The Wire is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. "The Wire" 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 his writing partner Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and public school teacher. 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.
Introduction
The Wire
The Wire | Introduction
David Simon David Simon. David Simon David Simon.
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The Wire is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. "The Wire" 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 his writing partner Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and public school teacher. 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 Wire | Introduction
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." "The Wire" is lauded for its literary themes, its uncommonly accurate exploration of society and politics, and its realistic portrayal of urban life. Although during its original run the series received only average ratings and never won any major television awards, it is now widely regarded as one of the greatest television shows of all time.
The Wire | Introduction
Simon was the creator, show runner, executive producer and head writer of the HBO drama series "The Wire". Many of "The Wire"'s characters and incidents also came from "". After the fourth season, Simon signed on to produce the fifth and final season of "The Wire", which focused on the role of mass media in society. Again he worked with Ed Burns on creating the show. Originally they set out to create a police drama loosely based on Burns' experiences when working on protracted investigations of violent drug dealers using surveillance technology. During this time Burns had often faced frustration with the bureaucracy of the police department, which Simon equated with his own ordeals as a police reporter for "The Baltimore Sun".
David Simon | "The Wire"
Burns was a producer, writer, and co-creator (also with Simon) of the HBO series "The Wire". They originally set out to create a police drama loosely based on Burns' experiences working on protracted investigations of violent drug dealers using surveillance technology. He had often faced frustration with the bureaucracy of the police department, which Simon equated with his own ordeals as a police reporter for "The Baltimore Sun". Writing against the background of current events, including institutionalized corporate crime at Enron and institutional dysfunction in the Catholic Church, the show became "more of a treatise about institutions and individuals than a straight cop show." They chose to take "The Wire" to HBO because of their existing working relationship from the 2000 miniseries "The Corner".
Ed Burns | "The Wire"
Creators David Simon and Ed Burns commented as early as the airing of the premiere of the pilot episode that they felt the show could continue by investigating a different set of criminals or a different kind of crime and retain some, but not all, of the starring cast.
Sentencing (The Wire) | Reception
"The Wire" is a fictional television drama series produced by the Home Box Office network. The fifth season of the show included a focus on the media and in particular a fictionalized version of "The Baltimore Sun". The series introduced many new characters who were professional journalists. Rebecca Corbett is the paper's Regional Affairs Desk Editor.
Journalists of The Wire | Introduction
The Wire, a 2002–2008 HBO police drama TV series
Wire (disambiguation) | Series
Creator David Simon continued to act as the show's executive producer and show runner. Nina Kostroff Noble once again served as the show's other executive producer. Joe Chappelle reprised his co-executive producer role and continued to direct episodes. Ed Burns once again served as a writer and joined Chappelle as a co-executive producer. Karen L. Thorson returned as a producer. George Pelecanos produced the sixth episode of the series only - his first production work since the third season. Political journalist William F. Zorzi continued to write for the show and guide the political storylines. Acclaimed crime fiction novelist Pelecanos returned as a writer and contributed his seventh episode to the series.
The Wire (season 5) | Crew
"The Wire", a television drama series created by David Simon, premiered on June 2, 2002 on HBO in the United States and ended on March 9, 2008. 60 episodes aired over the show's five seasons, plus three additional prequel shorts. Each episode has a running time of 55–60 minutes. "The Wire" is set in Baltimore, Maryland; each season of the series expands its focus on a different part of the city. The show features a large ensemble cast; many characters are only featured prominently in a single season. A group of characters, mainly in the Baltimore Police Department, appear in every season.
List of The Wire episodes | Introduction
"The Wire" is the sixth episode of the first season of the HBO original series, "The Wire", the titular episode of the series. The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Ed Bianchi. It originally aired on July 7, 2002.
The Wire (The Wire episode) | Introduction
Alongside Simon, the show's creator, head writer, showrunner, and executive producer, much of the creative team behind "The Wire" were alumni of "" and Primetime Emmy Award-winning miniseries "The Corner". "The Corner" veteran, Robert F. Colesberry, was executive producer for the first two seasons and directed the season 2 finale before dying from complications from heart surgery in 2004. He is credited by the rest of the creative team as having a large creative role for a producer, and Simon credits him for achieving the show's realistic visual feel. He also had a small recurring role as Detective Ray Cole.
