by two Russians. However, when A Unit’s investigation into the puzzling participation of a third man suggests a possible Cold War connection, the team must find out what the past secrets are and why they are worth killing for.
The Ray D’Arcy Show (RTE One, 10pm)
Ray D'Arcy presents an irreverent mix of chat, comedy and music alongside guests from all walks of Irish life.
The Jonathan Ross Show (ITV, 10.25pm)
Martin Clunes joins the host to discuss the latest series of long-running drama Doc Martin, and actor Nick Frost, star of films including Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, talks about the release of his autobiography, Truths, Half Truths & Little White Lies. Plus, ballet legend Darcey Bussell gives her thoughts on how the new series of Strictly Come Dancing is progressing from her viewpoint as one of the judges, and there is music by John Newman, from his second studio album Revolve.
Spring Breakers (Film4, 10.55pm) Premiere
(2012) Good girl Faith (Selena Gomez) attends religious instruction and turns her prayers to Heaven like the rest of her flock. She returns to her reckless childhood friends Brit (Ashley Benson), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens) and Cotty (Rachel Korine), who are looking forward to the spring break, except they don’t have the money to pay for their dream getaway. So the girls hold up their local Chicken Shack fast-food restaurant and use the ill-gotten gains to finance their trip to sun-kissed Florida. The dream turns sour when they are arrested at a rowdy house party and sleazy drug dealer Alien (James Franco), who sports corn rows and metal teeth, bails them out.
The Quiet American (BBC2, 11.30pm)
(2002) Michael Caine turns in a sterling performance in this espionage thriller set during the Vietnam War. Caine plays an ageing British journalist, Thomas Fowler, who is horrified by the senseless bloodshed of the conflict, and whose alluring mistress, Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen) captures the attentions of an idealistic CIA agent, Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser). Pyle is instantly smitten and successfully woos Phuong away from Fowler, whose growing desire to take revenge is sharpened to a deadly point when he learns that his love-rival was responsible for a bombing that killed dozens of innocent bystanders.
