The Wire (2002) (TV36)

The Wire is an outstanding show that surpasses all others in its genre. Written well, acted well, and directed well, The Wire sucks you in to the lives of all the characters, no matter how crooked the character. To not get its proper reward for being (imho) the best show on TV, is ludicrous. It is the only show that I can watch every episode of every season and keep wanting more. I never get bored with it. Sure it might take watching a couple episodes to get "into it", but the story is so compelling and layered that you are always on the edge of your seat, because literally anything could happen. I wish it got the respect that it deserves. I have read only good reviews of the show, even that it is some critics favorite show, but where are the awards? I am talking about the big ones, Golden Globes/Emmy's? I can't stand seeing shows like Grey's Anatomy, House and other melo-dramatic/superficial shows winning. And what do those shows do for society? NOTHING! The Wire is showing a REAL world to people. Things that are happening on our streets right now. The Wire is a rare breed, that blows the competition out of the water!

Simply put , the first four seasons are pure perfection and a joy to watch. The fifth season is weak but only on comparison to the earlier seasons. It has great moments too and concludes the series in a convincing manner. Basically if S1-4 are 10/10, S5 is 8/10. The show is nothing short of a novel unfolding on screen. Every single character is rooted in realism and will keep you engaged. There are absolutely no fillers as every scene contributes to furthering the story, or acts as an anecdote of life in Baltimore. While every season has a different theme all of them are intricately connected presenting a complete detailed picture of the rot in society. This is not a show that offers guilty pleasures or an escape from reality. It is more like a documentary with a gritty nature. The two major aspects are the players involved in the drug and those involved in thwarting them in the police department. Over the course of the show you'll realize that is not merely a cops vs criminals game but one that involves every social institution imaginable from the government, education system, prison system to port unions and print media. The layers of depth the show into are really astounding. A must watch for anyone with a taste for intelligent and realistic television. In my opinion it should sit at the top of the list of tv shows not counting documentaries.

This is simply artistic television at its best. The city of Baltimore serves as the series main character that is constant throughout all five seasons. The combination of David Simon and HBO were absolutely necessary for this to have worked as well as it did, as well as the impeccably selected cast. The story consists of following the lives and points of view of the participants of drug world in the inner city Baltimore. Sadly, this situation most likely occurs in most if not all the major cities of the United States. While most shows or movies typically present the points of view of the cops, the lawyers and the "criminals". The Wire takes it several steps further utilizing points of view of several levels of the police department, several levels of the local judicial system, the mayor's office, the city council, the state senator's office, the local newspaper, the school system and the shipping docks that are such an important part of the country's system of transporting goods. The beauty of the show is that it is all believable, especially if you studied this sort of thing in school, are in the news business or involved in civics in some sort of fashion. The show is so well written and acted out you often find yourself not knowing who to root for and root against. Sometimes you love the cops, sometimes you hate them. You definitely hate the politicians. A lot of the times you are conflicted as you find yourself rooting for the criminals as what they do seems to be their only mode of survival. I won't go into specifics of any of the stories as I don't want to give anything away. In all honesty, this is just simply top 10 of all time television shows, over the air or cable. Really nothing over the air can rival The Wire except maybe MASH or Hill Street Blues and they are still a far cry. I went out and bought the DVD set and still rewatch this a couple times a year and I STILL notice new things. LOVE it and I promise you will too.