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Posted at 10:15PM on 4 Mar 08. Permalink.

Season four of The Wire starts on March 10 at 12.25am on a Monday night. WTF?

It's good TV - "the best show on television" according to a fair chunk of critics - therefore it must be completely buried in a timeslot where no-one is awake.

And TVNZ wonder why people turn to the internet...

Posted at 10:37PM on 4 Mar 08. Permalink.

Season 4?? WTF?? Did TVNZ slip season 3 past me without me noticing?

Should I watch S4 without seeing S3? Help! I need answers!

Posted at 11:20PM on 4 Mar 08. Permalink.

YAY fiona is back
NEVER LEAVE US AGAIN!!!!!

Posted at 11:20PM on 4 Mar 08. Permalink.

Yeah, I'm only up to Season 3 as well. Best. show. ever. (Apart from Curb).

Posted at 12:04AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Speaking of Letterman, last week young Liam Finn and EJ Barnes kicked ass...

Posted at 12:10AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Did TVNZ slip season 3 past me without me noticing?

Yes. Quite a while back. It's apparently not going to be released on DVD in NZ.

Posted at 1:31AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Have you caught up with the whole Sarah Silverman-fucking-Matt Damon thing yet? Here's Jimmy Kimmel's response, but, y'know, is it laughing at gays?

Yeah, that was so last week!

I thought both clips were funny, but Kimmel's left an unpleasant aftertaste. It really did seem dated in what it's concept of 'the gay lifestyle' was. Very last century. Here's hoping that if Silverman does a reply it's not full of Lesbians in buzzcuts and boilersuits.

The day NBC confirm Bionic Woman is axed is the day I stop watching. I've managed to cut down a lot on my TV intake simply by asking 'is this really that interesting?'. Life is hanging on by a thread, saved only by that hot chick from The L Word.

Pushing Daisies has already fallen by the wayside, and Greys Lobotomy? Meh. I've got 3 eps of that recorded that I still haven't been bothered to make time to watch. House is a lost cause - c'mon people it's the same story every frikn week!! Lost went MIA for me in Season 2, but I'll admit to a hankering to rent the box set on DVD just to see if really does get better so maybe it's just AWOL. Dirty Sexy Money? I'm still watching, but not sure why ...

I've been watching Six Degrees every week and again I'm not sure why. I see from the end credits it was made in 2006 so it's probably about to finish suddenly. Like Bionic Woman. Wouldn't it be cool if they just finished that show by having her munted by a really big truck?

Posted at 8:24AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Fiona, you do realise that without you, we TV peeps are hanging around the political threads, forlornly making pop-cultural references which just hang sadly in mid-air? We are bereft. Bereft I say.

Sky 1/The Box showed repeats of season three of The Wire relatively recently. In the middle of the night. In the middle of the week. So... no change there, then.

Garth, I wouldn't watch season four without season three. Season three is, I think, where the show manages to transcend the procedural stuff to the extent that you feel you're watching The Story of a City. (It's not that seasons one and two didn't do that a lot of the time, but season three is... just amazing.)

Posted at 8:41AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Garth: yes - a year or so ago, at around midnight on Tuesdays.

Under no circumstances should you watch 4 without watching 3. It's a novel (one big, 5 series novel), and like Freemon says back in S1, "all the pieces matter".

The DVD is available overseas now, or you can always resort to the usual methods.

(And Americans only now seem to have got State of Play. Which is impressing them as much as The Wire. Huzzah!)

Posted at 9:13AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

In other frakking fantastic news, Battlestar Galactica is back on air April 4. Advance publicity includes this frakking fantastic Last Supper. Six is Jesus!

Tricia Helfer is the one true Goddess in our house (and one more iteration of Six raising merry hell is only a good thing), but the truly squee worthy news is that Lucy Lawlwss' D'Anna Biers/Three is back for at least two episodes, and the rumours are that she's at the heart of a plot arc where the shit hits the fan for everyone with more force than usual.

I thought both clips were funny, but Kimmel's left an unpleasant aftertaste. It really did seem dated in what it's concept of 'the gay lifestyle' was. Very last century

IO, I think that was kinda the joke. I'd kinda of impressed at the way Affleck and Damon have always shrugged their shoulders at the same old tabloid rumours that two guys who are that close, and take their mothers as Oscar dates, must be queer as a three dollar bill.

