The Wire - The Complete Season 1-5 (DVD)

I can see why you wouldn't like the Wire. It's slow, has no discernable good or bad guys, it's overwhelming and dense, requires patience and it hasn't anything flashy or catchy. But for those who give it a try, I can almost guarantee you will be sucked in if you let it, and you are likely to discard any series after this as 'unrealistic' or 'boring'. Every season deals with a different aspect of the city of Baltimore, Maryland; drugs (season 1), the city docks and the failure of American capitalism (season 2), politics and the shortcoming of the Western anti-drug policies (season 3), the school system (season 4), and newspapers/the media in the final season. I ...  Read the complete review

The Wire is a show too epic and grand to discuss aptly in just a few hundred words, but be assured that it is easily one of the greatest shows of all time, and yet another jewel in the crown of HBO, who have produced hits like The Sopranos and Oz previously. The Wire takes place in Baltimore, Maryland, and revolves around Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), a good but undeniably irresponsible officer, who attempts to juggle his police work with a clearly alcohol abuse problem and an awkward home life, as well as his repeated flouting of authority. The show's prime focus is on drug dealers in the Baltimore area, but each season focuses on a ...  Read the complete review

*Edited 27/10/09 to expand further on this brilliant programme* I only discovered The Wire this year when it was finally shown on terrestrial TV, as I'm sure was the case for a number of people. It is a shame that it didn't find a larger audience during it's original run, because it is quite simply the most intelligent, well scripted, well acted piece of television I have ever seen. Season 1 begins with a team of police attempting to bring down a drugs gang, the Barksdale crew, with Dominic West's alcoholic, womanising Jimmy McNulty being the nominal lead who bends rules in order to get the funding needed to run a "wire" on the gang. We're ...  Read the complete review

The Wire is an American TV series spanning 5 series set in Baltimore concerning the efforts of a group of Detectives and their attempts to infiltrate a notorious Drug gang operating in the city. Along the way the show explores the social and economic problems in the cities' school system, political institutions and media organisations, Each series cantering on a different theme. The show has been something of a sleeper hit around the world, winning much deserved critical acclaim about the structure of the show and its ensemble of actors. The show is addictive viewing, one episode per sitting is never enough. The more you invest in the show the more it ...  Read the complete review

This is probably one of the best series ever and i can't recommend this highly enough it is fabulous and takes you on a real journey. The series are set in Baltimore and follows the stories of the cops side starring Dominic West as Mcnulty and the drug dealers side starring Idris Elba as Stringer Bell. It is a gritty character focused series with each season concentrating generally on one case. Time is taken to build each character and it is time well spent as you become engrossed in both the police and drug dealers stories and become so wrapped up in it all. It is a shame they only made 5 seasons of this wonderfully intelligent charcter driven ...  Read the complete review