Radiation by Fiona Rae

I was pleasantly surprised by The Class yesterday - though it only lasts a season.

And don't forget that Lost Jr. heads straight into its second season this afternoon:)

And yet again, with the first series of Who do you think you are? thought good, TV One saw fit to air it at around 10am weekdays during the (I think summer) holidays...

So you all watched OF last week, huh? I stayed away in protest ... you killed Aurora boooo, hiss etc.

I was pleasantly surprised by The Class yesterday

Same, Graeme. Laugh out loud witty.

Actor Denis Leary and musical guests Flight of the Conchords on Letterman.

Looks like yet another week of re-runs - Dave must be in sunny Acapulco again.

Still, at least we get to see FOC -- since Prime bumped it for the league last time (when the original ep was meant to play).

Hi guys, have updated for Thursday and Friday and speculated on the identity of the Shortland Street kill-ah. Also, Flight of the Conchords starting Sep 17 on Prime, also the new local sitcom Welcome to Paradise.

Highlight: Flight of the Conchords on Letterman on Tuesday.

'Fraid not. Can you stick something sharp up the bottom of the Prime publicity dept? It's not the first time they've been found wanting ...

Ah, stink. That's the info I was sent. I taped it too, but haven't had a chance to look. No point now.

No point now.

There is always a point to watching Letterman.

Will it float?

I taped it too

Real, genuine, old-school tape? Or that newfangled virtual tape stuff?

Real, genuine, old-school tape? Or that newfangled virtual tape stuff?

yup, I 'tape' it to my HDD recorder

Will it float?

__Omigod!__ That is the LAMEST part of Letterman, always sends me in to FFW ...

Whenever I see the The Wire mentioned I have to add my ten cents. This is one of the greatest TV series ever made in my opinion. If we are living in a golden age of American drama, surely The Wire stands there with any thing else. i think it's much better than the Sopranos. It has more breadth, characters, atmosphere and realistic truth. You can see why it is difficult to show in a regular TV format. It is not episodic and doesn't have cliff hangers or artificial peaks to end an episode. It must be murder to watch with add. breaks. But it is quite wonderful to watch in DVD format. Give yourself a weekend and settle in and watch the whole thing unfold langorously in all it's Dickinsean splendour.
But hang on you can't! Series two was broadcast on TV2 late at night, it's use of Baltimore patois does make it tricky for prime time. But at least you could get the DVD.
Series three is not even issued in Zone 4 DVD format. You cannot watch it in New Zealand unless you download it, which takes about a week it seems and you have to watch it on a computer screen. But believe me it's worth it.

Bob - season three of The Wire also aired late night on TV2 - and, unfortunately, will not be released in R4 at all...

Thanks Graeme. I've downloaded series three and watched it right thru on the computer. It is very fine. There was tremendous satisfaction in the final episode as it all came together. It's a tour de force.

Bob - season three of The Wire also aired late night on TV2 - and, unfortunately, will not be released in R4 at all...

And these are the people who didn't want us to have region-free DVD players either. There's a point where it starts to look like contempt.

Yes Russell. It makes no sense. How much does it cost to run off a few DVDs? It's not like they're trying to keep the gene pool of quality up or anything. The Wire is a difficult series for both programmers and viewers in a regular broadcasting format but it is perfect on DVD. Once it's in the rental circuit I'm sure word would spread. Why wouldn't it become TV's Shawshank Redemption?
Anyway I see my mission in life to convert people to the Wire. Even one soul saved would be worthwhile. So please if you like any sort of detective series or police procedual type stories give The Wire a go.

Just for example, without giving anything away and the way series three is tied up is magesterial in the last episode - there is a regular part of a policeman's day that is the same through all the series, where they gather somewhere, I think it might be at the rear of the police station, and quaff a few beers at the end of a shift. The ritual is to squash the can and toss it on the roof. Right at the end of series three you see someone do this and for the first time we see where the cans land. The camera slowly pans across this nearly flat roof and there to see are thousands of cans slowly coming into view as the camera pans. In that shot is the long history of the rituals of the job, the people who have gone before and by implication those yet to come, there's also the sense that though the individuals change on both sides of the criminal fence the job goes on and tthe battle is never ending.
As well as that Solomon Burke's deep soul voice comes on singing Van Morrison's 'Fast Train'. one of the few times music is used over the top of the visuals. I don't know what the technical term is but there is a lot of music in The Wire of the gritty urban variety but it is always playing in the situation, from stereos, background radios, pumping out of the SUV's of the gangsters. It's a beautiful way to complement the audio in an authentic way and avoid the usual cliched use of music to dictate mood.
I could go on - and probably shall whenever The Wire gets mentiuoned.

I'd like to add myself to the tiny but dedicated chorus of Wire-lovers. We're at the end of season one right now, and it really is stellar in every respect. All these characters have such depth and complexity - it's incredible that I find myself supporting both sides at once. In fact, I suppose the show is really arguing that there aren't 'two sides' at all. I can't wait to see the other seasons, particularly season four, which concentrates on schools, and which by all accounts is amazing.

One of my future 'American pop culture' road trips is going to have to be a John Waters/Wire themed Baltimore journey...

One of my future 'American pop culture' road trips is going to have to be a John Waters/Wire themed Baltimore journey...

Don't forget "Homicide: Life on the Street" (1993-99).