9.3/10
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464 user 69 critic

The Wire 

Trailer
0:31 | Trailer
The Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.

Creator:

David Simon
Reviews
Popularity
67 ( 2)

Episodes

Seasons


Years



5   4   3   2   1  
2008   2006   2004   2003   2002  
Top Rated TV #6 | Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 16 wins & 51 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

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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
Michael Kenneth Williams ...  Omar Little 51 episodes, 2002-2008
Jim True-Frost ...  Det. Roland 'Prez' Pryzbylewski / ... 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 45 episodes, 2002-2008
J.D. Williams ...  Preston 'Bodie' Broadus 42 episodes, 2002-2006
Wood Harris ...  Avon Barksdale 39 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
Anwan Glover ...  Slim Charles 27 episodes, 2004-2008
Felicia Pearson ...  Felicia 'Snoop' Pearson 27 episodes, 2004-2008
Chad L. Coleman ...  Dennis 'Cutty' Wise 26 episodes, 2004-2008
Tray Chaney ...  Malik 'Poot' Carr 26 episodes, 2002-2008
Michael Kostroff ...  Maurice 'Maury' Levy 25 episodes, 2002-2008
Isiah Whitlock Jr. ...  State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis 25 episodes, 2002-2008
Robert F. Chew ...  Joseph 'Proposition Joe' Stewart 25 episodes, 2002-2008
Michael Salconi Michael Salconi ...  Off. Michael 'Sanny' Santangelo / ... 25 episodes, 2002-2008
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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. Written by ahmetkozan

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

No corner left behind. (fourth season) See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Certificate:

18A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Bubbles was based on a real police informant known as "Possum", whose true identity has not been made public at the request of his family. Possum was noted as having an incredible memory for faces, and was often very helpful in pointing out drug dealers to police. David Simon met with him twice, shortly before Possum's death from AIDS, intending to write an article about him. He ended up turning it into an obituary. See more »

Goofs

Despite being set in Baltimore,MD, only a tiny fraction of the characters (regardless of their race or ethnicity) have actual Baltimore accents. And this despite the characters clearly stating that they were born and raised in the city. See more »

Quotes

[repeated line]
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: SHIIIIIT
See more »

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.). See more »

Connections

Referenced in Too Late (2015) See more »

Soundtracks

Way Down in the Hole
Written by Tom Waits
Performed by DoMaJe
(season 4)
See more »

User Reviews

 
best show ever, owns nypd blues, the shield and so on...
6 June 2005 | by critikalSee all my reviews

the wire is definitely the best show ever made. most realistic stuff ever. i takes a couple of episodes to get into it because it's pretty slow compared to the average show but once you get into it, you just become addicted. unlike other police shows this one deals with ONE investigation during its 4 entire seasons while in other shows cases are closed in one episode. another good thing about THE WIRE is that we follow both cops and thugs without any superficial caricature we find on CSI and such,THE WIRE keeps it real all the way. incredibly well written, amazing photography and oustanding actors, this is the kind of show that should be covered with emmies...


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Greek | Mandarin | Spanish

Release Date:

2 June 2002 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Wire See more »

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (seasons 3-5)| Dolby (Dolby Surround) (seasons 1-2)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3
See full technical specs »

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