The best show on TV, HBO's "The Wire," wrapped up it's third season tonight with a satisfying conclusion to the Barksdale/Bell storyline that has dominated the entire run of the series. HBO has yet to commit to a fourth season for the show, saying that it may be mid-January before a decision is made about its future. A promo that aired last Sunday advertised tonight's episode as the "Final Episode," but by late in the week it had been altered to replace that ominous phrase with a more comforting one: "Season Finale."

As it departs from the Sunday night schedule, whether for a year or forever, it leaves behind a huge hole. "Carnivale" returns in early January, and it's a fine show in it's own right. "Six Feet Under" and "Deadwood" also have new seasons coming in 2005. But as good as they are, none of these shows come close to meeting the standard set by "The Wire." The best comedy on television, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," won't even begin production on its new season until next month. With FX's slate of original programming all on hiatus and "The Sopranos" on hold until sometime in 2006, the only options left for a TV junkie like myself are the ones offered by network television. And of those, only "Lost" and "Veronica Mars" provide anything that resembles originality.

If I want good TV, maybe I'll just dig out my DVDs of "Homicide: Life on the Street."