The Wire (2002)

Genre

drama television series, crime television series, police television drama

Country

United States

Length

5 seasons, 60 episodes

Rated

TV-MA

Rating

8.6 of 10 from 2,731 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

The show follows police and drug dealers in Baltimore as they navigate the city's illegal drug trade. Over five seasons it expands to look at the city's port system, government, schools, and the news media.

patientgrittyobservationalbleakcomplexgroundedanalyticalsprawling

What happens

The Wire is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered on June 2, 2002, and ended on March 9, 2008, comprising 60 episodes over five seasons. The idea for the show started out as a police drama loosely based on the experiences of Simon's writing partner Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and public school teacher. Set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland, The Wire introduces a different institution of the city and its relationship to law enforcement in each season while retaining characters and advancing storylines from previous seasons. The five subjects are, in chronological order: the illegal drug trade, the port system, the city government and bureaucracy, education and schools, and the print news medium. Simon chose to set the show in Baltimore because of his familiarity with the city. When the series first aired, the large cast consisted mainly of actors who were unknown to television audiences, as well as numerous real-life Baltimore and Maryland figures in guest and recurring roles. Simon has said that despite its framing as a crime drama, the show is "really about the American city, and about how we live together. It's about how institutions have an effect on individuals. Whether one is a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge or a lawyer, all are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution to which they are committed". Lauded for high quality scripting and an uncommonly accurate exploration of society, politics and urban life, the series received average ratings and failed to win any major television awards when originally broadcast. Subsequently, the show gained a cult following, and is now widely considered one of the greatest television series of all time. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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