Pushing Daisies has already fallen by the wayside

I think watching Pushing Daisies depends on your tolerance for twee whimsy, but am staying just this side of a diabetic coma. The show is helped enormously by a solid cast and eye-poppingly luscious production values. Jim Dale has pipped Heroes for the Blade Runner Cup for Most Gratuitously Irritating Voice-Over Narration. Closely followed by Ellen Pompeo over at...

Lost went MIA for me in Season 2, but I'll admit to a hankering to rent the box set on DVD just to see if really does get better so maybe it's just AWOL.

This season is, IMO, a return to form -- so naturally, the WGA strike comes along. If my memory serves, its still uip in the air whether we're going to be seeing much more of Zoe Bell.

Dirty Sexy Money? I'm still watching, but not sure why ...

Eye candy -- pure camp nonsense that has absolutely no pretensions to being anything more. Though it still has some distance to reach the demented majesty that is the best of Dallas or Dynasty. Now they were Greek tragedy with feather perms and shoulder pads you could land a fighter jet on.

Much the same reason why (to my great surprise) I've become quite a fan of __Psych__ and __Burn Notice__. Not great art, but certainly enormous fun done with some style and intelligence.

Posted at 9:18AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Yes. Quite a while back. It's apparently not going to be released on DVD in NZ.

This is correct. Seasons 1 & 2 were released on Zone 4 format but not Seasons 3 & 4.

I think because of it's sprawling plot structure and lack of ad break timed highlights 'The Wire' must be diabolical to watch as one hour episodes once a week. It's really only made to watch as a complete whole, or as many episodes at a time that you can cope with. Yes get it from the usual sources and definitely watch season 3 before season 4. I haven't seen season 4 yet but how television entertainment can be better than season 3 I've no idea, but look forward to with great anticipation.

Posted at 9:24AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Aaargh...

**Closely followed by Ellen Pompeo over at..**

Grey's Anatomy. I'm sure Ms. Pompeo is a very nice woman, but if I have to listen to another of her self-absorbed whines... Wait a mo', I don't!

And am I the only person who thinks Boston Legal has finally jumped the shark? I've reached the point where I no longer find James Spader and William Shatner's heterosexual bro-mance creepy but intriguing, but just creepy. And everything else just looks like it was dragged in from a bad parody of Alley McBeal -- the self-consciously 'kooky' new cast members, and freak of the weak plotlines are exhausting.

Posted at 9:44AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

I am midway through wire season 5 (I love it too much to bother waiting for it to appear on NZ tv). I can see why it doesn't get a good timeslot as by this point there are a huge amount of characters and back-storys to understand and try to keep track of. Season 5 introduces the baltimore sun and the media which so far has been an interesting addition. I'd say more about it all but don't want to spoil it for people. Season 4 was blindingly good.

Posted at 9:52AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Grey's Anatomy. I'm sure Ms. Pompeo is a very nice woman, but if I have to listen to another of her self-absorbed whines... Wait a mo', I don't!

I think I must be insane for watching Grey's Anatomy (and, moreover, finding it sort of comforting). Every now and then there's a bit of dialogue that makes me smile, but the way in which all of the medical stories are only there to illustrate the dramatic lives of the main characters - it's a bit icky, when you start thinking about it.

Posted at 9:53AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

What astonishes me most about Grey's Anatomy, is that the doctors outnumber the patients!

When's the last time you saw even one doctor in a kiwi hospital?

Pure science fiction IMO.

Posted at 10:12AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

I am midway through wire season 5 (I love it too much to bother waiting for it to appear on NZ tv)

Am I the only person who is quite happy to give heavily 'serialised' shows like The Wire a pass on network TV and wait for the DVDs? One reason I checked out of Lost was because I'd be utterly... well, lost if I missed a couple of episodes. I really enjoy long-form storytelling with large ensemble casts, but not in 40 minutes bites once a week (especially when they're being regularly pre-empted or bounced around the schedule).

Posted at 10:14AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

And am I the only person who thinks Boston Legal has finally jumped the shark? I've reached the point where I no longer find James Spader and William Shatner's heterosexual bro-mance creepy...

Absolutely. The love has well and truly gone.

Entourage is still worth a look on Wednesdays. It's going nowhere but it's fun getting there, calf implants and all.

Posted at 10:21AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Yay, Fiona's back. Yay!
Loving the new series of Its Always Sunny on C4, but what's up with screening Entourage so bloody late at night? Just as well we own it on dvd, aye? Do yuo know if we're getting Reaper? Heard good things about it.

