The Wire (2002–2008)

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

Creator:

David Simon

Stars:

Dominic West, John Doman, Deirdre Lovejoy

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 12 wins & 41 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Dominic West	...	Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
John Doman	...	Dep. Comm. for Operations William A. Rawls (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
Deirdre Lovejoy	...	Asst. State's Atty. Rhonda Pearlman (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
Wendell Pierce	...	Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland (60 episodes, 2002-2008)
Lance Reddick	...	Lt. Cedric Daniels (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	...	Reginald 'Bubbles' Cousins (52 episodes, 2002-2008)
Jim True-Frost	...	Det. Roland 'Prez' Pryzbylewski (50 episodes, 2002-2008)
Michael Kenneth Williams	...	Omar Little (50 episodes, 2002-2008)
Frankie Faison	...	Acting Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell (47 episodes, 2002-2008)
Corey Parker Robinson	...	Det. Leander Sydnor (45 episodes, 2002-2008)
Delaney Williams	...	Sgt. Jay Landsman (44 episodes, 2002-2008)
J.D. Williams	...	Preston 'Bodie' 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)
Robert Wisdom	...	Howard 'Bunny' Colvin (27 episodes, 2003-2008)
Gbenga Akinnagbe	...	Chris Partlow (27 episodes, 2004-2008)
Chad L. 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)

Storyline

Set in Baltimore, this show centers around the city's inner-city drug scene. It starts as mid-level drug dealer, D'Angelo Barksdale beats a murder rap. After a conversation with a judge, Det. James McNulty has been assigned to lead a joint homicide and narcotics team, in order to bring down drug kingpin Avon Barksdale. Avon Barksdale, accompanied by his right-hand man Stringer Bell, enforcer Wee-Bey and many lieutenants (including his own nephew, D'Angelo Barksdale), has to deal with law enforcement, informants in his own camp, and competition with a local rival, Omar, who's been robbing Barksdale's dealers and reselling the drugs. The supervisor of the investigation, Lt. Cedric Daniels, has to deal with his own problems, such as a corrupt bureaucracy, some of his detectives beating suspects, hard-headed but determined Det. McNulty, and a blackmailing deputy. The show depicts the lives of every part of the drug "food chain", from junkies to dealers, and from cops to politicians.

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Plot Keywords:

drugs | male camaraderie | surveillance | homosexuality | lesbian cop | 

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Taglines:

Listen carefully (first season)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

HBO [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Greek Mandarin Spanish

Release Date:

2 June 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Escuta

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blown Deadline Productions, Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Seth Gilliam auditioned for the role of Stringer Bell before being cast as Ellis Carver.

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Goofs

Throughout the last two seasons, Carcetti repeatedly refers to a possible gubernatorial challenge in 2008, after serving two years as Baltimore mayor. But Maryland holds gubernatorial elections in off years - 2006, 2010, etc. The new governor would have been elected the same year that Carcetti was elected mayor - 2006 - and up for re-election in four years, not two.

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Quotes

Proposition Joe: I heard your end would be covering my fee.
Stringer Bell: Your fee?
Proposition Joe: Yeah, I'm like a marriage counselor. Tell the man he oughta bring the bitch some flowers every once in a while. Tell the bitch she gotta suck some cock every once in a while. That sort of shit.
[Omar arrives]
Proposition Joe: Speaking of cocksuckers...
[to Omar]
Proposition Joe: I'm Proposition Joe. You fuck with me, I'll kill your whole family.

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Crazy Credits

The opening song is the same, but every season a new version is used with different artists performing in different genres (blues, soul, etc.).

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Zombieland/A Serious Man/Whip It (2009)

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Soundtracks

"The Fall"
Composed by Blake Leyh
(closing theme)

User Reviews

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.