The Wire | Crew
The writers strove to create a realistic vision of an American city based on their own experiences. Simon, originally a reporter for "The Baltimore Sun", spent a year researching a Homicide Police Department for his book "", where he met Burns. Burns served in the Baltimore Police Department for 20 years and later became a teacher in an inner-city school. The two of them spent a year researching the drug culture and poverty in Baltimore for their book "". Their combined experiences were used in many storylines of "The Wire". Central to the show's aim for realism was the creation of truthful characters.
The Wire | Realism
Stories for the show are often co-written by Ed Burns, a former Baltimore homicide detective and public school teacher who has worked with Simon on other projects including "The Corner". The writing staff includes acclaimed crime fiction novelist George P. Pelecanos from Washington, D.C. Pelecanos has commented that he was attracted to the project because of the opportunity to work with Simon. Staff writer Rafael Alvarez was a colleague of Simon's from "The Sun" and a Baltimore native with working experience in the port area. Another city native and independent filmmaker, Joy Lusco Kecken, joined the writing staff and served as the script coordinator.
The Wire (season 1) | Crew
Simon has stated that he originally set out to create a police drama loosely based on the experiences of his writing partner Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and public school teacher who had worked with Simon on projects including "The Corner" (2000). Burns, when working on protracted investigations of violent drug dealers using surveillance technology, had often been frustrated by the bureaucracy of the Baltimore Police Department; Simon saw similarities with his own ordeals as a police reporter for "The Baltimore Sun". Simon chose to set the show in Baltimore because of his familiarity with the city. During his time as a writer and producer for the NBC program "", based on his book "" (1991), also set in Baltimore, Simon had come into conflict with NBC network executives who were displeased by the show's pessimism.
The Wire | Conception
"Not for Attribution" is the third episode of the fifth season of the HBO original series, "The Wire". The episode was written by Chris Collins from a story by David Simon & Chris Collins and was directed by Joy Kecken and Scott Kecken. It aired on January 20, 2008.
Not for Attribution | Introduction
Mentioned in :Season three: "Slapstick" Former Baltimore Police Department narcotics detective turned school teacher who co-authored "The Corner" with David Simon.
Police of The Wire | Ed Burns
Burns and Simon see the theme as an opportunity to explore how individuals end up like the show's criminal characters, and to dramatize the notion that hard work is not always justly rewarded.
The Wire | Social commentary
The five subjects are, in chronological order: the illegal drug trade, the seaport 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. The large cast consists mainly of actors who are little known for their other roles, 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.
The Wire | Introduction
They first met at the funeral of a mutual friend shortly after Simon delivered the pilot episode. Simon pitched Pelecanos the idea of "The Wire" as a novel for television about the American city as Pelecanos drove him home. Pelecanos was excited about the prospect of writing something more than simple mystery for television as he strived to exceed the boundaries of genre in his novels. Pelecanos joined the crew as a writer for the first season in 2002. He wrote the teleplay for the season's penultimate episode, "Cleaning Up", from a story by Simon and Ed Burns. Pelecanos was promoted to producer for the second season in 2003.
George Pelecanos | Film and television
"The Target" is the series premiere of the HBO original series "The Wire". The episode was written by David Simon from a story by Simon and Ed Burns and was directed by Clark Johnson. It originally aired on June 2, 2002. The title refers to Detective Jimmy McNulty setting his sights on Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale's drug-dealing organization as the target of an investigation.
The Target (The Wire) | Introduction
David Simon is the series' creator and head writer, show runner and executive producer. Alongside Simon, many of the creative team behind "The Wire" are alumni of "" and Emmy-winning miniseries "The Corner". "The Corner" veteran, Robert F. Colesberry, was also executive producer. Colesberry is credited by the rest of the creative team as having a large creative role for a producer, and Simon credits him for achieving the show's realistic visual feel. He also had a small recurring role as Detective Ray Cole. Colesberry's wife Karen L. Thorson joined him on the production staff. A third producer on "The Corner", Nina Kostroff Noble, also stayed with the production staff for "The Wire" rounding out the initial four-person team.
