The Week in UAE TV: August 2-8

A great, if slightly boys-y collection of TV this week. From the beginning (kind of) of the new football season in England to Jon Stewart’s pre-summer farewell. Don’t worry, he’ll be back… although not for very long.

The match: The Community Shield, Chelsea vs Arsenal
When: Sunday 2, 18:00
The football season never really goes away, particularly in the UK where the “summer” lasts three weeks and the games kick off again just after Wimbledon. And so it begins again with the traditional curtain-raiser at Wembley between last season’s Premier League winners Chelsea and Cup holders Arsenal. The all-London affair should provide an early barometer for whether Arsene Wenger’s side can launch a serious bid for the title. Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, even if a bit short defensively, will still be the team to beat.
Channel: BeIN Sports 11

Classic film: The Searchers
When: Monday 3, 23:00
John Ford’s epic western is a long way from typical cowboy and Indian matinee. John Wayne plays the man on a five-year search for the girl kidnapped by Comanche Indians, in a tale that at times is a tough watch. A direct influence on everything from Lawrence of Arabia to the final episode of Breaking Bad this is a dark and violent take on the cautionary tale of men chasing a monster and becoming a monster themselves. Essential viewing.
Channel: TCM

Sitcom: Weird Loner (season 1, episode 1)
When: Monday 3, 21:00
Four disparate New Yorkers move in together in a Queens townhouse in this charming little sitcom that seems to have gone by largely unnoticed. It’s from King of Queens co-creator Michael Weithorn but the comedy is far less broad than his previous work, and the four 30-somethings (including the always-watchabe Becki Newton and Nate Torrance) are pleasant company. While the New York flatmates premise is a familiar TV trope, this is far superior than the average flatmates sitcom.
Channel: OSN First Comedy

Factual: Mythbusters
When: Wednesday 5, 22:00
It’s rare that Mythbusters isn’t on the telly, but if you only ever make a point to watch one episode then make it this one, as they finally get around to dealing with something you’ve wondered, and maybe argued about, since you were a small child: Could The A-Team really build a working cannon out of things they found in a barn? Forget Hubble or the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, this is what the Discovery channel is really all about.
Channel: Discovery

Modern film: Boyhood
When: Thursday 6, 22:00
Richard Linklater’s masterpiece filmed in stages over 10 years and following the life of a young boy and his family. Technically brilliant and seamlessly edited (it was robbed of the Best Picture Oscar) but thankfully doesn’t just rely on a gimmick and is a wonderful and emotional tale of youth, family and change. It also gave rise to the Beatles Black Album – a compilation of ex-Beatle’s solo work that Ethan Hawke’s character makes in the film and has taken off in the real world.
Channel: OSN Movies Festival

Comedy: The Daily Show
When: Friday 7, 22:00
Jon Stewart’s final episode and the last show before the summer break. While we’re sure that Stewart’s farewell will be little but old-friends and gushing praise, his impact on politics and public political discourse – especially among younger voters – really can’t be understated. As one of the most influential men on television and one of pop-culture’s finest satirists, his nightly presence will be sorely missed. Trevor Noah takes over as host in late September with a near-impossible job replacing him.
Channel: OSN First Comedy