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Thursday, July 14
THE HUMAN CANVAS: SACRED SKIN Modern primitives trace the history of body modification – tattooing, body piercing, branding, scarification, binding and corseting – from its aboriginal roots to its mainstream popularity today. 9 pm on TLC, repeated at midnight and 6 pm Sunday
BAD HAIR LIFE In a quest to understand her mysterious affliction – trichotillomania, the inexplicable compulsion to pull out hair strand by strand – filmmaker Jennifer Raikes delves into broader issues of beauty, identity and the boundaries of self-control. 1 am on PBS
Friday, July 15
WE’RE WITH THE BAND: MOTORHEAD At the outset of their 30th-anniversary tour, Lemmy and heavy metal crew reflect on their status as the world’s loudest band. 6 pm on MuchMoreMusic, repeated at 10 pm and 1 am
Saturday, July 16
OPERATION HOLLYWOOD Since the international success of big-budget pro-American war movies like Top Gun, the Pentagon permits use of U.S. military bases, submarines and aircraft carriers in exchange for script approval. This documentary explores the phenomenon. 10 pm on Newsworld
Sunday, July 17
GREEN ACRES Surreal 60s sitcom finds a couple of NYC sophisticates stuck in the sticks. Sound familiar? Eva Gabor plays a ditzy caricature of her sister Zsa Zsa – the Paris Hilton of her day – while Eddie Albert , who died recently at age 100, portrays her uptight hubby. The supporting cast includes neighbours Fred and Doris Ziffel, who don’t seem to notice that their son Arnold is a pig (the four-legged variety) or that carpenter Ralph of the Monroe Brothers is a woman. 11 and 11:30 am on Prime
Monday, July 18
TOUR DE FRANCE Lance and the boys have the day off to recuperate before the final push to the finish in Paris next Sunday, so it’s two hours of race highlights. 8:30 am on OLN, repeated at 7 pm
HOLIDAYS IN THE DANGER ZONE: PLACES THAT DON’T EXIST The BBC’s Simon Reeve , the journalist who first alerted the world to al Qaeda, takes a tour of Abkhazia, South Osetia, Transdniestria, Somaliland, Puntland, Taiwan and other breakaway states not officially recognized by the international community. 8 pm on Newsworld, repeated at 11 pm Tuesday at 8 and 11 pm Wednesday at 8 and 11 pm
Tuesday, July 19
THE RUTLES: ALL YOU NEED IS CASH (1978, D: Eric Idle and Gary Weis, w/ Idle, Neil Innes and Michael Palin) Produced by SNL’s Lorne Michaels , this made-for-TV collaboration between the Python’s Idle and Bonzo Dog’s Innes brilliantly lampoons the rise of the Prefab Four, those 60s mop-tops known for their ridiculously tight trousers. With ironic cameos from John Belushi , Mick and then-wife Bianca Jagger , Ron Wood , Bill Murray and Beatle George Harrison as a TV interviewer. Great tunes, too! 1 am on Bravo
Wednesday, July 20
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE In the footsteps of surprise ballroom dancing series Dancing With The Stars, this 12-week terpsichorean talent contest from the producers of American Idol sets out to find the best hoofer in the land. Two-hour tryout episode 8 pm on Fox/CTV
