TV This Week for June 30th-July 6th: ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’

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This week’s TV Movies

SUNDAY

Former “American Idol” judges and best-friends-for-never Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj are among the performers slated for the “BET Awards 2013.” Let’s hope their paths don’t cross backstage. 6 p.m. BET

“Secrets of Henry VIII’s Palace” tours London’s Hampton Court, the finely appointed former residence of that portliest of Tudor monarchs. 8 p.m. KOCE

We confess: We’re squeamish. Hence, we’ve seen only one episode of “Dexter.” And that was the pilot! Now the serial-killer drama is kicking off its eighth and final season. Michael C. Hall stars. 9 p.m. Showtime

Liev Schreiber is “Ray Donovan.” You got a problem with that? If you do have a problem, he’ll solve it — for a fee — in this dark drama set right here in our fair city. Jon Voight and “Deadwood’s” Paula Malcomson also star. 10 p.m. Showtime

MONDAY

Johnny, we hardly knew ye: The new series “Carson on TCM” features the all-time King of Late Night and assorted guests in classic clips from his “Tonight Show” tenure. 5 p.m. TCM

You have to right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you. Meet three public defenders who answer that call in the documentary “Gideon’s Army.” 9 p.m. HBO

The new docu-series “Battleground Afghanistan” offers a soldier’s-eye view of the longest military conflict in U.S. history. 9 p.m. Nat Geo

On the return of “Bizarre Foods America,” host Andrew Zimmern scopes out L.A. eateries in search of delicacies that even this newspaper’s Jonathan Gold might find a little too, um, bizarre. 9 p.m. Travel

Is it a reality competition, or a new drama about a reality competition? Sixteen contestants are stranded in “Siberia” and then things get weird in this… OK, it’s a drama about a reality competition. 10 p.m. NBC

All they will call you will be “deportees”: The legal limbo endured by asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants at a detention center in Geneva, Switzerland, is explored in “Special Flight” on a new edition of “POV.” 10 p.m. KOCE

TUESDAY

Monumental efforts: The creation of “The Statue of Liberty” is recalled in Ken Burns’ 1985 doc, and the carving of those four U.S. presidents’ faces onto Mount Rushmore is detailed on a new “American Experience.” 8 and 9 p.m. KOCE

This just in, “Bring It On’s” Gabrielle Union is a TV anchorwoman trying to have it all in the new made-for-cable movie “Being Mary Jane.” 10:30 p.m. BET

WEDNESDAY

Mmm … “Donut Showdown.” Contestants put their sweetest treats forward in hopes of taking home 10 grand in this new reality competition. 7 p.m. Cooking Channel

It’s nepotism of the most adorable kind when Melissa Joan Hart’s infant son gets a cameo on a new episode of his mommy’s sitcom “Melissa & Joey.” 8 p.m. ABC Family

Canadian TV host and barbecue diva Danielle Dimovski descends from north of the border for a “BBQ Crawl” across the good old U.S. of A. in this new series. 8 and 8:30 p.m. Travel

THURSDAY

Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift and Tim McGraw join the festivities at “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular,” hosted by Mr. Mariah Carey, a.k.a. Nick Cannon. 8 and 10 p.m. NBC

Barry Manilow, “Glee’s” Darren Criss, Broadway star Megan Hilty and pint-sized vocal powerhouse Jackie Evancho lend their pipes to “A Capitol Fourth.” Tom Bergeron hosts. 8 p.m. KOCE

John Mayer, Jill Scott, et al., all backed by “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” house band the Roots, make sweet music in the City of Brotherly Love for a “Philly 4th of July Jam.” 8 p.m. VH1

Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis, pictured, hath charms to sooth the savage “Beasts of the Southern Wild” in director Benh Zeitlin’s bayou-set 2012 fable. And take a tip from us: Keep some tissues handy. 8:20 p.m. Cinemax

Paralyzed poet desperately seeks sex surrogate to relieve him of his virginity in the sensitive and not-at-all salacious 2012 drama “The Sessions.” John Hawkes and Helen Hunt star. 10 p.m. Cinemax

FRIDAY

Have baton, will travel: “Cleveland Orchestra in Performance: Boulez Conducts Mahler” features the maestro leading the symphony through assorted works by Gustav Mahler in a 2010 concert. 9 p.m. KOCE

Little person’s little person Warwick Davis is back, as are Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, in an all-new “Life’s Too Short Special.” 10 p.m. HBO

“Katmai: Alaska’s Wild Peninsula” is larger that Yellowstone and Yosemite combined, and home to more bears than you can shake a stick at — which you probably shouldn’t do. In fact, your safest bet is to just stay home and get an armchair tour in this new nature special. 10:30 p.m. KOCE

SATURDAY

Summer’s shaping up to be a bummer for our boy hero (Zachary Gordon) in the 2012 franchise entry “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days.” Steve Zahn also stars. 8 p.m. HBO

Young miscreants find out what happens when you are so unkind as to not rewind in the creepy 2012 horror anthology “V/H/S.” Nobody you’ve ever heard of stars. 11 p.m. TMC