I’ve been covering The Wire in my Jane After Dark column at TV Squad, and I can’t help but think about the similarities to another favorite HBO show: The Sopranos. They’re both edgy and well-written and filled with knock-out characters, but they’re also very different. Here’s my rundown on these two top-notch shows:

Reality vs. Storytelling. The Sopranos is an awesome example of great storytelling. We’ve got the panic-plagued mobster dealing with his biological family and his mobster family. What could be better? I know there are people like Tony Soprano out there, but to me, The Sopranos is just a really good story.

The Wire, on the other hand, is so real that you feel like you”re watching a documentary. I’m into season three now and just noticed that there’s no soundtrack, no music at all (yeah, it takes me a while). It’s like someone is following these guys around with a camera.

Good Guys vs. Bad Guys. The Sopranos is mostly centered on Tony Soprano and his thugs and family, while The Wire gives equal time to thugs and the cops, with some politicians and dockworkers thrown in (as mentioned, I’m just into season 3, so haven’t gotten into the school system or press yet). I guess you could say that Stringer Bell, Avon Barksdale and Omar Little are the Tony Sopranos of The Wire; Stringer’s got his real estate business, and Tony’s got his sanitation business. But that’s not quite right either.

Read the rest of this entry »

8:00p/7:00 Central

• Programming is hard, and especially around the holiday season. So NBC, who has more trouble than usual of late with quality programming, has put together a series of specials spotlighting the best holiday moments in various categories. The specials will run through Christmas and start tonight with Greatest Holiday Moments: TV & Film Countdown. These are to be followed by: Songs of the Season, TV’s Merriest Christmas Moments, TV’s All Timem Christmas Songs and a ‘Hilarious Home Video Countdown.’ That’s setting a pretty high expectation putting ‘Hilarious’ right there in the title. There’s a reason Rosie’s Variety Show didn’t say Rosie’s Hilarious Variety Show. False advertising is a serious crime.
• Cartoon Network has a new Batman: The Brave and the Bold, featuring Aquaman, followed by a jellyfish attack on The Secret Saturdays. They also don’t give episode details on their site. MyNetwork TV is riding the ongoing success of WWE SmackDown! to an unprecedented ratings victory over The CW last week.
• FOX still wants to know Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, while Melinda tracks down a girl who’s been missing for 12 years on CBS’s Ghost Whisperer. National Geographic counters with the Dog Whisperer in case GW fans are easily confused.
• ABC has the live-action Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, while The CW brings you Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Nickelodeon has Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh! reuniting the entire cast for this holiday special.

Read the rest of this entry »