Epic in its sweep, Gast's film aimed to encompass the resurgence of Ali after his forced exile over conscientious objection to a Vietnam draft, the circus mounted by promoter Don King in what was then Zaire, and the vicious undercurrent in that country and its domination by dictator President Mobutu Sese Seko. And all to the backdrop of the music of everyone from James Brown to B.B. King, who performed at a memorable concert in advance of the big fight.

Making sense of all of this represented a daunting editing job, but Gast succeeds brilliantly in drawing together all of these various strands. His finished film includes amusing commentaries from such luminaries as George Plimpton and Norman Mailer, but it's Ali himself who's the star of the show. He's thought to be past it, but the old fox still has a trick or two up his sleeve.

Forrest Gump (1994): Great claims were made for this Robert Zemeckis film when it was released. It stars Tom Hanks as an annoying savant who blunders his way through the major events of late 20th-century America (Tonight, RTE2, 9pm).

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999): Rather anaemic remake of a Sixties film that was more style than substance. Pierce Brosnan takes the role of the bored millionaire who resorts to crime. With Rene Russo (Sunday, RTE2, 9pm).

Scream 2 (1997): Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette return to the scene of the crime in this slasher sequel that pokes fun at slasher sequels (Tuesday, TG4, 9.05pm).

Just Like Heaven (2005): Reese Witherspoon stars in this slushy but effective romantic comedy as a woman who haunts her old apartment and the widower architect who lives there. With Mark Ruffalo (Wednesday, RTE1, 9.35pm).

Raging Bull (1980): Martin Scorsese's magnificent black and white masterpiece which sets the grim life of Forties middleweight boxer, Jake LaMotta to the haunting strains of Giuseppe Verdi. With Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci (Friday, Channel 6, 10pm).

The Scarlet Letter (1995): Demi Moore makes an unconvincing Hester Prynne in this Roland Joffe film that adapted so freely from Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel that it gave the story a happy ending (Friday, RTE1, 11.55pm).

Gaybo Laughs Back Sunday, RTE1, 6.30pm

It might not seem that long ago, but it's nearly 10 years since Gay Byrne bid an emotional farewell to The Late Late Show. However you felt about his views, Byrne was a consummate broadcaster, and he makes a brief foray from his retirement here to present an hour-long special on some of his favourite Late Late Show comic highlights.

During his 37-year reign, Gaybo welcomed some international greats to his show, including John Cleese, Spike Milligan and Billy Connolly. And Connolly, in particular, provided some of the show's most priceless moments. But the show also proved a launching pad for a new generation of Irish comics, such as Dermot Morgan, Tommy Tiernan and Dylan Moran.

The Catherine Tate Show: The expletives fly when Nan visits an old friend in hospital. Sketch show, with Leslie Phillips (Tonight, BBC2, 10.30pm).

Bremner, Bird and Fortune: The satirical show will no doubt be mulling over the implications of last week's Presidential election (Sunday, C4, 7pm).

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Where Larry's concerned, what can go wrong will go wrong, and this week he and Cheryl encounter a nanny from hell (Sunday, Channel 6, 9.30pm).

The Podge & Rodge Show: Mary McEvoy is the brave guest host this Monday, welcoming Charley Boorman and Verne Troyer (Monday, RTE2, 10.30pm).

Russell Brand's Ponderland: If this show isn't cancelled, the man of the hour will be musing on his school days (Thursday, C4, 10.35pm).

QI: In the first of a new series, Stephen Fry grills Terry Wogan, David Mitchell and Ronni Ancona on subjects beginning with the letter F (Friday, BBC2, 10pm).

Mad Men Monday, RTE2, 11.45pm

This week, Roger Sterling has a heart attack. And little wonder, because these pioneering ad-men certainly burnt the candle at both ends. Aside from running an extremely busy Madison Avenue agency, Roger juggles a wife, a mistress, right, and sundry girlfriends, and makes it all work by smoking and drinking his head off. He's hors de combat this week, but in his absence things don't get any easier for the secretive Don Draper.

He thinks he's dealt with a ghost from his past, but this week his dealings with Adam Whitman take a tragic turn. He's also complicated his life by embarking on a relationship with department store heiress, Rachel. Elsewhere, Peggy is embarrassed to discover the secret properties of a pair of electric knickers.