The Wire (season 1) | Crew
Writing against the background of current events, including institutionalized corporate crime at Enron and institutional dysfunction in the Catholic Church, the show became "more of a treatise about institutions and individuals than a straight cop show." They chose to take "The Wire" to HBO because of their existing working relationship from "The Corner". Owing to its reputation for exploring new areas, HBO was initially dubious about including a cop drama in their lineup, but eventually agreed to produce the pilot after ordering a further two scripts to see how the series would progress. Carolyn Strauss, the president of HBO entertainment, has said that Simon's argument that the most subversive thing HBO could do was invade the networks' "backyard" of police procedurals helped to persuade them.
David Simon | "The Wire"
Writers Ed Burns and David Simon were nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for their work on the finale.
-30- (The Wire) | Reception
Chappelle joined the crew of the HBO crime drama "The Wire" as a director for the first season in 2002. "The Wire" was created by David Simon and examines the city of Baltimore one faltering institution at a time. Chappelle directed the first season episode "One Arrest". Chappelle returned to "The Wire" as co-executive producer, episodic director and second unit director for the third season in 2004. Chappelle directed the season's penultimate episode "Middle Ground". "Middle Ground" received the show's only Emmy Award nomination to date, for writers Simon and George Pelecanos in the category Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
Joe Chappelle | "The Wire"
The second season of the television series "The Wire" of 12 episodes first aired in the United States on HBO in 2003 from June 1 to August 24. It introduces the stevedores of the Port of Baltimore and an international organized crime operation led by a figure known only as "The Greek" and continues the story with the drug-dealing Barksdale crew and the Baltimore Police Department who featured in . While continuing the series' central themes of dysfunctional institutions and the societal effects of the drug trade, the second season also explores the decline of the American working class, and the hardship its members endure during the transition from an industrial to post-industrial society.
The Wire (season 2) | Introduction
"-30-" is the series finale of the HBO original series "The Wire". With a running time of 93 minutes, this tenth and final episode of the fifth season is the longest episode of the series. The episode was written by series creator/executive producer David Simon (teleplay/story) and co-executive producer Ed Burns (story). It was directed by Clark Johnson, who also directed the pilot episode and stars on the show. It aired on March 9, 2008. The episode's writers were nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
-30- (The Wire) | Introduction
Wire in the Blood is a British crime drama television series, created and produced by Coastal Productions for Tyne Tees Television and broadcast on ITV from 14 November 2002 to 31 October 2008. The series is based on characters created by Val McDermid, including a university clinical psychologist, Dr Anthony "Tony" Valentine Hill (Robson Green), who is able to tap into his own dark side to get inside the heads of serial killers. Working with detectives, Hill takes on tough and seemingly impenetrable cases in an attempt to track down the killers before they strike again. ITV cancelled the series in 2009, citing high production costs (which were estimated at up to £750,000 per episode) and the large number of new series being broadcast on the network.
Wire in the Blood | Introduction
Commissioner Burrell continues to falsify crime statistics and is fired by Carcetti, who positions Daniels to replace him.
The Wire | Season 5
It is not designed purely as an entertainment. It is, I'm afraid, a somewhat angry show.
The Wire | Cast and characters
Simon has stated that most of them are composites of real-life Baltimore figures. For instance, Donnie Andrews served as the main inspiration of Omar Little. Martin O'Malley served as "one of the inspirations" for Tommy Carcetti. The show often cast non-professional actors in minor roles, distinguishing itself from other television series by showing the "faces and voices of the real city" it depicts. The writing also uses contemporary slang to enhance the immersive viewing experience. In distinguishing the police characters from other television detectives, Simon makes the point that even the best police of "The Wire" are motivated not by a desire to protect and serve, but by the intellectual vanity of believing they are smarter than the criminals they are chasing.
The Wire | Realism
They again use wiretaps to infiltrate the crime ring and slowly work their way up the chain towards The Greek, the mysterious man in charge. But Valchek, upset that their focus has moved beyond Sobotka, gets the FBI involved. The Greek has a mole inside the FBI and starts severing his ties to Baltimore when he learns about the investigation.
The Wire | Season 2
Cathey as political aide Norman Wilson; and Domenick Lombardozzi as troubled defense investigator Thomas "Herc" Hauk.
The Wire (season 5) | Cast
Another review postulated that the series might suffer because of its reliance on profanity and slowly drawn-out plot, but was largely positive about the show's characters and intrigue. Despite the critical acclaim, "The Wire" received poor Nielsen ratings, which Simon attributed to the complexity of the plot; a poor time slot; heavy use of esoteric slang, particularly among the gangster characters; and a predominantly black cast. Critics felt the show was testing the attention span of its audience and that it was mistimed in the wake of the launch of the successful crime drama "The Shield" on FX. However, anticipation for a release of the first season on DVD was high at "Entertainment Weekly".
