Stuff To Watch

If you haven’t watched The Wire yet, you’re really missing out. Season 4 is on in the States right now and having seen the first 5 episodes, it’s another slow-burning treat.

Having dealt with dysfunction in the police force, the death of the American working class ideal, the corruption of the political process and the harsh pragmatism of the Baltimore drugs trade, the show has moved into even more shocking territory. The schools.

We’re pretty used to seeing grown men and women realistically portrayed in American crime drama, but the hopelessness manifest in the classroom is chilling to watch.

How do you teach children who see no value in education, with no money and no experienced staff? Well, you don’t – you just try to stop them from killing one another.

As for the seasoned staff, they ingeniously shuffle funds and resources to maximise their impact, but even they can do no more than merely soldier on in a battle their politician superiors have long since abandoned.

It’s bristling stuff, with many new additions to an already large cast and seamless writing by some of America’s finest, including Clockers author Richard Price.

What the show has really missed so far is McNulty, the sociometric star of the now disparate group of “good guys”.

Here’s hoping he gets roped back into things, as the show can only really be criticised for his largely missing charisma.

If you can get the first 3 seasons of The Wire, do so. It’s Rolls Royce stuff.

Perhaps more of a souped-up sports car is Rescue Me, Denis Leary’s show about the crew of a post 9/11 New York firehouse.

I’m just done watching 3 seasons of that and while it does occasionally use minor characters as plot fodder for no compelling reason, it’s a dazzling blend of action, comedy, sex and intense drama.

They say a happy family is merely happy while an unhappy family is unhappy after its own fashion.

The Gavins are a uniquely unhappy bunch.

I’ve never been a huge fan of Leary, mainly because of the obvious instances of theft in the stand-up act that made him famous, but he’s really found his place here.

Starring as the main character, he performs excellently and has co-written I would say at least 2/3rds of the episodes.

His involvement has meant that the comedy element of the show is very sharp – few other shows would give you a scene involving a 40 stone man being wooed by his black midget gambling buddy for example.

Where the show really attempts something profound though is in the portrayal of the post 9/11 mans man. Leary’s character Tommy Gavin is a faultlessly brave fire-fighter, but has found that his other personality traits made him very much a man out of time. His lying, gambling, drinking and womanising have cost him everything time and again and he is wracked with psychological problems and bitter guilt about his failings.

He is also literally haunted by those he couldn’t save, a supernatural element to the show that is skilfully blended stylistically.

Tommy Gavin is a compelling character excellently portrayed, in many ways the equal of The Shield character Vic Mackey.

Like Mackey, Gavin’s intentions and aspirations are largely honourable, but are scuppered by personal weakness and character flaws and like Mackey, we watch Gavin bulldoze his way through any chance of personal happiness for himself with startled fascination.

It also has an excellent cast of supporting characters, mostly portrayed by largely unknown actors and actresses, although there is the occasional cameo from the likes of Susan Sarandon and the utterly delicious Marisa Tomei.

Well worth a watch.

I’ve also watched the first season of Entourage, which was good but not the compulsive viewing it’s been touted as.

Set in Hollywood, it’s about a young, suddenly successful actor from New York who is trying to keep it real by hiring life long friends to look after his business. This keeps him at odds with his agent played by the terrific Jeremy Piven, but the star of the show is Kevin Dillon, who plays the less successful actor brother. Like I said pretty good but so far (and I have only seen the first season) nothing special.

I’ve also seen the pre-air pilot of The Knights of Prosperity, a crime caper comedy which I thought was pretty funny and I’ve a couple of episodes of Aaron Sorkin’s new show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip to watch. Personally, I feel TV has adapted what Sorkin brought to TV drama a while ago and has moved on, but we have to remember this is the guy who gave us Martin Sheen as the US President and Sports Night, so he’ll always get a hearing from me.