Go On
Airing in a commercial-free sneak preview, this fall sitcom manages to humorously deal with the topic of grief, flipping clichés about loss and emotional pain on their ear. A well-cast Matthew Perry stars as a recently widowed sports DJ ordered by his boss to attend group therapy, which he sabotages by staging a “March Sadness” tournament in which members vie to tell the most pitiable story. All well done, with an engaging supporting cast. Wednesday, Aug. 8, after the Olympics, NBC
POV: Short Cuts
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Oscar nominee The Barber of Birmingham, a portrait of an Alabama haircutter whose shop was a hub of civil-rights activity for more than 50 years, highlights a lineup of five short documentaries. Also slated: Sin País (Without Country), about a family of Guatemalan immigrants separated by deportation, and three whimsically animated interviews from the oral-history project StoryCorps. Thursday, Aug. 9, at 10 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Great Performances: Tanglewood 75th Anniversary Celebration
An eclectic evening of music—taped July 14 at Tanglewood, in Massachusetts’s Berkshire Mountains—includes Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” parts of Leonard Bernstein’s On the Town, selections from the Great American Songbook, and works by Haydn, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, and Beethoven. Performers include singer James Taylor, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianists Emanuel Ax and Peter Serkin. Friday, Aug. 10, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Air Jaws Apocalypse
Photographer Chris Fallows and producer Jeff Kurr head to Seal Island, South Africa, in search of a 14-foot great white called Colossus that dominates smaller sharks (and nearly eats a specially designed new camera). The special kicks off the 25th edition of the summer tradition Shark Week. Sunday, Aug. 12, at 9 p.m., Discovery
Animal Practice
Debuting in another post-Olympics sneak preview, this fall series stars Justin Kirk (Weeds), as a veterinarian who relates better to animals than to people, and JoAnna García Swisher, as his ex-girlfriend who’s now his boss. The show’s eccentric characters subvert its sitcom formula; Bobby Lee (MadTV), Tyler Labine, Betsy Sodaro, and Crystal, a scene-stealing capuchin monkey, all help. Sunday, Aug. 12, after the Olympic closing ceremonies, NBC
Other highlights
Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Miami Dolphins
This five-week series documents the team’s preparation for the 2012–13 NFL season under first-year head coach Joe Philbin. Tuesday, Aug. 7, at 10 p.m., HBO
The Music Teacher
When budget cuts threaten a music teacher’s after-school program, her former students stage a show to try and save it. Annie Potts and Richard Thomas star. Saturday, Aug. 11, at 8 p.m., Hallmark Channel
Olympic Games Closing Ceremonies
The march of the athletes, the extinguishing of the Olympic flame, and performances by the Who and Russell Brand will mark the end of the Summer Games in London. Sunday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m., NBC
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