Screen Test
by Kent Gibbons and George Vernadakis -- Multichannel News, 1/7/2008
THE WIRE(HBO, Sunday, Jan. 6, 9 p.m.)
The Rundown: Crime drama’s fifth (final) season branches into media malfeasance.
Pros: Det. Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) returns to a prominent role; Clark Johnson joins as city editor Gus Haynes.
Cons: Creator David Simon, a former Sun reporter, settles scores, arguably cynically.
The Score: Series peaked last year but remains the best drama on TV.
— Kent Gibbons
VAL LEWTON: THE MAN IN THE SHADOWS(TCM, Monday, Jan. 14, 8 p.m.)
The Rundown: Martin Scorsese dons his documentarian hat, producing and narrating this look at legendary producer Val Lewton.
Pros: The man who blazed the less-is-more style of movie scares gets his due.
Cons: It’ll leave fans anxious to catch up with Lewton’s oeuvre. Fortunately, TCM follows up the special with a 10-film marathon.
The Score: Film buffs rejoice!
— George Vernadakis
