Just read this on TV Guide:

Question: I have heard rumors that FX is going to push back airing the next season of The Shield in order to premiere their new show Dirt instead. It's bad enough having to wait until January to see one of the best shows on television today, but now possibly having to wait until March is just plain wrong. Please put my fears to rest and tell me The Shield is still airing in January.— Charlie

Matt Roush: Sorry, Charlie, but I just looked into the situation, and it appears that Dirt will get the January launch date, pushing The Shield back until March or so. I'm not quite sure why FX can't present and promote more than one series at a time, especially if the highly anticipated return of The Shield could help deliver eyeballs to Dirt. But the network does tend to focus its brilliant marketing campaigns on one signature drama at a time, and with The Shield being closer to the end of its run than the beginning, FX needs to give something else a shot.

Sucks, but I don't think this is the first time it's gotten pushed back. In fact, originally, wasn't it supposed to come back in March and then got advanced to Jan?

Dang. This is my favorite show.

I can wait 2 extra months.

I've seen plenty of those Dirt commercials, but still don't have any idea what the show is about.

Apprears to be about paparazzi/tabloid reporting. Just a guess.

Also, Courtney Cox is in but can't be bothered to do the promos, so they use an obvious body double instead.

Correct me if I am wrong but FX used to have two dramas going at the same time: Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I know Over There was a Wednesday night show.

According to TV.com, Rescue Me S1 was showing on Wednesdays when Nip/Tuck S2 was on Tuesdays.

That's right. However, FX seems to be moving towards a one-flagship per rotation. Right now, you'd have to say those shows would be Shield, N/T, and Rescue Me.

Techincally isn't this part two of season 5? A normal season for The Shield is at least 12 episodes - the 5th has only aired 11. It was to be extra long to finish out the series in the 5th season. The remaining episodes in the 5th season are only supposed to be 6 or 7 additional episodes at most. However, a sixth seasoon was added earlier this year which would be the final season of the series airing in '08.

I belived they taped some additional episodes. Spoilerfix has episode titles for 10 episodes.

dammit

So it's just being held back for marketing reasons, and not because the show won't finish filming in time? That's pretty lame.

Season 5 was originally suppose to be 21 episodes, 11 have aired already and the back 10 were suppose to air later this year. However, FX greenlighted another season of 13 episodes so FX made the back 10 episodes Season 6 and the new 13 episodes are now season 7, the final season which is suppose to air in 2008.

I believe Season 6's 10 episodes were shot this past summer.

From my udnerstanding they have been shot and are pretty much ready to air.

^ Well, crap.

I'm not too annoyed by this. Hopefully Dirt turns out to be an impressive show.

It's destined to suck if it is a drama and Courtney Cox is heavily involved.

Interesting that FX "decides" what constitutes a season especially considering how Shawn Ryan is reknowed with this series for making seasonal arcs. "Season" 5 did not have a complete arc like the previous seasons without the final 10 episodes.

I really enjoy this show, but I am personally ready for it to end. It's like you KNOW that there is impending doom and we're forced to sit around and wait for the other shoe to drop.

Is there any chance this will at least mean the show will be in HD?
I SURE hope so...

Is there an FXHD? If there is, I want in.

Ryan has spoken specifically on why his show does not air in WS. He feels the shot frames better in FF and has no desire to go WS. I know that in other regions the show is in WS DVD, but that's not the presentation that was intended.

Dammit. Does anybody actually know what that Dirt show is about anyways?

I think it's a documentary about Peter Gabriel working on a farm.

This really sucks, but I had a sense this was where they were going given the big Dirt promos and the lack of much Shield action.

FX does seem to want to push only one drama at a time, but they do have other original programming. They have IASiP and the show from Morgan Spurlock. They had Black/White, too.

Thinking about FX programming makes me lament again that they didn't stand behind Lucky and maybe pair it with a poker reality show. It actually would have paired well with Sunny as well.

Anyone have any idea when season 5 is supposed to be released on DVD?

Saw the first promo for this last night on the season finale of Nip/Tuck. As soon as they showed the wide shot of LA I knew what it was, started screaming to my wife "The Shield, the Shield!".

I need a life.

According to Amazon - March 27, 2007.

Confirmed on TVShowsOnDVD.com.