[11.30.07 - 01:11 PM]
HBO'S 'DEF JAM,' 'MAHER' TO JOIN 'THE WIRE,' 'IN TREATMENT' IN JANUARY
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)


LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- HBO has detailed its January schedule, which includes the long-awaited return of "The Wire," the launch of "In Treatment" and new seasons of "Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam" and (potentially) "Real Time With Bill Maher."

"The Wire" will kick off its fifth - and final - season on Sunday, January 6 at 9:00/8:00c followed by the return of "Jam" that same night at 10:00/9:00c.

Next up is "Maher," the sixth season of which the pay channel has penciled in for Friday, January 11 at 11:00/10:00c. Said date is obviously contingent on a resolution to the WGA strike or a willingness by Maher to cross the picket line.

And finally, as previously announced, look for the five-night-a-week serial "In Treatment" to bow on Monday, January 28 at 9:30/8:30c. The series tracks the weekly sessions between a psychotherapist named Paul (Gabriel Byrne) and his patients.

Each night then will be devoted to a specific patient - Laura (Melissa George) on Mondays, an anesthesiologist who is infatuated with the older, married Paul; Alex (Blair Underwood) on Tuesdays, a fighter pilot who's still haunted by a botched raid he was involved in years before; Sophie (Australian newcomer Mia Wasikowska) on Wednesdays, a gymnast with Olympic dreams; and a married couple (Embeth Davidtz and Josh Charles) in counseling on Thursdays; with Fridays focusing on Byrne visiting his own therapist (Dianne Wiest), a former supervisor and mentor.

Furthermore, beginning February 4, the patient's previous session will encore at 9:00/8:00c as a lead-in to the new installment at 9:30/8:30c while a marathon of all five episodes from that week will air each Sunday starting at 6:30/5:30c.

Hagai Levi, Rodrigo Garcia, Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg and Noa Tishby are the executive producers.