The Wire | Critical response
The title repeats the show's own title, indicating that the series has truly begun, and refers to the wiretap devices used to monitor phone calls made by the Barksdale organization.
The Wire (The Wire episode) | Title reference
Playwright and television writer/producer Eric Overmyer joined the crew for the show's fourth season as a consulting producer and writer. He had previously worked on "Homicide" and was brought into the full-time production staff to replace George Pelecanos who scaled back his involvement in order to concentrate on his next book and he worked on the fourth season solely as a writer. David Mills, Emmy-award winner, "Homicide" and "The Corner" writer and college friend of Simon, joined the writing staff in the fourth season. Regular writer Ed Burns became a producer on "The Wire" in this season.
The Wire (season 4) | Crew
Many important events occur off-camera and there is no artificial exposition in the form of voice-over or flashbacks, with the exceptions of two flashbacks – one at the end of the pilot episode that replays a moment from earlier in the same episode and one at the end of the fourth season finale that shows a short clip of a character tutoring his younger brother earlier in the season. Thus, the viewer needs to follow every conversation closely to understand the ongoing story arc and the relevance of each character to it. "Salon" has described the show as novelistic in structure, with a greater depth of writing and plotting than other crime shows.
The Wire | Visual novel
"The Wire" was nominated for and won a wide variety of awards, including nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for "Middle Ground" (2005) and "–30–" (2008), NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series for each of its five seasons, Television Critics Association Awards (TCA), and Writers Guild of America Awards (WGA). Most of the awards the series won were for season 4 and season 5. These included the Directors Guild of America Award and TCA Heritage Award for season 5, and the for season 4, plus the Crime Thriller Award, Eddie Award, Edgar Award, and Irish Film & Television Academy Award.
The Wire | Awards
McNulty makes reference to several real-life Baltimore police officers when saying the few people who have as good of a position as the detail, including co-creator Ed Burns.
Slapstick (The Wire) | Non-fiction elements
On January 18, 2018, it was reported that "The Wire" creator David Simon would be adapting a six-part mini-series adaptation of "The Plot Against America". The news was first announced in a "New York Times" journalist Charles McGrath's interview with Roth, who noted that Simon had visited Roth, who stated he "was sure his novel was in good hands." Filming took place in Jersey City, New Jersey. It premiered on HBO on March 16, 2020.
The Plot Against America | Television adaptation
Councilman Tommy Carcetti begins to prepare himself for a mayoral race. He manipulates a colleague into running against the mayor to split the black vote, secures a capable campaign manager and starts making headlines for himself.
The Wire | Season 3
Following the death of Robert F. Colesberry, director Joe Chappelle joined the production staff as a co-executive producer and continued to regularly direct episodes. Baltimore Sun writer and political journalist William F. Zorzi joined the writing staff in the third season and brought a wealth of experience to the show's examination of Baltimore politics. David Simon had originally hoped to create a city hall spinoff show, which would run in tandem with subsequent seasons of "The Wire", and had even written scripts for it. But HBO declined, according to Simon: "HBO said, 'No, we only want one show that nobody is watching in Baltimore, not two!'".
The Wire (season 3) | Production
Mills and the writing staff were nominated for the WGA Award for Best Dramatic Series at the February 2009 ceremony for their work on the fifth season but "Mad Men" won the award.
David Mills (TV writer) | "The Wire"
McNulty's last name was originally McArdle, according to a draft of the pilot script. Brook Yeaton is also credited as an assistant set dresser and set dressing buyer for the show.
Street-level characters of The Wire | "White" Mike McArdle
"Sentencing" is the 13th episode and finale of the first season of the HBO original series, "The Wire". The episode was written by David Simon and Ed Burns and was directed by Tim Van Patten. It originally aired on September 8, 2002.
Sentencing (The Wire) | Introduction
Robert F. "Bob" Colesberry Jr. (March 7, 1946 – February 9, 2004) was an American film and television producer, best known as a co-creator of the television series "The Wire" (2002–2008) for HBO, executive producer of the miniseries "The Corner" (2000), and a producer for Martin Scorsese's "After Hours" (1985), Alan Parker's "Mississippi Burning" (1988), and Billy Crystal's "61*" (2001). Colesberry was also an occasional actor.
