At the end of the decade a number of television critics, including those at Cinema Blend put The Wire on its best of the two thousand aughts lists. Personally, I think The Wire is the greatest drama in television history. That’s heady praise and not something I throw out there without thought. Now, according to Variety, DirectTV subscribers who missed The Wire in its initial run on HBO can enjoy the entire series uncut and in high definition.
In The Wire, writer and creator David Simon tells the story of life in Baltimore from the eyes of the police officers (corrupt and clean), lowliest drug addicts, street corner dealers, school kids, politicians and seemingly everyone else in between. The series plays out like a combination documentary and novel, put to the television screen with stunning realism and clarity. Each of the five seasons of The Wire deals with another facet of city life (schools, drugs, media, politics) and how those entities interact, effect, and influence each other. It’s a case study in the urban downfall and how the machinations of a city consume everyone within its borders.
DirectTV will begin airing the show on July 18th. Get your DVRs ready.
