It’s good therapy

A half-hour a day, that’s all you need to make a difference. At least that’s what the health experts tell us about exercise, and the same is true for HBO’s miraculous five-day-a-week series “In Treatment.”

As psychoanalyst Paul Weston, Gabriel Byrne has redefined the concept of transference. Though the show follows the therapy of four patients (well, five, since Thursday is devoted to a couple, Jake and Amy), the story is less about the treatment than the doctor. Battling a crush on one patient (Laura, Mondays), fear for another (Sophie, Wednesdays) and impatience with others (Alex, Tuesdays, and Jake and Amy), Paul finds he cannot heal himself and must turn to his old mentor-nemesis (Gina, Fridays) for help. Therapy has never been so hypnotic.

Monday marks the seventh of nine weeks, and its cultish following is already experiencing separation anxiety. For those who have not tuned in, it’s not too late! The wonder of the show is the almost still-life revelation of each episode. (You can catch up at www.hbo.com.) You won’t find better acting, writing or true theatricality anywhere else on weekly, much less nightly, TV. And if you do a few sit-ups or lunges while watching, then hey, two birds, right?

(HBO, Mon. through Fri., 9:30 p.m.)

-- Mary McNamara