What is with HBO? I paid for it for years to watch movies. It began to develop shows and I enjoyed the Sopranos but more and more it put on bizarre shows or shows that were so onesided politically that they were open hitpieces .Now, HBO seldom shows a movie and its shows are plotless erotica and more one sided politics. I cancelled HBO and don't miss its current content but I miss its original content as a showplace for movies.

Having a "showplace for movies" it is pointless now, as there are so many other options. HBO series are, by light years, the best on televison. It's not even a contest. The networks don't even try to make series anymore -- they're all garbage "reality" shows and godawful amateur talent contests.

Movies are indeed elsewhere now, and earlier after theatrical release, too (Hello, pay-per-view and Netflix),

but I dropped HBO, too. After 25 years. "The Sopranos" (a fluke, really) ended on that sour note. They kicked "Deadwood" to the curb and the creator's replacement series didn't send me. Vengeance was mine!

I'll catch up with "The Wire" on DVD.

The rest is boxing, lukewarm political chit-chat (Bill Maher was OK on ABC, but why pay for him, just because he can say "fuck"?) and lousy porno with ugly people.

However, when some well-reviewed series appear...I'll sign right up again.

I will have a hard time forgiving HBO for killing Carnivale. They couldn't let them know to at least wrap the show up at the end of season two? Most dissatisfying, never to be resolved cliffhanger EVER!