Robert F. Colesberry | Introduction
During the fifth season, HBO produced three shorts depicting moments in the history of characters in "The Wire". The three prequels depict the first meeting between McNulty and Bunk; Proposition Joe as a slick business kid; and young Omar. The shorts are available on the complete series DVD set.
The Wire | Prequel shorts
Pelecanos's fellow crime novellists Richard Price and Dennis Lehane also returned as writers. Chris Collins returned as a staff writer and contributed his first script. David Mills contributed an episode, completing the writing team. New star Clark Johnson also helmed the final episode after previously directing the pilot. Other returning directors for the fifth season included Ernest Dickerson, Anthony Hemingway, Agnieszka Holland, Dan Attias, and Seith Mann. Series star Dominic West made his directorial debut. Husband and wife directing team Scott and Joy Kecken were also first time directors on the fifth season.
The Wire (season 5) | Crew
"That's Got His Own" is the 12th episode of the fourth season of the HBO original series "The Wire". Written by George Pelecanos from a story by Ed Burns & George Pelecanos, and directed by Joe Chappelle, it originally aired on December 3, 2006.
That's Got His Own | Introduction
Jim True-Frost portrayed Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski, a former member of the Major Crimes Unit who has become a teacher in an inner city school after inadvertently killing a fellow officer in season three.
The Wire (season 4) | Cast
recurring character of the same name Former Baltimore Police Department homicide detective mentioned in David Simon's "" who spawned a character of the same name played by actor Gregory L. Williams throughout the series.
Police of The Wire | Michael Crutchfield
David Judah Simon (born February 9, 1960) is an American author, journalist, and television writer and producer best known for his work on "The Wire" (2002–08). He worked for the "Baltimore Sun" City Desk for twelve years (1982–95), wrote "" (1991), and co-wrote "" (1997) with Ed Burns. The former book was the basis for the NBC series "" (1993–99), on which Simon served as a writer and producer. Simon adapted the latter book into the HBO mini-series "The Corner" (2000). He was the creator, executive producer, head writer, and show runner for all five seasons of the HBO television series "The Wire" (2002–2008).
David Simon | Introduction
According to television producer David Simon, Carroll was the basis for the character of "prize-hungry" James Whiting on the HBO show "The Wire," which Simon created.
John Carroll (journalist) | In popular culture
Colesberry's wife Karen L. Thorson joined him on the production staff. A third producer on "The Corner", Nina Kostroff Noble also stayed with the production staff for "The Wire" rounding out the initial four-person team. Following Colesberry's death, she became the show's second executive producer alongside Simon. Stories for the show were often co-written by Burns, who also became a producer in the show's fourth season. Other writers include three acclaimed crime fiction writers from outside of Baltimore: George Pelecanos from Washington, Richard Price from the Bronx and Dennis Lehane from Boston. Reviewers drew comparisons between Price's works (particularly "Clockers") and "The Wire" even before he joined.
The Wire | Crew
Show creator David Simon left the "Baltimore Sun" after a bitter feud with editor William K. Marimow. Simon chose to name an unsympathetic character after his old enemy.
Police of The Wire | Charles Marimow
"A New Day" is the 11th episode of the fourth season of the HBO original series "The Wire". Written by Ed Burns from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns, and directed by Brad Anderson, it originally aired on November 26, 2006.
A New Day (The Wire) | Introduction
60th Primetime Emmy Awards Writers Guild of America Awards 24th TCA Awards
The Wire (season 5) | Awards and nominations
"One Arrest" is the seventh episode of the first season of the HBO original series, "The Wire" (2002-2008). The episode was written by Rafael Alvarez from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Joe Chappelle. It originally aired on July 14, 2002.
One Arrest | Introduction
Ervin H. Burrell is a fictional character on the HBO drama "The Wire", played by Frankie Faison. Burrell was an officer in the Baltimore Police Department who ascended from Deputy Commissioner of Operations to Commissioner over the course of the show. He was fired by Mayor Tommy Carcetti for falsifying crime statistics.
