Wire-less viewing
Have you seen The Wire? Yes? Put it there, bro. HBO aired the final, feature length episode last month; the best American television series that has ever been broadcast has ended.
Nothing will touch The Wire for a long time. A couple of reasons for this.
Firstly, it’s apparent that this was creator David Simon’s life’s work: a huge novel-like epic inspired by his time working as a journalist in Baltimore. He won’t create anything as big as that again. His new show, set in New Orleans, follows the music community, which Simon admits is “a smaller, more intimate story about musicians reconstituting their lives”.
Secondly, networks won’t be rushing to recreate The Wire’s incredible sprawling format. Mainly because, averaging only 1.6m US viewers per episode, it just wasn’t that successful, despite massive critical acclaim.
So where now for TV? People who haven’t seen The Wire say, “The Terminator TV series is well good.” Yeah, it’s OK. Or, “Lost is about to deliver some answers.” Yeah, right. Or, “New series of Peepshow this year!” Nothing’s as funny as watching a street full of drug dealers run at the site of gay gang-robber Omar picking up some milk in his silk PJ’s. Shiiiiiieeeeeeet, I just want The Wire.
The New York Times put it best. “If Charles Dickens were alive today, he would watch The Wire. Unless, that is, he was already writing for it.”
SIMON HELYAR
We are listening to Elbow
Got the first series on DVD, it’s great, but haven’t yet found the impetus to start building a collection; if they would just put it on TV, on a channel you can get without Sky, I’d consider it appointment viewing.
I do have Simon’s book ‘Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets’ though, which is even more a huge novel-like epic than the The Wire because it is a novel sized book. (Easier to find time for for me.) And it’s non-fiction. It’s also the best thing I’ve ever, ever read; which is something I’ve now done several times. Highest possible recommendation.
Comment by Benjamin Knight — 8/04/08
I’m half way through series 4 now, after Simon told me he’d give me £40 if I didn’t like it!
As much as I love proving Simon wrong, and as much as I’d love £40, I can’t honestly say that I don’t like it.
I’ve nearly watched 48 hours of The Wire (everything in italics is said in Simon’s voice!) in about a month. Although it starts off a little slow and one might even dare to say, a bit dull, once you get to know the characters and how they interact with each other, I do admit it’s quite hard to get away from.
Simon, your £40 is safe for now, unless I don’t like the ending of the last series, then I’m going to need some compensation for 3 days worth of lost earnings.
To get the best out of The Wire you definitely have to stick with it, but I’d go as far to say that you will enjoy it eventually!
Comment by Ellis — 8/04/08
I think The Wire is Awesome and I do not use that term lightly. The story is layered, the acting is 1st class, the script is intelligent. I cannot get enough of this show.
I’ve never felt the need to buy ANY TV series box set before, but this programme has had me falling over myself to buy it.
I’m not surprised it hasn’t taken off here as the majority of the british TV watching public (morons) are too busy watching shite lke ‘Strictly’ or some other pony programme which doesn’t involve using their brains. It would be boring if everyone had taste though, I’d have no one to bitch about.
I’m just gutted that we’re not going to see more.
On another note, I have been watching ‘The Kill Point’ which has partially filled the void. If you like The Wire, then check it out, if you already haven’t done so.
Comment by . — 8/04/08
Benjamin, the first series is great, but the second season is better than the first. And the third is better than the second. And so on. Plus, once you watch it, you’ll realize it’s all connected and tiny details that you thought didn’t mean anything in season 3 start to mean something in season 5.
The Wire makes watching shows like Lost incredibly annoying. Why waste time watching nonsense when you can watch the best show on TV? I’m just going to have to watch The Wire repeatedly until Generation Kill (David Simon & Ed Burns next miniseries) comes out.
Comment by Jason — 9/04/08
By far the best show on TV… period, other shows are good, but The Wire is on another level. It’s a sucks that more people didn’t watch it when it was on (I’m referring to people who have HBO), I guess people were too busy being obsessed with Desperate Housewives and Gray’s Anatomy, haha.
Comment by Jeremy — 9/04/08
It is fantastic, but works far better as a DVD box set than something you watch once a week. And the last thing you want ruining the flow is ad breaks, which wasn’t a problem on HBO but other channels will wreck it with interruptions.
I review TV series for a living and it’s the best cop series I’ve ever seen, and trust me, I’ve sat through them all.
But on a wider point, God bless HBO. Is there a channel that can come close to them for top drama? Remember, they have given us The Wire, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Oz, Deadwood, From the Earth to the Moon, Big Love, Carnivàle and in conjunction with the BBC they also did Band Of Brothers and Rome.
They’re also to thank for comedies like Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Larry Sanders Show, Extras, Entourage and (although few remember it) Dream On.
Best. Channel. Ever.
Comment by Matt — 14/04/08