“No one wins. One side just loses more slowly.” — Prez

I’ve got to admit, I don’t watch much television. In fact, other than the occasional sporting event, newscast, or Simpsons episode, only one show has been able to capture my interest in all of the past four years. That show is NBC’s The Office. “Heard of it?” Anyway, now that all of television has officially run out of episodes, I haven’t been too terribly frustrated. Besides, there are plenty of other things that I can waste my time on (like writing blog posts).

Anyway, in the past two weeks, I think I’ve found a new addiction. HBO has just released on DVD the 4th season of The Wire, a police drama set in Baltimore. Now, I honestly don’t care much for scripted dramas, especially police dramas, but when I first heard NPR’s story that this series (which I had previously never even heard of) would be focusing on education, specifically the Baltimore public schools, my ears pricked up and I waited patiently for the DVD to be released just to check it out.

So far, I’ve been amazed! While carrying along the plotlines of other characters, the season’s episodes have focused around the characters of four 8th grade boys at Tillman Middle School, their parents, their teachers (particularly a brand new math teacher clearly in over his head), and the circumstances and situations they must deal with in and out of school.

While still definitely scripted, and definitely made-for-TV entertainment, this is one of the first media attempts to portray life in urban middle schools. Yes, they’re actually talking about social promotion, truancy, district bureaucracy, and the quiet desperation that not only afflicts students, but can afflict teachers as well. Again, while still fairly removed from my situation here in Los Angeles, it is by-far, the closest I’ve seen!