Ervin Burrell | Introduction
This episode marks the first appearance of homicide Detectives Ed Norris and Vernon Holley, seen investigating the death of Brandon. Ed Norris is played by former Baltimore Police Commissioner Ed Norris; the character's personality is based on the real Norris, but his history is entirely different from his portrayor's. According to "", there was actually an African-American detective in the Baltimore Police Department homicide division named Vernon Holley. Also seen for the first time is Sean McNulty, the oldest son of Jimmy and Elena McNulty.
The Wire (The Wire episode) | First appearances
In April 2012, Norwegian academic Erlend Lavik posted online a 36-minute video essay called "Style in "The Wire"" which analyzes the various visual techniques used by the show's directors over the course of its five seasons. "The Wire" has also been the subject of growing numbers of academic articles by, amongst others, Fredric Jameson (who praised the series' ability to weave utopian thinking into its realist representation of society); and Leigh Claire La Berge, who argues that although the less realistic character of season five was received negatively by critics, it gives the series a platform not only for representing reality, but for representing how realism is itself a construct of social forces like the media; both commentators see in "The Wire" an impulse for progressive political change rare in mass media productions.
The Wire | Academia
Within the Wires is a dramatic anthology podcast in the style of epistolary fiction. In the first season, the listener, a medical inmate at a place called the Institute, receives guidance from the mysterious narrator of instructional relaxation cassettes. In the second season, an artist named Roimata Mangakāhia communicates with the listener through a series of museum audio guides. The third season, “a political thriller set in 1950s Chicago”, is narrated by the bureaucrat Michael Witten; listeners access letters and notes dictated to his secretary. The series was created in 2016 by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson (who also narrated the first season), and it has been published by Night Vale Presents since June 21, 2016.
Within the Wires | Introduction
Throughout the commentary, Simon tries to distinguish "The Wire" from other television crime dramas. He makes the point that the detectives are motivated not by a desire to protect and serve but by the intellectual vanity of believing they are smarter than the criminals they are chasing.
The Target (The Wire) | Commentary
Playwright and television writer/producer Eric Overmyer joined the crew of "The Wire" in the show's fourth season as a consulting producer and writer. He had also previously worked on "Homicide". Overmyer was brought into the full-time production staff to replace Pelecanos who scaled back his involvement to concentrate on his next book and worked on the fourth season solely as a writer. Primetime Emmy Award winner, "Homicide" and "The Corner", writer and college friend of Simon, David Mills also joined the writing staff in the fourth season.
The Wire | Crew
The first season introduces two major groups of characters: the Baltimore Police Department and a drug dealing organization run by the Barksdale family. The season follows the police investigation of the latter over its 13 episodes. The investigation is triggered when, following the acquittal of D'Angelo Barksdale for murder after a key witness changes her story, Detective Jimmy McNulty meets privately with Judge Daniel Phelan. McNulty tells Phelan that the witness has probably been intimidated by members of a drug trafficking empire run by D'Angelo's uncle, Avon Barksdale, having recognized several faces at the trial, most notably Avon's second-in-command, Stringer Bell.
The Wire | Season 1
A preview for Season 5 of "The Wire" aired on HBO on October 28, 2007 and was later made available on YouTube. HBO sent critics the first seven episodes on DVD in December 2007. HBO's On Demand and multiplatform marketing division approached creator David Simon about producing exclusive on-demand content and three short prequel clips were produced that take place prior to the linear storyline of the show. The clips were made available via Amazon.com from December 5 and through HBO's on-demand service from December 15. The first video takes place in 1962 and focuses on the school days of drug kingpin Proposition Joe; the second is set in 1985 and focuses on Omar Little making an early robbery; the third video is set in 2000 and shows the first meeting of Jimmy McNulty (played by Dominic West) and Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce).
The Wire (season 5) | Promotion
All episodes except "-30-" were made available by HBO six days earlier than their broadcast date, via On Demand.
The Wire (season 5) | Episodes
The character is based on and named after a real homicide detective sergeant whom David Simon had met while researching the book "". The character is often given dialogue that the writers recall the real Landsman using. Delaney Williams was chosen for the part because of the creators' experience of working with him in small roles on "Homicide" and "The Corner". The real Jay Landsman can also be seen on "The Wire" in the role of Dennis Mello, administrative aide to Major Colvin, first in an uncredited appearance in the season 2 episode "Stray Rounds", and later as a regular cast member.
