What's On the Box this week?

Michael Jackson: Gone Too Soon (RTE 1, Friday, 9.35pm) - Culled from over 300 hours of footage shot inside the singer's camp, this brand new documentary about the late Michael Jackson is being shown to mark the first anniversary of his death. 'Gone Too Soon' gives an in-depth account of the final years of Michael Jackson's life and illuminates the real causes of his untimely death. New York Times number one bestselling author and documentary filmmaker Ian Halperin spent over five years investigating Jackson, which culminated in Halperin's announcement in December 2008 that Jackson only had six months live. He was only off by a day. After Jackson's death, Halperin set out to discover the truth. In footage shot before and after Jackson's death, Halperin successfully infiltrates Jackson's camp by posing undercover, making for a bold and highly entertaining film. Also included is never before released video and audio of the star. In this new documentary, Halperin interviews numerous people close to Jackson during the last weeks of his life, providing for the first time ever a vivid, behind the scenes account of what really happened. _____________________________________________________________ Lennon Naked (BBC 4, Wednesday, 9.30pm) - Christopher Eccleston plays John Lennon in this film which charts the artist's transition from Beatle to enduring and enigmatic icon. When The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, died unexpectedly in 1967, it was a turning point in John Lennon's life. The film focuses on the turbulent and intense period of change that followed, and how Lennon was haunted by his troubled childhood. 'Lennon Naked' also reveals the impact of re-establishing contact with his long-lost father, and the events that led him to shed everything, both personally and creatively, including calling time on The Beatles. Meeting Yoko Ono was the catalyst for this new era and the film explores the development of their extraordinary relationship, their growing disillusionment with Britain and what caused Lennon to abandon the UK to start a new life in America: a process which ultimately led Lennon to record arguably the most powerful solo work of his career. _____________________________________________________________ Are You Having A Laugh? TV & Disability (BBC 2, Friday, 9pm) - Narrated by David Walliams, this is an irreverent, funny and often cringe-making look at how television has portrayed disability over the past 50 years. From Sandy in 'Crossroads' to Brenda in 'The Office', Walliams highlights how the subject has been done well, how it's been done badly, and how box ticking, political correctness and the odd token wheelchair has taken TV from 'Ironside' to 'Little Britain' in one generation. With contributions from Stephen Merchant, Ben Miller, Mat Fraser and Kiruna Stamell, Tanni Grey-Thompson and Ash Atalla, Dom Joly, Julie Fernandez and Francesca Martinez, the programme looks back at the way society was used to seeing disability on screens and how that compares with what's on there today. _____________________________________________________________ World Cup Rock 'n' Goal Years (ITV, Monday, 9.30pm) - As the world's eyes are directed towards South Africa for the 2010 World Cup World Cup, 'Rock'n'Goal Years' relives the excitement, the sights and the sounds of four memorable footballing summers from recent years - 1986, 1998, 2002 and 2006. From Mexico '86, when Bobby Robson's squad encountered Diego Maradona's notorious Hand of God, through to France '98 when England's tournament ended in heartbreak after David Beckham was sent off against Argentina and Glen Hoddle's side lost on penalties to their old enemy, to Japan and Korea 2002, when Sven-Goran Eriksson took charge of the English side, and Germany 2006, when the WAGs rather than the football dominated the headlines and England's fortunes faltered against Portugal and a winking Ronaldo. ____________________________________________________________ Movie Of The Week: 'A Mighty Heart' (RTE 1, Wednesday, 9.35pm) - Angelina Jolie is directed by Michael Winterbottom in a true story. On 23rd January 2002, Mariane Pearl's world changed forever when her husband Daniel, South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, was researching a story on shoe bomber Richard Reid. The story drew them to Karachi where a go-between had promised access to an elusive source. As Daniel left for the meeting, he told Mariane he might be late for dinner - but he never returned. In the face of death, Danny Pearl's spirit of defiance and his unflinching belief in the power of journalism led Mariane to write about his disappearance.