television

NBC News Washington bureau chief Tim Russert died Friday. He was 58.

With Russert's passing, the country loses one of its most influential journalists -- host of Meet The Press, debate moderator, and trend-setter. He was a model for other, lesser hosts. Russert's signature innovation was to ditch the staid, respectful interviewing method implicit in a title like Meet The Press (as if the program were a social brunch) in favor of a more aggressive, at times bullying, in-your-face style. With the shift in approach came a change in style -- away from the classic television personality's search for patrician authority in favor of a newfound quest for working class authenticity.

This weekend, HBO will air the last episode of the final season of The Wire.

The Wire is the best program in television history by such a wide margin that even though its final season has been a huge disappointment, compromised by creator David Simon's grudges, it still stands up well against virtually every non-Wire season of television out there. As it draws to a close, fans are of course eager to see the last installment, but it's a mark of the series's unique approach that few of us are on the edge of our seats, eager to see "what happens."

The Writers Guild of America has ended its strike

Now thousands of writers -- not to mention thousands of gaffers, stuntwomen, best boys, make-up artists, bikini waxers, actors, costume designers, lunch-truck operators -- are headed back to work. Says Jonathan Handel, associate counsel for the WGA: "They successfully faced down six multinational media conglomerates and established a beachhead on the internet." Which is true. But will that be enough? As creative professionals, the writers represent an unusual slice of unionized labor: very well-paid, difficult to replace by maquiladoras or the Chinese, often drawn from privileged backgrounds. Yet they remain vulnerable for the same reasons GM's unionized workers are vulnerable: they are in an industry that is dying fast. As viewers turn to video games, user-generated content, and other active alternatives to the passive consumption of one-liners and soap opera pap, Hollywood will have to get smarter, leaner, and more flexible to survive.

Why 'Lost' can't save television

The Wire notwithstanding, Lost is widely regarded as the best television program of all time. And with good reason. But as the series returns for its fourth season, there are warning signs ahead. MORE