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I know most of you saw all this years ago, just finished series 4 via BBC2 last night. It has all been said before but
THIS IS THE BEST TV EVER.
I actually found it pretty hard to watch, focusing as it did on the failures of the school system and the hellish situation those kids find themselves in. Good teachers, foster parents and cops just swimming against the tide in a hopeless situation.
It seemed like a pretty conventional cops and robbers show but the more it goes on the more angry and political it gets.
Roll on series 5.
series 4 is the best
5 is good too though
Series four was the peak. Really powerful stuff.
Series five gets a bit silly, tbh.
Paul Simon was a reporter on the Baltimore Sun, seems S5 is the most accurate depiction of a newsroom ever put on film.
I read his first book "Homicide" on holiday, really fabulous bit of true crime writing. He basically lived with a detective squad for a whole year before he even got to writing the book.
I've got the book waiting for me to read it. David Simon you mean. Unless Art Garfunkel's former partner has branched out.
As a former local newspaper reporter myself, I found the newsroom scenes more realistic than most - but still drastically over-simplified and highly unlikely.
But it was the McNulty-related storyline (trying not to spoil it for people) that really got my goat.
Quite a serious mis-fire at the end of an amazing, amazing show IMO.
I've got all series on DVD. I agree about the McNulty story arc being a bit ridiculous in series five, but it does lead to some great comedic moments.
It was a silly storyline really, but enjoyable none the less.
Yes Pauls brother David is the writer (ahem).
Sounds like I'm going to be suitably disappointed by S5 then. I love that they make no concessions to convention or playing to the audience, sympahthetic characters get killed off at the drop of a hat (Stringer, Bodie) regardless how central they might feel to the story.
......there has been a lot of talk about race on STW lately, as ever. Strange thing about the Wire, I found I stopped even thinking about colour of individuals. Maybe it is because the cast is 70-80% black but I dont think so, not sure why.....
I really just couldn't get into the wire. I have *cough* acquired all the seasons, but after watching the first few eps of season 1 I felt slightly underwhelmed. I thought it was quite slow and struggled to stay awake, I also had this problem with predictable break err I mean prison break 😆 Oh and season 3 of 24.
As a side note has anyone watched the beast?? It's jolly good imho, Patrick Swayze is a right hard ass in it 😆
I've watched it avidly, though I found the violence in 4 sickening
monkeychild, i had the same problem with season 1, keep going it becomes addictive, the first few episodes are just setting up the vast array of characters and main plot.
I will try it again at some point.
Agreed top quality entertainment, bought my dad first four series and recently borrowed them, will be getting him series 5 for christmas, ordering from amazon now 🙂
The Wire is easily the best thing I've seen on TV for a very long time. It does take ages to get into, I watch a fair bit of season one and didn't really get into it. Season two at the port is awesome though, just started season three on FX
its just finding the time to watch a whole series I find difficult - dip in and out here and there
recommend reading homicide and currently reading the corner (as one of 4 novels I currently have on the go)
Wire-related book fans will also enjoy George Pelicanos' crime novels.
It doesn't matter which, they're all a bit the same.
mcboo S5 is a bit "sillier" than 1-4 but I doubt you'll be dissapointed, still far better than 99% of the stuff out there.... (S2 and 4 the best IMO)
Series 4 finale was amazing tv, would love to see a british version or at least a british tv show that had the same degree of depth
monkeychild I did exactly the same. Heard about it, watched a couple of S1, gave up, heard some more hype, tried again, got no further. Charlie Brooker then wrote a piece on it, he knows his onions, decided to give it another go and as above, the penny just dropped.
S2 I loved most so far. I think the whole show is actually all about the subversion of work but is explicately so looking at the dockers.
Favourite all time scene? McNulty and Bunk revisit a cold murder scene, only dialogue "****, ****...(repeat)...."
Possibly the most compelling TV series - ever!
Hard to pick favourite scenes, but I would include: Bunk's epic, [i]epic[/i] speech to Omar on [url=
far we done fell"[/url], Bodie's last stand and the incredibly eerie moment when Lester Freamon susses out that the vacants are tombs.
Praise be to BBC2. WTF I am going to do with my evenings after S5? 😯
Why is this tucked away on BBC2 close to midnight? Should be on BBC1 after the news at 1030. Most of the really great US shows never get the audience they deserve because the Beeb likes making its own stuff (and the budget that comes with them) so fill prime-time with 2nd rate guff.
ITV no better, I mean who EVER watches ITV1 for anything other than Champions League?
best TV ever
and S4 was my favourite
its on bbc2 at midnight because the ****tard population of the is country would rather watch easternders or pop idol than a decent programme
I'm a teacher. I think S4 should be prescribed viewing for CPD for all teachers. Pres's journey and the trauma of the urban youth is excellently portrayed. The only problem is that you'd have to convince doubters to watch S1, S2 and S3, which I thought were excellent too, but you know how teachers love to whine about how busy they are.
I watched the last episode of S5 on a rainy day in Nelson, BC, and knowing there was no more to come left me on a real downer. Probably the best TV I've ever watched.