FRIDAY
Best bet on broadcast: CBS, “Flashpoint,” 10 p.m. The scripted series had a decent debut last week, averaging a 1.9 in adults 18-49 and finishing No. 1 for the night in the demo.
Best bet on cable: USA, “Monk,” 9 p.m. Season premiere. In the seventh-season opener, Monk gets a new shrink, with Hector Elizondo joining the cast in place of the late Stanley Kamel.
Top sporting event: Versus, “Tour de France,” 8:05 p.m. Taped coverage of today’s Stage 13.
SATURDAY
Best bet on broadcast: ABC, “British Open,” 9 a.m. But will anyone watch with Tiger Woods on the sidelines?
Best bet on cable: Cinemax, “The Heartbreak Kid,” 10 p.m. Ben Stiller plays a man who meets his dream girl. One problem – he just got married to someone else.
Top sporting event: Fox, “Saturday Baseball,” 4 p.m. The sport returns from a strong All-Star Game with one of three matchups, airing regionally: Padres at Cardinals, Phillies at Marlins, or Red Sox at Angels.
SUNDAY
Best bet on broadcast: ABC, “High School Musical: Get in the Picture,” 8 p.m. Series premiere. If the new show, in which performers compete to appear in a video at the end of “HSM 3,” can pull even half the viewers who tuned into last summer’s “HSM 2,” ABC should be happy.
Best bet on cable: ESPN, “ESPYs,” 9 p.m. Justin Timberlake hosts the show, which was taped earlier in the week.
Top sporting event: ABC, “British Open,” 8 a.m. A new winner is crowned.
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A look at this week’s top TV draws
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FRIDAY, JULY 18
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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7 a.m.
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ABC
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“Good Morning America” (N)
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Teen sensation Miley Cyrus performs.
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8 p.m.
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ABC
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“Dance Machine” (R)
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This week’s contestants include a cheerleading coach and a wedding DJ.
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9 p.m.
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ESPN
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“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (A)
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A celebration of the classic song’s 100th birthday.
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9 p.m.
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USA
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“Monk” (D)
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Season premiere. Monk buys a new house and, of course, stumbles upon a murder case.
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10 p.m.
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CBS
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“Flashpoint” (D)
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A troubled father stops at nothing to help his daughter get a heart transplant.
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10 p.m.
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USA
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“Psych” (D)
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Season premiere. Shawn tries to increase business by cooking up a fake haunting.
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SATURDAY, JULY 19
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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9 a.m.
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ABC
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“Golf” (S)
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Third-round coverage of the British Open, from Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.
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3:30 p.m.
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Fox
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“Major League Baseball” (S)
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Today it’s Padres-Cards, Red Sox-Angels or Indians-Mariners.
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8 p.m.
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Fox
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“Cops” (R)
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Release the hounds! A K-9 unit tracks down a burglar.
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8 p.m.
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Nickelodeon
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“Avatar: The Last Airbender” (K)
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Season finale. Aang makes a tough choice in this two-hour season ender.
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9 p.m.
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Biography Channel
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“Mobsters” (N)
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The life of The Dapper Don, aka John Gotti.
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11:30 p.m.
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NBC
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“Saturday Night Live” (C)
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Repeat, but it’s Christopher Walken hosting, and that’s always a good thing.
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SUNDAY, JULY 20
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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8 a.m.
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ABC
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“Golf” (S)
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Final round of the British Open, won last year by Padraig Harrington.
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2 p.m.
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CBS
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“Tour de France” (S)
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A recap of the first 15 stages of the grueling race.
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6 p.m.
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ESPN
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“Major League Baseball’ (S)
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The Red Sox take on the Angels in Anaheim.
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8 p.m.
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ABC
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“High School Musical: Get in the Picture” (R)
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Series premiere. Teens compete for a chance to star in a video airing during the end credits of the upcoming “High School Musical 3.”
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9 p.m.
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ESPN
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“ESPY Awards” (S, A)
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The 16th annual event, hosted this year by Justin Timberlake.
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9 p.m.
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VH1
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“I Love Money” (R)
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The inevitable in-house hookups begin, but there’s also some jealousy involved.
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10 p.m.
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USA
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“In Plain Sight” (D)
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An investigation takes a strange turn when a witness dies in a car accident.
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A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.
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