Quick-Off-the-Draw Justified Blunder to Be Rectified

Just when Justified fans thought TV One’s treatment of the modern western couldn’t get any worse, the network has jumped the gun on the running order of episodes.

Last Wednesday it aired episode 12 instead of 11, which was a dreadful error given the series is building to an electrifying climax.

TVNZ blames the out-of-sync screening to a “technical issue” and says ep 11 will air tonight at 10.55 and the season finale next week.

So if you’ve been time-shifting 2011’s most entertaining new drama series to watch the episodes back-to-back, play the October 12 instalment ahead of October 5’s.

And if you’ve been watching the show as it goes to air, there’s nothing you can do but accept the screw-up as yet another frustration of relying on free-to-air TV to reliably deliver premium drama.

Roll on SoHo, you might say, but don’t expect to see Justified in HD anytime soon on that channel as TVNZ owns the rights for season two (which, alas, also will air in SD).

Nor is there any sign of the first season being released here on Blu-ray. Indeed, expect it to come out only on DVD.

Unlike Warner Bros, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment isn’t known for distributing cable dramas on Blu-ray outside the US.

Nurse Jackie, Weeds and Damages (except for season one) have been limited to DVD here, and Breaking Bad was dropped from the NZ market after only the first season (as was another extraordinarily fine drama, Brotherhood).

At least the season-one Blu-ray of Justified is region-free, but although season two went to air on US TV in February, a date has still to be announced for its Blu-ray release (expect early in the new year, nearer season three’s debut).