Jay Landsman (The Wire) | Origins
Regular series: Ace of Spades (miniseries): 1–4: Chris Warner, script and pencils/Tim Bradstreet, inks
Barb Wire | Creators
"TIME" named the first season as the best TV show of 2002 in their Top 10 Everything 2002. Despite the critical acclaim, "The Wire" has received poor Nielsen ratings, which Simon attributes to the complexity of the plot, a poor time slot, heavy use of esoteric slang, particularly among the gangster characters and a predominantly black cast. Critics felt the show was testing the attention span of its audience and felt that it was mistimed in the wake of the launch of the successful crime drama "The Shield" on FX. However, anticipation for a release of the first season on DVD was high at "Entertainment Weekly".
The Wire (season 1) | Reception
recurring character of the same name Former Baltimore Police Department homicide detective mentioned in David Simon's "" who spawned a character of the same name played by actor Brian Anthony Wilson throughout the series.
Police of The Wire | Vernon Holley
"Unto Others" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the HBO original series "The Wire". Written by William F. Zorzi from a story by Ed Burns & William F. Zorzi, and directed by Anthony Hemingway, it originally aired on October 29, 2006.
Unto Others | Introduction
"The Hunt" is the 11th episode of the first season of the HBO original series, "The Wire". The episode was written by Joy Lusco from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Steve Shill. It originally aired on August 18, 2002.
The Hunt (The Wire) | Introduction
In 2010, he was nominated for an Edgar Award for "The Wire: Truth Be Told", an encyclopedic companion to the television series.
Rafael Alvarez | Introduction
"The Cost" is the tenth episode of the first season of the HBO original series, "The Wire". The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Brad Anderson. It originally aired on August 11, 2002.
The Cost (The Wire) | Introduction
Williams gained recognition as an actor for his portrayal of Omar Little in "The Wire," which began filming in 2002. The character was based on Donnie Andrews, as well as other crime figures in Baltimore. Williams received the part after only a single audition. He was initially told that the character was slated to appear in just seven episodes of the first season and feared that the character would be killed before the end of the season. However, creator David Simon stated that they always planned to keep the character as part of the continuing ensemble should the show be renewed beyond the first season.
Michael K. Williams | "The Wire"
"Lessons" is the eighth episode of the first season of the HBO original series "The Wire". The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon and Ed Burns and was directed by Gloria Muzio. It originally aired on July 21, 2002.
Lessons (The Wire) | Introduction
While many of the police do exhibit altruistic qualities, many officers portrayed on the show are incompetent, brutal, self-aggrandizing, or hamstrung by bureaucracy and politics. The criminals are not always motivated by profit or a desire to harm others; many are trapped in their existence and all have human qualities. Even so, "The Wire" does not minimize or gloss over the horrific effects of their actions.
The Wire | Realism
The series also won the ASCAP Award, Artios Award, and Peabody Award for season 2. The series won the "Broadcasting & Cable" Critics' Poll Award for Best Drama (season 4) and won "TIME" critics choice for top television show for season 1 and season 3.
The Wire | Awards
The DVD release featured a commentary track recorded by creator and writer/producer David Simon. Simon discusses the season's novelistic structure and the theme of the corrupting influence of the institutions that the characters have committed to. He mentions many real life inspirations for events and characters on the show. He discusses the technique of using surveillance methods within shots (TV monitors, security cameras etc.) to give the sense of always being watched and a need to process the vast amount of information available to the show's detective characters. He also talks about trying to ground the show in realism by using only diegetic music.
The Target (The Wire) | Commentary
"The Detail" is the second episode of the first season of the HBO original television series, "The Wire" (2002-2008). The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Clark Johnson. It originally aired on June 9, 2002.
The Detail (The Wire) | Introduction
Dozerman was a friend of Carver and Herc in the DEU that moved into the Major Crimes Unit in season 4.
Police of The Wire | Kenneth Dozerman
Recurring character Former Baltimore Police Department Commissioner who appears as a recurring character of the same name working as a homicide detective.
Police of The Wire | Edward Norris
Live Wire is a 2011 mystery/thriller novel by American writer, Harlan Coben. It is the tenth novel in his series of a crime solver and sports agent named Myron Bolitar. It is preceded in the series by "Long Lost" (2009) and succeeded by "Home" (2016). In 2010, "Live Wire" won the world's most lucrative crime fiction award, the RBA Prize for Crime Writing worth €125,000.