Posted at 10:28AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Lost went MIA for me in Season 2, but I'll admit to a hankering to rent the box set on DVD just to see if really does get better so maybe it's just AWOL.

This season is, IMO, a return to form -- so naturally, the WGA strike comes along. If my memory serves, its still uip in the air whether we're going to be seeing much more of Zoe Bell.

Zoe must have been acting way better than she did in deathproof. cos i cant recall what caracter she actually plays.....

also the latest season (well done to tvnz for playing them so quick, its the only way they will slow down teh torrents) is really good, there is some seriously cunning exposition going on there.

Posted at 10:39AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Interesting, just as I personally stop watching Bionic Woman, they axe it anyway. I know it is fantasy, but the thing that really annoys me is the idea that you could have parts of you that are bionic, without damaging the parts that aren't. Imagine being able to run at 100mph, and then tripping over onto your non-bionic skull. Or leaping down 100m and finding on landing that your legs were fine but you broke your back. Or why the bad guys never think of just popping a cap off in your soft parts.

But I guess 'bionic core stabilizing muscles' wouldn't sell.

Posted at 10:41AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Dang, Reaper isnt being renewed for next season, according to Popcandy. Oh well. ..

Posted at 10:43AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

As a flaming homosexual (the way Homer Simpson likes them) I laughed my arse off at the Kimmel response. As did everyone I sent it to or who sent it to me.

I didn't view it as homophobic at all, just a very funny piss-take.

And I think your comments about the way reality TV has influenced people's views of gays in the west anyhow are accurate. And also the Simpsons and other ordinary shows too. In fact my reaction to the Kimmel clip was "My, aren't we mainstream now". I'm sure there are still some angry queer theorists on various campuses who'd disagree, but - meh - who listens to them?

It still can be a big deal for some people, and is still hard if you're in a small town, but it's a different world from the one I came out in 1979.

Posted at 10:44AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

When's the last time you saw even one doctor in a kiwi hospital?

In a public hospital? I've never seen ONE that I recall....

They seem to travel in packs.... you spend hours not seeing any, and then six arrive all at once.... One talks to you and the others all take notes and mumble to themselves. I assume this is training, but its never explained.... you're just gratefull you've been seen at all.

And then a nurse comes by and tells you whats actually happening...

Posted at 10:46AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

In a public hospital? I've never seen ONE that I recall....

I'm reliably informed that one does visit patients every few days. I presume there are more of them somewhere too.

Posted at 10:52AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Loving the new series of Its Always Sunny on C4

I can't even express how funny I found the group's rendition of Extreme's 'More Than Words' a few weeks ago. I just had to pause the show and writhe around the couch in quiet hysteria.

Posted at 11:04AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Thank you all for your help in deciding my winter-DVD-box-set-marathon viewing list. For I, like Craig, can't be arsed (and simply am too disorganised) to even bother trying to watch network tv same bat time same bat channel each week.

Merci beaucoup

Posted at 11:12AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Tricia Helfer is the one true Goddess in our house

But Craig, you've said that before about Helen Mirren. You're mot two-timing, are you?

Posted at 11:19AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

Dang, Reaper isnt being renewed for next season, according to Popcandy. Oh well. ..

But I can't look at Ray Wise without seeing Leland Palmer. I still pop on the first season of Twin Peaks occasionally, and wonder how the hell David Lynch and Mark Frost got away with it, and the prequel movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is seriously under-rated.

Posted at 11:26AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

But Craig, you've said that before about Helen Mirren. You're mot two-timing, are you?

OK, I'm a bad Cylon. Colonial polytheism all the way. :) Seriously, BSG better get some serious Emmy-love on its way out the door because (IMNSHO) the only reason a remarkable ensemble cast hasn't gotten more award recognition is good old fashioned genre snobbery.

I didn't view it as homophobic at all, just a very funny piss-take.

And Sarah and Jimmy aren't exactly brilliant role models for the heterosexist patriarchal Reich. :)

Posted at 11:31AM on 5 Mar 08. Permalink.

So, um, Torchwood? Whatever happened to the first series, which IIRC TVNZ snapped up to stop Prime from getting it, but it hasn't surfaced :-(

Also, anyone got any goss on when we'll be getting the Kylie Minogue Dr Who Xmas special here?

Yes, yes, I am stuck in the techno-ghetto of lacking a computer that can download anything big enough to be interesting.