Indeed, it's amazing, and it only gets better. Too bad they're apparently planning to wrap it up after just one more season.

Beware fan sites, as an awful lot to come could be easily and quickly spoiled for you.

Now maybe you'll give a chance to Deadwood and Six Feet Under. Deadwood is pretty much the reason TV was invented, although it's taken us decades to work up to it.

Unemployment is a great opportunity to catch up on one's TV viewing, wouldn't you agree? (passes grey poupon)

...just wait. Each progressive season of the show is like a camera pulling back to allow you to view more and more of the urban environment. What starts out, seemingly, as an HBO-ified version of H:LOTS turns out to be, really, the story of the slow decay/death of Baltimore. It's amazingly good, amazingly depressing, and amazingly funny (a multi-minute scene featuring McNulty and Bunk featuring nothing but different enunciations of the word "fuck" while investigating an old crime scene is a prime example of this).

I picked the show up after reading what seemed like the 100th consecutive issue of Entertainment Weekly demanding, "why aren't you watching The Wire yet??" and was not disappointed one bit. I think I watched all 4 seasons over two weekends.

I'm not a fan of either Deadwood or Six Feet Under (or anything beyond the first season of The Sopranos, for that matter), but I do enjoy Entourage and Rome immensely. I just wish HBO's DVD sets weren't so damned expensive. 75 bucks for a 13-episode season? Sure the packaging is usually marvelous, and Rome's DVD menus are a wonder to behold (once), but come on.

I'm hooked on Rome. I don't have cable (or even a TV!) so I paid a friend $50 to subscribe for enough months to watch season 2.

And yeah, the box sets suck. Got season 1 for Christmas, but I'd never buy it for myself.

DUH, jon! The Wire was made for you. You won't like Six Feet Under (though I did). It's a little smug and sappy for your tastes, I think. Full of yuppie soul searching.

Deadwood has fantastic language mixed with half naked whores and violence that is so shocking you'll feel like you just got slapped. It's also howlingly funny at times.

And Rome...my god, Rome. This week's episode was one of the best hours of TV I've ever seen.

The Wire is truly awesome. Knowing your tastes, it makes sense that you like it. Great show.

I've said it before: The Wire is the best show on TV. Period.

Good to know that it keeps getting better. I IMDB'd a bit and was stunned to find out that the guy playing McNulty was British. Had me fooled. And the guy playing Bunk is born to play a cop. Has the world-weary thing down (plus I love a man who'll shoot a mouse). I like that Kima woman, too. Great character.

(I was meh on the Sopranos, even though Little Steven was involved, and SFU just dosen't appeal. Deadwood, I'm curious about, though)

Did anyone watch Dexter on Showtime? I don't usually like HBO/showtime dramas, but it was really pretty good. Really dark and morbid.

When did IMDB get all web2.0 ish?

Deadwood has fantastic language

Or, depending on your perspective, stilted, awkward, forced pseudo-Shakespearian language and rhythm.

Only with more cussin'.

A lot more cussin'.

Ditto on Rome and Dexter.

I IMDB'd a bit and was stunned to find out that the guy playing McNulty was British.

So's Idris Elba, who plays Stringer Bell.

Or, depending on your perspective, stilted, awkward, forced pseudo-Shakespearian language and rhythm.

I can see that. But it brought the phrase, "Shut up you loopy cunt" into my life. For that, I am eternally grateful.

mullacc spoke for me when he said in a metachat post in November (not linked to because of a spoiler), "I've come to care more about what happens in the Wire than what happens in my real life."

Dexter was excellent.

That is so weird, jon... The Wire is literally the only HBO series I've ever watched and just gone "meh" over.

Okay that's not true... Queer as Folk was dumb as fuck.

So's Idris Elba, who plays Stringer Bell.
And whom I first saw as a manwhore (with a strangly ... erect ... tongue) in Absolutely Fabulous! He is dead damn sexy.

I TOLD YOU SO!

Wait till the second season.

Deadwood is the best fucking thing ever.

I will profane your fuckin’ remains, E.B., Gabriel’s trumpet will produce you from the ass of a pig.

I was absolutely hooked on Homicide: Life on the Street and I love The Wire. You're right, jon, The Wire is like an unfettered version of that terrific network show.

Boy ate a box of raw rice-a-roni.

"I will profane your fuckin’ remains", there's a line I could use during my hockey games. Using that Samuel Jackson's voice from
Here in Canada I watch Deadwood, but it's an episode or two behind the US shows, I noticed. I love westerns and this one is course, but 'that Englishe' they speak ]of[ seems they're separating the different 'class' of persons with that useage. E.B. played a similar part in some other movie, the slimy proprietor, Uriah Heep kind of way.
Hooked.

E.B. played a similar part in some other movie

And mustn't forget: "Hi! My name is Larry. This is my brother, Darryl, and this is my other brother, Darryl"

The New Yorker on Deadwood: Dead On

and on Rome: Power Play.

Romeshow! Romeshow!

I don't have cable, so I bought the box set of the first season and watched it over Christmas with my guy in London! (He can play Region 1 DVDs on his laptop.)

Favorite part: the opening sequence, when the grafitti comes alive. We'd alwys giggle at "penisguy" because we're silly that way.