The Wire

*The Wire*
The Wire
Genre	Crime drama; Police procedural; Serial drama; Political drama; Tragedy;
Created by	David Simon
Showrunner	David Simon
Starring	Dominic West; John Doman; Idris Elba; Frankie Faison; Lawrence Gilliard Jr.; Wood Harris; Deirdre Lovejoy; Wendell Pierce; Lance Reddick; Andre Royo; Sonja Sohn; Chris Bauer; Paul Ben-Victor; Clarke Peters; Amy Ryan; Aidan Gillen; Jim True-Frost; Robert Wisdom; Seth Gilliam; Domenick Lombardozzi; J. D. Williams; Michael K. Williams; Corey Parker Robinson; Reg E. Cathey; Chad L. Coleman; Jamie Hector; Glynn Turman; Clark Johnson; Tom McCarthy; Gbenga Akinnagbe; Neal Huff; Jermaine Crawford; Tristan Wilds; Michael Kostroff; Michelle Paress; Isiah Whitlock Jr.;
Theme music composer	Tom Waits
Opening theme	"Way Down in the Hole" by The Blind Boys of Alabama (season 1); Tom Waits (season 2); The Neville Brothers (season 3); DoMaJe (season 4); Steve Earle (season 5);
Ending theme	"The Fall" by Blake Leyh
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	60 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	David Simon; Robert F. Colesberry; Nina Kostroff Noble;
Producers	Karen L. Thorson; Ed Burns; Joe Chappelle; George Pelecanos; Eric Overmyer;
Production location	Baltimore, Maryland
Running time	55–93 minutes
Production companies	Blown Deadline Productions; HBO Entertainment;
Original release
Network	HBO
Release	June 2, 2002 –; March 9, 2008
	Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

The Wire is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by the 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.^[4]

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.^[4]

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".^[5]

The Wire is lauded for its literary themes and its uncommonly accurate exploration of society, politics and urban life. Despite this, the series received only average ratings and never won any major television awards during its original run. In the years following its release, the show cultivated a cult following,^[6]^[7] and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time.^[8]

^ "'The Wire': David Simon reflects on his modern Greek tragedy". Variety. March 8, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
^ Lynskey, Dorian (March 6, 2018). "The Wire, 10 years on: 'We tore the cover off a city and showed the American dream was dead'". The Guardian. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
^ Cite error: The named reference Stealing Life was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b "Real Life Meets Reel Life With David Simon". The Washington Post. September 3, 2002. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
^ David Simon (2005). "The Target" commentary track (DVD). HBO.
^ Addley, Esther (November 27, 2009). "Unravelling The Wire: Academics dissect social science of cult TV show". The Guardian. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
^ Cassie, Ron (June 2022). "'The Wire' 20 Years Later: How Does "The Greatest Television Show Ever" Hold Up?". Baltimore Magazine. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
^
Sources that refer to The Wire's being praised as one of the greatest television shows of all time include:
- Traister, Rebecca (September 15, 2007). "The best TV show of all time". Salon.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
- "The Wire: arguably the greatest television programme ever made". Telegraph. London. April 2, 2009. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
- Wilde, Jon (July 21, 2007). "The Wire is unmissable television". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
- Carey, Kevin (February 13, 2007). "A show of honesty". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
- "Charlie Brooker: The Wire". The Guardian. London. July 21, 2007. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- Roush, Matt (February 25, 2013). "Showstoppers: The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time". TV Guide. pp. 16–17.
- "TV: 10 All-Time Greatest". Entertainment Weekly. June 27, 2013. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
- Sheffield, Rob (September 21, 2016). "100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
- Jones, Emma (April 12, 2018). "How The Wire became the greatest TV show ever made". BBC. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
- "The 100 Greatest TV Series of the 21st Century". BBC. October 19, 2021. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.

[1] "'The Wire': David Simon reflects on his modern Greek tragedy". Variety. March 8, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2019.

[2] Lynskey, Dorian (March 6, 2018). "The Wire, 10 years on: 'We tore the cover off a city and showed the American dream was dead'". The Guardian. Retrieved January 28, 2019.

[Stealing_Life-3] Cite error: The named reference Stealing Life was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[simon-interview-4] "Real Life Meets Reel Life With David Simon". The Washington Post. September 3, 2002. Retrieved May 8, 2020.

[TAR-5] David Simon (2005). "The Target" commentary track (DVD). HBO.

[6] Addley, Esther (November 27, 2009). "Unravelling The Wire: Academics dissect social science of cult TV show". The Guardian. Retrieved March 2, 2025.

[7] Cassie, Ron (June 2022). "'The Wire' 20 Years Later: How Does "The Greatest Television Show Ever" Hold Up?". Baltimore Magazine. Retrieved March 2, 2025.

[greatest-8] Sources that refer to The Wire's being praised as one of the greatest television shows of all time include:
Traister, Rebecca (September 15, 2007). "The best TV show of all time". Salon.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2008.

"The Wire: arguably the greatest television programme ever made". Telegraph. London. April 2, 2009. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2009.

Wilde, Jon (July 21, 2007). "The Wire is unmissable television". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

Carey, Kevin (February 13, 2007). "A show of honesty". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

"Charlie Brooker: The Wire". The Guardian. London. July 21, 2007. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2010.

Roush, Matt (February 25, 2013). "Showstoppers: The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time". TV Guide. pp. 16–17.

"TV: 10 All-Time Greatest". Entertainment Weekly. June 27, 2013. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2017.

Sheffield, Rob (September 21, 2016). "100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2016.

Jones, Emma (April 12, 2018). "How The Wire became the greatest TV show ever made". BBC. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2018.

"The 100 Greatest TV Series of the 21st Century". BBC. October 19, 2021. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.

[9] Traister, Rebecca (September 15, 2007). "The best TV show of all time". Salon.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2008.

[10] "The Wire: arguably the greatest television programme ever made". Telegraph. London. April 2, 2009. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2009.

[11] Wilde, Jon (July 21, 2007). "The Wire is unmissable television". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

[12] Carey, Kevin (February 13, 2007). "A show of honesty". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2009.

[13] "Charlie Brooker: The Wire". The Guardian. London. July 21, 2007. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2010.

[14] Roush, Matt (February 25, 2013). "Showstoppers: The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time". TV Guide. pp. 16–17.

[15] "TV: 10 All-Time Greatest". Entertainment Weekly. June 27, 2013. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2017.

[16] Sheffield, Rob (September 21, 2016). "100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2016.

[17] Jones, Emma (April 12, 2018). "How The Wire became the greatest TV show ever made". BBC. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2018.

[18] "The 100 Greatest TV Series of the 21st Century". BBC. October 19, 2021. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.

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