HBO has produced many hit series over the years but none can match HBO’s. The WireWhen it comes down to fan enthusiasm or critical acclaim.
The Baltimore-set crime drama, which aired between 2002 and 2008, has been repeatedly named one of the greatest TV shows ever. Barack Obama has said that it’s his favorite series ever. The Wire was only nominated for two Emmys during its run, winning neither, but some observers consider this one of the awards show’s biggest snubs in history.
Although the series has been off air for a while, cast members have stated that they still get recognized for their roles. “I thought, at the time, that nobody was paying much attention,” Isiah Whitlock Jr.Clay Davis, a corrupt state senator, was told by. The GuardianMarch 2018, “More people recognize me from the show than they ever did. People who have only seen the show are often interested in talking to me about it. I have to tell them it was 10 years ago.”
Idris Elba, who played Russell “Stringer” Bell, has credited the show with catapulting his career to a different level. Before his appearance in the series’ first three seasons, he had been in films and television series. The WireHe was not yet a leader man.
“Nothing’s gotten me more work than The Wire, nothing,” the PrometheusActor told The ScotsmanFebruary 2010. “It’s had a very, very slow drip effect, only now opening doors for me with Luther.” (Elba landed the titular role on the BBC crime drama LutherTwo years later The Wire(The final episode aired.)
The show was first aired in 1995. It was highly praised for its realistic portrayal of what goes on inside the halls of power. Each season focuses on a different area of the city, such as the police department, newspaper, school system, and so forth. Cocreator Ed BurnsThis realism is one reason the series has such lasting power.
“This show will live forever, because what it tries to portray will be around forever,” the former detective told The New York TimesIn May 2022. “It’s just getting worse and worse. That’s all. And it’s expanding; it’s not just an urban thing anymore. It’s everywhere.”
Scroll down to see the cast. The WireDoing now.