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New HBO series 'The Wire'
taps into summer programming

Todd Weiser opens its series
Duly AsWriter premiere with
Avon buying off
Quality television lovers unite! witnesses to get
HBO, the Mecca of excellent, smart his nephew
and provocative television programs D'Angelo (Larry
has launched a new series to fill all Gilliard, Jr.) off
those empty summer days between on murder
seasons of "Six Feet Under" and charges. McNulty
"The Sopranos." However, this time causes a ruckus Y
execs over at HBO have become a in the police
little bored with their usual over- department, most
the-top, high action entertainment i m p o r t a n t I y
and are providing a much gentler, angering the
slow-paced crime drama. "The Deputy Commis-
Wire" is certainly not for everyone sioner by provok-
and even those who eventually turn ing a judge to
themselves over to the season-long criticize the
storyline will be put off at first. But department's lack
have patience, "The Wire" certainly of action on
does. bringing down
David Simon, the writer-turned- Avon.
television genius behind "Homi- Neither Nar-Just trying to catch a break.
cide: Life on the Street" and HBO's cotics nor Homicide even have a heavily
Emmy award-winning mini-series picture of the suspected drug lord. ical di
"The Corner," has crafted a show An investigative squad is quickly nothin
like no other. Comparisons to "24" created to appease the judge's wish- drivin
or "Murder One" would es but it is not given The s
not go unwarranted full technical support faithf
with Simon putting the from the uncommitted Simon
focus on a singular Bal- *l * department heads. Up show,
timore joint investiga- and coming Narcotics fare.
tion of a local drug boss THE WIRE Lieutenant Cedric- reveal
for the entire season. Daniels (Lance Red- trade i
Due to this limited con- HBO dick, "Oz") is put in Whe
centration, "The Wire" Sunday night 10:00 pm charge of the investi- matica
is a slow, methodical gation and McNulty the m
exercise in television escapism. All quickly doesn't trust Daniels, who ested.
those twists and turns that fly at is afraid of damaging his reputa- viewe
you on shows like "Law and Order" tion. Daniels eventually proves his Bauer
will arrive on "The Wire," just at a dedication to the case; he just wish- nator
leisurely pace. Viewers can ponder es to avoid stepping on all the toes will ta
the most miniscule of actions and McNulty continually'crushes with if Mc
maybe by season's end, come to his own rebellious decisions. turn o
some greater conclusions about the On the dealer's side, they have a gelo w
war on drugs and the armies on hierarchy of their own. D'Angelo war's
both sides of the war. tries to teach Avon the rules of this It Iv
"The Wire" portrays both sides of brotherhood, which always means boring
the investigation, nicknamed "The staying quiet among those who invest
Law" and "The Dealers" according can't be trusted and sometimes examt
to the show's website. Homicide means murder. ernme
Detective Jimmy McNulty Directed by Clark Johnson, a for- the wa
(Dominic West) is responsible for mer member of the cast of "Homi- If tha
starting the investigation. Avon cide," "The Wire" relies heavily on provid
Barksdale (Wood Harris) controls the powers of its script and action violen
the most powerful drug trade in instead of impacting visuals. The soniet
West Baltimore, and "The Wire" series opener relies a little too keep v

Yeah, rip off MI:2, that's a hell of a good idea.
Very little 1s 'Bourne'
from Lucilum rehash

y on expletives and stereotyp-
alogue, giving capable actors
ig to work with and possibly
g away millions of viewers.
econd episode, for all those
ul HBO lovers (and David
n lovers) who stick by the
is much more entertaining
The case slowly unravels,
iing the intricacies of the drug
n greater depth.
ere the show is heading, the-
ally and plot-wise, becomes
agnet keeping viewers inter-
. It took 24 episodes until
rs could finally watch Jack
kill the terrorists and saveSe-
Palmer's life in "24" and it
ke 13 episodes until we know
Nulty can persuade Avon to
n his uncle or whether D'An-
ill once again defeat the drug
efforts.
nay be a slow and sometimes
ride, but the factually based
igation becomes a wonderful
pie of all the obstacles, gov-
ntal and personal, that get in
ay of a normal investigation.
t isn't enough, "The Wire"
des just as much vulgarity and
nce as any HBO show and
times that's just enough to
iewers watching.

By Lyle Henretty
Daily ArtsEditor
In a move to distinguish his own
career from that of ex (writing
partner? Friend?) Ben Affleck,
Matt Damon's CIA thriller "The
Bourne Identity" was released this
weekend, two weeks after Affleck's
"The Sum of All Fears." Both films
are based on novels by much-
beloved lunatic-fringe suspense
authors (Tom Clancy and Robert
Ludlum, respectively) and both
movies contain attractive lady-
sidekicks. Also, both pretty-boys
follow older hard-asses that origi-
nated the roles for screen (Affleck

follows Alec Baldwin and Harrison
Ford, Richard Chamberlain starred
in the 1988 TV version of
"Bourne"). Other than that,
though, the films are completely
different. Kudos, Matt and Ben.
Except, of course, that they are
both pseudo-serviceable thrillers
that are, on the whole, not that
interesting. Damon is (still) the
better actor of the two (if the less
marketable), and he goes from
befuddled to agitated in two hours.
We find our hero floating some-
where in the Mediterranean with
BOURNE

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