yet another wire post, and more tv

For those of you without HBO and such, BET is set to start airing "The Wire" next week from the beginning. I have no idea how the editing breaks down - there is some nudity and frequent profanity, and I can recall one scene from S1 where two cops say nothing but variations of "fuck" for 10 minutes - but this is the television show that answers all the criticisms people have about TV. "The Wire" is intelligent, diverse and adult. It's literate TV, and to say it explores its world with precise social realism is an understatement. Here's the release from BET:

ET TAPS 'THE WIRE' WITH THE BASIC CABLE PREMIERE OF THE PEABODY AWARD-WINNING DRAMA
Released by BET

BET Taps 'THE WIRE' With The Basic Cable Premiere Of The Peabody Award-Winning Drama

The Surveillance Continues on BET When the Critically-Acclaimed Series Begins with Marathon Presentation on January 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3 -- On Wednesday, January 10, 2007 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, the critically acclaimed HBO series THE WIRE will begin airing on BET with its series premiere. The basic cable, multi-season run of THE WIRE on BET will consist of all 50 produced episodes, with each episode airing in a 90-minute block. The first three episodes will be shown in a three-day marathon beginning Wednesday, January 10 through Friday, January 12 from 9- 10:30 p.m. ET/PT each night. Beginning January 18, THE WIRE can be seen every Thursday night at 9 p.m ET /PT with an encore run on Saturday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The Peabody Award-winning series tells the story of a single drugs-and- murder police investigation from the point of view of both the police and their targets.

Incidentally, I thought the recently completed S4 was the best season of any show ever, even though it's all very good. So it goes without saying that I thought it was the best show all year. Here are my other favorites, in alphabetical order:

"24" saw something happen this year: the writers took out all the really hard to believe stupidity (see ya, Kim Bauer) and left in all the awesome. The result is the best season of the show yet, and one of the most deliriously entertaining programs on the air today. I usually hate saying this, but it helps to watch while leaving your brain at the door when watching. Of course Jack Bauer isn't going to make it across Los Angeles in three minutes, but that's not the point. It's the twists, turns, high body count and squirmy president that made me shout at the TV every five minutes on Monday nights. And damn it if Jack Bauer isn't one of the greatest American action heroes we've ever had the privilege to follow.

"Battlestar Galatica" was a series I caught up to this year based on the wonders of technology. I started recording season three on my DVR while I caught up on the previous seasons on DVD, all in the span of about three weeks. Can you imagine watching TV like this five years ago? Anyway, BSG lived up to its reputation as one of the best sci-fi shows ever by telling us stories of occupation, torture, prison, suicide bombers, abortion, democracy, war, religion, civil rights and what happens when we elect the wrong guy as president. The point of science fiction is providing social and political commentary while surrounding ourselves with a fantastic world - Battlestar does exactly that.

"The Office" finally escaped the shadow of its British counterpart with last year's "Yankee Swap" Christmas episode, but it was doing laps around it by the end of 2006. Not only was the Jim-Pam storyline to close out season two incredibly gripping, they effectively reversed the romantic triangle in season three by introducing Karen, a new love interest for Jim. And she was shockingly as cool as Pam. The other assorted hijinks around the office was brilliant, but none more so than Steve Carrell as Michael Scott, equal parts swarmy, lonely, friendly, pathetic, competent and incompetent. "The Office" certainly eased the pain of "Arrested Development" going off the air.

"Veronica Mars" is another show Julie and I followed mostly through DVD until catching up with the beginning of season three in October. It's a smart, fun show about a not-a-girl-not-yet-a-woman detective that's compelling and entertaining. I thought season two ended very well, but season three has seen a bit of a dip in quality; it's still good, but not as good as I think it can be. Still, it's not like that other mystery show that took a big nosedive this year ("Lost," I'm looking in your direction), and the repeated references to "The Big Lebowski" help. It's worth the time.