Live Wire (novel) | Introduction
Simon wanted to avoid a repeat of these conflicts and chose to take "The Wire" to HBO, because of their working relationship from the miniseries "The Corner". HBO was initially doubtful about including a police drama in its lineup but agreed to produce the pilot episode. Simon approached the mayor of Baltimore, telling him that he wanted to give a bleak portrayal of certain aspects of the city; Simon was welcomed to work there again. He hoped the show would change the opinions of some viewers but said that it was unlikely to affect the issues it portrays.
The Wire | Conception
The first season of the television series "The Wire" commenced airing on Sunday, June 2, 2002 at 9:00 pm ET in the United States and concluded on September 8, 2002. The 13 episodes tell the story from the points of view of both the drug-dealing Barksdale organization and the investigating police detail. The season was released on DVD as a five-disc boxed set under the title of "The Wire: The Complete First Season" on October 12, 2004 by HBO Video.
The Wire (season 1) | Introduction
"All Prologue" is the sixth episode of the second season of the HBO original series, "The Wire". The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Steve Shill. It originally aired on July 6, 2003.
All Prologue | Introduction
Peter Gerety had a recurring role as Judge Phelan, the official who started the case moving.
The Wire | Main cast
The clips aired after Season 5 episodes as they premiered starting January 6, 2008.
The Wire (season 5) | Promotion
Thomas J. "Tommy" Carcetti ( ) is a fictional character on the HBO drama "The Wire", played by Aidan Gillen. Carcetti is an ambitious Baltimore politician who begins the series with a seat on the city council.
Tommy Carcetti | Introduction
This is the only episode of "The Wire" to use the "written by" credit, all other episodes use the teleplay and story credits.
Sentencing (The Wire) | Writing
11th Satellite Awards Writers Guild of America Awards 23rd TCA Awards
The Wire (season 4) | Awards and nominations
Each season of "The Wire" consists of 10 to 13 episodes that form several multi-layered narratives. Simon chose this structure with an eye towards long story arcs that draw in viewers, resulting in a more satisfying payoff. He uses the metaphor of a visual novel in several interviews, describing each episode as a chapter, and has also commented that this allows a fuller exploration of the show's themes in time not spent on plot development.
The Wire | Visual novel
As the police seek murder suspects, Bubbles is mistaken as a suspect and brutally beaten in custody by Vernon Holley until Jay Landsman and other officers restrain Holley, calling in Jimmy McNulty to clear things up.
Bubbles (The Wire) | Season one
Three short film vignettes set prior to the series events were filmed during the fifth season's production. They were made available via HBO On Demand during broadcast of the final season, and included as extras on the complete series DVD box set.
List of The Wire episodes | Prequel shorts
M. Scott Templeton is a fictional character on the HBO drama "The Wire", played by actor Tom McCarthy. The actor joined the starring cast as the series' fifth season began.
Scott Templeton | Introduction
At the close of the series Steintorf's machinations ensure that Carcetti becomes Governor.
Politicians of The Wire | Michael Steintorf
Worden is a former Baltimore Police Department homicide detective featured in David Simon's "" who appears as a midnight shift homicide detective in season five. He is also mentioned in episodes in season one ("The Pager"), season three ("Slapstick"), season four ("Margin of Error") and season five ("Not for Attribution").
Police of The Wire | Donald Worden
"The Wire" employs a broad ensemble cast, supplemented by many recurring guest stars who populate the institutions featured in the show. The majority of the cast is black, which accurately reflects the demographics of Baltimore. The show's creators are also willing to kill off major characters, so that viewers cannot assume that a given character will survive simply because of a starring role or popularity among fans. In response to a question on why a certain character had to die, David Simon said, We are not selling hope, or audience gratification, or cheap victories with this show. "The Wire" is making an argument about what institutions—bureaucracies, criminal enterprises, the cultures of addiction, raw capitalism even—do to individuals.
The Wire | Cast and characters
It's all in the game." Omar's accusation left Levy speechless, and Bird was sentenced to life imprisonment by Judge Daniel Phelan, though Levy maintains (accurately) that Omar is perjuring himself when he claims to have witnessed the crime.
Maurice Levy (The Wire) | Season 2
In the Homicide unit, Bunk is reading a book written by Laura Lippman. Lippman is a Baltimore resident, and is married to series creator David Simon.
Lessons (The Wire) | Production