"The Wire" (2002) TV series 2002-2008

Creator:

David Simon

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

2 June 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Rules change. The game remains the same. (third season)

Plot:

Baltimore drug scene, seen through the eyes of drug dealers, and law enforcement.

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Gay Slur | Dockworker | Wiretap | Labor Union

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 9 wins & 35 nominations

Cast

Dominic West	...	Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty / ... (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
John Doman	...	Dep. Comm. for Operations William A. Rawls / ... (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
Wendell Pierce	...	Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
Lance Reddick	...	Lt. Cedric Daniels / ... (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
Deirdre Lovejoy	...	Asst. State's Atty. Rhonda Pearlman (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
Sonja Sohn	...	Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
Seth Gilliam	...	Sgt. Ellis Carver / ... (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
Domenick Lombardozzi	...	Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk / ... (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
Clarke Peters	...	Det. Lester Freamon (59 episodes, 2002-2008)
Andre Royo	...	Bubbles / ... (52 episodes, 2002-2008)
Michael K. Williams	...	Omar Little (51 episodes, 2002-2008)
Jim True-Frost	...	Det. Roland 'Prez' Pryzbylewski / ... (50 episodes, 2002-2008)
Frankie Faison	...	Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell / ... (47 episodes, 2002-2008)
Corey Parker Robinson	...	Det. Leander Sydnor (45 episodes, 2002-2008)
Delaney Williams	...	Sgt. Jay Landsman (45 episodes, 2002-2008)
J.D. Williams	...	Preston Broadus (42 episodes, 2002-2006)
Wood Harris	...	Avon Barksdale (38 episodes, 2002-2008)
Idris Elba	...	Russell 'Stringer' Bell (37 episodes, 2002-2004)
Aidan Gillen	...	Councilman Thomas 'Tommy' Carcetti / ... (35 episodes, 2004-2008)
Jamie Hector	...	Marlo Stanfield (32 episodes, 2004-2008)
Gbenga Akinnagbe	...	Chris Partlow / ... (30 episodes, 2002-2008)
Robert Wisdom	...	Howard 'Bunny' Colvin / ... (27 episodes, 2003-2008)
Chad Coleman	...	Dennis 'Cutty' Wise (26 episodes, 2004-2008)
Anwan Glover	...	Slim Charles (26 episodes, 2004-2008)
Michael Kostroff	...	Maurice 'Maury' Levy (25 episodes, 2002-2008)
Michael Salconi	...	Off. Michael Santangelo / ... (25 episodes, 2002-2008)
Tray Chaney	...	Malik 'Poot' Carr (25 episodes, 2002-2008)
Isiah Whitlock Jr.	...	State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis (25 episodes, 2002-2008)
Felicia Pearson	...	Felicia 'Snoop' Pearson (25 episodes, 2004-2008)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Greek | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M (some episodes) | UK:18 (some episodes) | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | UK:15 (some episodes) | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Blown Deadline Productions

Trivia:

The picture on Frank Sobotka's dartboard is of Bob Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts who moved the team from Baltimore in the middle of the night in late 1983.

Goofs:

Continuity: Throughout the series some Officers are shown on both the day, evening and Night shifts in a short period of time, some even within the same day. The Baltimore police department rarely gives shift changes until the next fiscal year.

Quotes:

Det. Ellis Carver: You know, this is why I think we can't win this.
Det. Thomas Hauk: How come?
Det. Ellis Carver: They screw up, they get beaten. We screw up, we get a pension.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Wire Odyssey (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Way Down in the Hole

A tapestry. An All-Time Great.

I didn't know my TV could do this . . .

It's the greatest TV drama series I've ever seen. Better by some distance than even its notable HBO peers. (I call it a TV drama but the fact is that it's suited purely for DVD, it has complete disregard for the casual viewer and is perhaps best viewed in two or three sittings, a minor detail in episode three will find its significance ten episodes later, etc).

Focusing on the drugs business of Baltimore (and so much more) from the police to the dealers to City Hall to the longshoremen on the coast, I simply cannot rave about this show enough and have become a bore on the subject.

The profane writing snaps and pops beautifully, the plots are deeply intricate and profoundly gripping, and the acting is nothing short of perfection. What a cast! I don't say this lightly. The characters run deep and authentic with performances to match, and there are no minor characters in this show, some simply have more screen time than others.

After the terrific first season I couldn't believe that the shattering second series (perhaps the high-water mark) not only kept up the standard, but perhaps even exceeded it. The third, fourth and fifth seasons stand shoulder to shoulder too, joining finally and standing as a single tapestry.

This is heavy-duty and literary storytelling of the first order.

The show requires attention and commitment and will reward both to a degree that means when each "case" ends you'll be edified in a way that the CSI franchise et al can never even fractionally compete with.

They are pizza, The Wire is a banquet. We don't get enough banquets, so accept this ones invitation, you wont regret it.

Heartbreaking, somehow funnier than many comedies, beautifully played and written with enviable brilliance, if you're unaware of this show then I urge you: invest, it's likely you'll thank me later. Get season one and sit back, prepare to find yourself in the thrall of genuine yet disarmingly humble greatness.

Be warned though, don't expect episodic entertainment, these are 12 and 13 hour procedural movies that add up to a five-year whole, divided by necessity by HBO, a network with the balls to have greenlit this series five times, even despite its low ratings, simply on the basis of the fact it's going to enter the pantheon of all time greatest.

A little hyperbole there, but it's really above and beyond.

So many classic moments, each growing more rich with time, to say more about them or name the moments would spoil the experience of seeing them fresh, as I did and as I would heartily recommend -- avoid spoilers (not that the text on screen will do justice to this cast, this writing and production), you'll be rewarded by the story. It has moments that truly compete with the best in cinema whilst simultaneously cutting its own fierce path.

It's rare for me to enthuse about something to this degree (and in years of using the IMDb this is the only comment I've taken the time to make), but somewhere in its fusion of casually classic writing and disarmingly humble production -- they made my favourite thing.

The Wire is simply an astonishing achievement. I owned the first season on DVD for about a year before I realised it was astonishing -- it crept up on me, my brain had to catch up with it -- when I rewatched it and got the other seasons, I became (and remain) utterly hooked.

Do youself a favour, if you haven't already -- check out The Wire.