Okay, now there's pretty much no excuse for not having seen The Wire. HBO announced today that it will be offering original programming for download on iTunes. The current roster of shows available includes The Wire, Flight Of The Conchords, Rome, The Sopranos, Deadwood, and Sex And The City. With the exception of heavy hitters Sex And The City and The Sopranos, only first seasons are offered right now, but additional seasons are rumored to be coming down the pipe as well.
Of course, not all HBO shows are created equal. In an unusual break from its standard $1.99 per episode pricing scheme, iTunes is charging $2.99 for episodes of Sopranos, Deadwood, and Rome, while the other three remain at $1.99. There is also no discount for purchasing an entire season. Additionally, programs that are currently still on-air, like Entourage and Flight Of The Conchords (which doesn't return until 2009, ugh), are expected to be released in conjunction with their DVD releases, not the day after they air.