Because Best Buy had the first season of The Wire on sale for $24.99 a few weeks ago, and because it has an impeccable reputation, I blind-bought the set, and just wrapped up watching it. I'm now hopelessly addicted to the show, and bought the season two box yesterday. I know that HBO just finished airing the fourth season, and with the fifth season not due to air until 2008, can I expect the fourth season to hit DVD this year? I'd rather not have to resort to a less-than-honest option in order to watch it.

Thanks for any info.

cheers,

-the Jesus

probably around august or so, that appears to be when they normally come out, just in time for it's final season to start on HBO,

i just picked up and watched the first season too, great show. going to get the next ones soon probably.

Is that official? I hadn't heard, but it seemed like it was gearing up for airing in September.

Seems like HBO usually releases their previous season about a month or less before the new season airs, and then the final season as soon after airing as possible, so I'd expect that to continue.

You might get lucky, Season 4 was on On-Demand for a long time. Enjoy it, it's the best season ever (though nobody agrees with me that Season 2 is the runner-up).

According to BET, who is airing repeats of the first and second season, the fifth season of The Wire will debut in January 2008. It was reported on the BET show 106 and Park, but I can't find the link to where I read it.

I just finished season one and am going to start season two tomorrow evening. I had to let the first season sink in a little before starting the next one. Depending on the release date of season four on DVD, I may wait a while to get season three. Figure I'll space it out a little.

I thought about subscribing to HBO for some time, but I have access to plenty of movies with my DVD collection and Blockbuster Online subscription, and the only other HBO I watch is Entourage. I've got Rome in the Blockbuster queue, but now that it's canceled, I'll have to watch it on DVD anyway.

I suppose I'll wait. Season four sounds like a humdinger, though. My sister was a teacher of the emotionally disturbed junior high students in the D.C. city schools for a few years, and I'd imagine that it mirrors some of her experiences.

cheers,

-the Jesus

Yes it is official that the Last season (5) of The Wire is 2008, You could of had seasons 1-3 for about 100 shipped through WB with their recent sale. Season 4 ws one of the top seasons But IMO it goes 1 2 4 3. You can still get 20% at WB and if your order is over 60$ you get free standard shipping (was UPS ground for me). One of the best shows on TV period, I wouldn't even watch it on BET as this show deserves to be watched uncut and commercial free.

This show is a owner for me as I will be able to rewatch this over and over and over. The ONLY bad thing is that since this is HBO the series boxsets are outrageously expensive (about $70-$80 when new) and they keep their value.

I wouldnt even flinch in recommending this series (even the less liked 3rd season).

Season 4 should be relesed sometime around the end of the year to coincide with season 5.

Maybe I'll get Season 3 that way - never thought that it'd be included in the WB sale. I own the first two seasons, and watch them on DVD - on BET the eps. are pretty cut-up, for both language and length. A lot of the little characterization bits get lost. Also the boobs.

cheers,

-the Jesus

i will wait until season 4 of the wire comes out and then I will get Season 3, there is usually a price drop when a new season comes out I noticed.

The first season wasn't cut for length when they were airing it initially, but that may have changed by the end of the season. I have definitely read in several places that the second season has a lot of cuts, many of which render things somewhat incomprehensible.

I got the first three seasons at Best Buy the day before Christmas, when all the HBO sets were half-price. It was definitely under $100, don't remember exactly how much off-hand. I'm just hoping season 4 isn't too expensive.

watching the Wire on anything besides DVD or HBO is just plain dumb. Its like watching the Sopranos on A&E, these shows lose what they are trying to get across when they have to edit every other word and cut of scenes to be okay for tv

I assume Season 4 (like most shows) will be out just before the 5th season begins, although HBO doesn't always follow along this route. Hopefully it's out by Aug/Sept, but I'm thinking it will more likely be released in December.

But when they showed the first season of 'The Wire' on BET, it was the same length of time, just with the audio dropped out on curse words and the occassional nudity blurred out. So, really, it didn't at all change what they were trying to get across. (I didn't see any of the really violent scenes, because I didn't stick with the BET showings, I'd just flip over if nothing else was on.)

Even the crime scene where they just say "fuck" a lot was entirely coherent.

If you've never seen it, I wouldn't advocate watching it for the first time that way (and now that they are, apparently, cutting stuff, I wouldn't watch it at all), but 'The Wire' is still 'The Wire'; even without the bad language, it's so much better than anything else on TV.

... with commercials. And since you're looking at about 18 minutes of commercials, that's about how much of each episode they have to cut.

Well, the first season episodes of the Wire were 90 minutes long with commercials on BET, but far as I know the 2nd season is now 60 minutes long with commercials, which leaves about what...42-45 minutes for the actual show.

BTW, there's not another tv show better than the Wire. Every single season is as topnotch as can be, and you'll find that you'll be going back to past episodes and still find new things you haven't realized or thought about yet. That makes it perfect to own on DVD.

December 4th

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/the-wire7.html

Nice to see that the SRP is only $59.99, that will make it cheaper instore. I paid over $60 when I bought seasons 1 and 3 (found season 2 used for $40) and they were all well worth it, but every little bit helps. Yeah, this series is a keeper; seems I always have one season or another up for rewatching.

I'll buy the fourth season on the release date (haven't seen it yet - don't have HBO), and be caught up by the time the fifth season airs, for which I'm ordering HBO.

cheers,

-the Jesus

$60 SRP? That's what i'm talking about HBO!

Best price so far?

$38.99 on Amazon is the lowest price I've seen.

I picked this up at Best Buy yesterday, and can't say I'm impressed with the packaging change, not that it's a big deal, but it makes the set feel cheap. Watched the first two episodes so far, and must say, that season four seems to get going a lot quicker than the first three seasons. Should make it through two more tonight.

The PQ looks different than that on the first three seasons. Was season 4 shot on film, and 1-3 on video?

cheers,

-the Jesus

There is quite a bit taken out, though. One season two episode, "Duck And Cover" (I think this is the episode) completely omits the McNulty car crash retry sequence at the beginning. That clip is so...essential to who he is. I couldn't believe it, but what can you do.

Just got through 2 episodes last night. Man, this show is amazing...I already knew it from seasons 1-3, but it just finds ways to remind me every time I watch it.

I was also upset how they changed the packaging from seasons 1-3.

For those of us who haven't received theirs yet, for whatever reason (curse you, BB online!), what are the differences?

Thanks.

I haven't opened mine yet (still in the middle of S3), didn't know there was a packaging difference.