They've got Nip Tuck on HD-DVD, but where's The Shield? :p

No, because The Shield is a Fox/Sony production. Nip/Tuck is from Warner Bros., but airs on Fox's FX Network.

The Shield is indeed Fox...they also shoot it with 4:3 in mind, so I doubt it'll make it's way to HD.

The Shield is indeed Fox...they also shoot it with 4:3 in mind, so I doubt it'll make it's way to HD.
Nothing wrong with 4:3 in HD (Robin Hood comes to mind), but The Shield is shot on 16mm film, and as such there may not be a big improvement by going hi-def. Less edge enhancement on the grain, maybe, but nothing spectacular.

The Shield is indeed Fox...they also shoot it with 4:3 in mind, so I doubt it'll make it's way to HD.

Its presented in 16:9 ratio on DVD abroad. A widescreen presentation is possible.

Having said that, is The Shield a show that will really benefit hugely from HD?

I just looked it up and it is listed as 16:9 in the UK. Is this just a cropped version? If not why would the US get shafted with 4:3? Rescue Me, another great show on FX, is in 16:9.

If I had to guess I would say 4:3 is the intended ratio from the series' creator, and the 16:9 version was done to accomodate the typical 16:9 displays in the UK.

Well the real question is whether it is filmed in 16:9 or if the 16:9 is a cropped version.