Each season of
The Wire focuses on a different facet of the city of Baltimore. They are, in order: the drug trade, the port, the city bureaucracy, the school system, and the print news media. The large
cast consists mainly of character actors who are little known for their other roles. Simon has said that despite its presentation 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, and how¦whether you're a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge [or] lawyer, you are ultimately compromised and
must contend with whatever institution you've committed to."
the main cast:
why should I watch this show?
The Wire has won many awards including the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series in 2007. This show has also made it onto many "Top TV Show" lists including TIME Magazine's 10 Best TV Shows list, making it to #1 on that list in 2006.
The Wire has been praised by critics numerous times, being dubbed one of the greatest television shows of all time.