The Clinic: When Annie Ward brings her ex-boyfriend to the night clinic to help him with his heroin addiction things spiral out of control. (Sunday, RTE1, 9.30pm).

Lipstick Jungle: Brooke Shields stars in this glitzy comic drama based on a novel by Candace Bushnell. Victory begins to worry about her new investor (Monday, TG4, 10.30pm).

Spooks: Harry and Ros decide to horse-trade with an al-Qaeda leader who's offering information about a forthcoming attack in return for the release of two of his buddies (Monday, BBC1, 10.35pm).

Desperate Housewives: The beans are spilled tonight on what's been happening on Wisteria Lane. Meanwhile, Susan's attempts to throw a party for mad Mrs McCluskey come unstuck, and Gaby thinks she's pregnant (Tuesday, RTE2, 9.55pm).

Little Dorrit: Arthur's proposal to Pet doesn't go too well, as she tells him she's going to marry Gowan instead (Thursday, BBC1, 8pm).

The Wire: McNulty forgets about the dead woman in the harbour and decides to save his marriage (Thursday, Channel 6, 10pm).

1918: Sown in Tears of Blood Sunday, RTE1, 11.55pm

It wasn't until the late 1990s, against the backdrop of the Nor-thern peace process, that people in the Republic felt free to finally acknowledge the fact that thousands of Irishmen had lost their lives during the First World War. Some 35,000 Irishmen are reckoned to have died in the trenches, and this moving documentary examines some of those stories. Sown in Tears of Blood uses archive footage and the recollections of veterans to paint a picture of this forgotten group of men who had the bad luck to fall foul of a seismic historical shift.

It's impossible to imagine the confusion that survivors of the war must have felt when they returned to a country that had cheered them off so enthusiastically in 1914 to find that things had "changed, changed utterly". In this programme, veterans describe how is felt to be written out of history.

Coast: The beautifully photographed series investigates the Channel Islands of Jersey, Guernsey and Sark (Tonight, BBC2, 7.05pm).

Aicid: The devastating effect of the 1918 influenza pandemic on Ireland, which killed an estimated 200,000 people (Sunday, BBC2, 6pm).

the view: Peter Crawley, Declan Hughes and Medb Ruane join John Kelly to discuss Gerard Stembridge's new film (Tuesday, RTE1, 11.15pm).

1918: Would You Believe?: The executions of 26 Irish soldiers during the First World War (Sunday, RTE1, 10.15pm).

Panorama: Repossession fever kicks in, in Britain (Monday, BBC1, 8.30pm).

Bertie: Second part of the lavish documentary on the life and times of the Teflon Taoiseach (Monday, RTE1, 9.35pm).

Arsenal v Manchester United Today, Sky Sports 1, noon

In recent years particularly, there's been a special animus to games between these two. Until Chelsea arrived on the scene mid-decade to spoil their monopoly, Arsenal and Manchester United were often battling it out for league supremacy, and a tie between these two that didn't involve at least one sending off was a rare thing indeed. This season, both clubs are currently chasing the tails of Liverpool and Chelsea. But after relatively shaky starts, it's United who have recovered more convincingly.

Arsene Wenger, above, will not have been thrilled by that 4-4 draw with Harry Redknapp's rejuvenated Spurs; and even less by the subsequent disastrous defeat at Stoke. Their season is in danger of slipping away. Team spirit, therefore, is all-important, and they'll need to recover it very quickly here against an outfit that are past masters at peaking for the big games.

Racing: The Channel 4 team presents races from Doncaster and Wincanton (Today, C4, 2pm).

Rugby: Wales take on South Africa at 2.30pm, after which Ireland warm up by playing Canada at Thomond Park (Today, RTE2, 2.10pm).

Soccer: All of today's Premier League action is assessed (Tonight, RTE2, 7.30pm).

Rugby: In what should be a fascinating encounter, France and Argentina resume their World Cup rivalry in Paris (Tonight, Setanta Sports 1, 7.45pm).

Boxing: Live coverage of the bout between Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones Jr from Madison Square Garden (Tonight, Setanta Sports 1, 11pm).

GAA: Joanne Cantwell presents coverage of this year's Opel GPA Awards from the Citywest Hotel in Dublin (Monday, RTE2, 7.30pm).