Getting down to The Wire

This TV blog wouldn't be complete without some posts about the acclaimed police drama, HBO's The Wire, the best show on television.

Yes, though I'm the Project Runway correspondent for Juls, I also spend an hour each week watching The Wire, David Simon's analysis of the crumbling of the American city by taking an unflinching yet empathetic look at Baltimore institutions -- its police, working class, politicians, drug trade, school system, and media.

Correction, I watched an hour of The Wire each week only for the last four weeks. I'm a latecomer to Wire fandom and I spent most of January 2008 catching up with the show. I watched about four to five episodes (about half a series) per sitting till I was in sync with HBO's schedule of the current season, its fifth and last.

The biggest buzz on The Wire this week is the anticipation of the series finale this Sunday, March 9. HBO usually releases the new episode a week in advance by making it available to Comcast On Demand customers on Mondays.

But not with the series finale.

Episode #60 of The Wire will be withheld from Comcast On Demand. The audience has to watch it - gasp! - the old-fashioned way, by tuning in to the broadcast. You know, the way television has worked since its inception in the 20th century.

I guess too many people complained about spoilers coming from gloating Comcast On Demand subscribers.

I watched the penultimate episode again tonight. (Again, I say, because I saw it On Demand last Monday of course.) I'm all worked up and I can barely wait till next Sunday when we all get to see how it ends.