The Wire: The Complete Series [DVD] [2008]

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The series was remastered in 16:9 high-definition in late 2014. As the series was shot with a 16:9- safe area, the remastered series is an open matte of the original 4:3 framing. [128] Creator David Simon approved the new version, and worked with HBO to remove film equipment and crew members, and solve actor sync problems in the widened frame. [129] The remastered series debuted on HBO Signature, airing the entire series consecutively, and on HBO GO on December 26, 2014. Colvin tells McNulty about Avon's hideout and armed with the information gleaned from selling the Barksdale crew pre-wiretapped disposable cell phones, the detail stages a raid, arresting Avon and most of his underlings. Barksdale's criminal empire lies in ruins and Marlo's young crew simply moves into their territory. The drug trade in West Baltimore continues. Critics have often described the show in literary terms: the New York Times calls it "literary television;" TV Guide calls it "TV as great modern literature;" the San Francisco Chronicle says the series "must be considered alongside the best literature and filmmaking in the modern era;" and the Chicago Tribune says the show delivers "rewards not unlike those won by readers who conquer Joyce, Faulkner or Henry James." [77] [79] [102] [103] 'The Wire Files', an online collection of articles published in darkmatter Journal, critically analyzes The Wire 's racialized politics and aesthetics of representation. [104] Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "The deft writing—which used the cop-genre format to give shape to creator David Simon's scathing social critiques—was matched by one of the deepest benches of acting talent in TV history." [105]

Much of what makes The Wire work so well is that it seems to feature real people doing many of the things real people do. To that end, the pacing of The Wire is special. The slow, dialogue heavy approach is so much more realistic than the action orientated shows that waste most of the space on TV schedules. Season 1 is the best example of the pacing and it takes a few episodes to build the dawning realisation that The Wire is awesome.Edwards, Haley Sweetland (June 2, 2013). "Should Martin O'Malley Be President?". Washington Monthly. May/June 2013. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013 . Retrieved October 20, 2013. Graphic art provides the input and the output will sound literally unheard of,” says Letra / Tone festival

Alongside Simon, the show's creator, head writer, showrunner, and executive producer, much of the creative team behind The Wire were alumni of Homicide and Primetime Emmy Award-winning miniseries The Corner. The Corner veteran, Robert F. Colesberry, was executive producer for the first two seasons and directed the season 2 finale before dying from complications from heart surgery in 2004. He is credited by the rest of the creative team as having a large creative role as a producer, and Simon credits him for achieving the show's realistic visual feel. [5] He also had a small recurring role as Detective Ray Cole. [24] Colesberry's wife Karen L. Thorson joined him on the production staff. [19] A third producer on The Corner, Nina Kostroff Noble also stayed with the production staff for The Wire rounding out the initial four-person team. [19] Following Colesberry's death, she became the show's second executive producer alongside Simon. [25]Goodman, Tim (May 30, 2003). "HBO scores again with a stellar second season of 'The Wire' ". San Francisco Chronicle. The first season introduces two major groups of characters: the Baltimore Police Department and a drug dealing organization run by the Barksdale family. The season follows the police investigation of the latter over its 13 episodes. Fenton, Justin (December 14, 2012). "Donnie Andrews, inspiration for Omar character on "The Wire," dies". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved December 20, 2012. All-Time 100 TV Shows". Time. September 6, 2007. Archived from the original on October 22, 2011 . Retrieved March 9, 2013.

Maxim Interrogates the Makers and Stars of The Wire– A large 2012 interview with David Simon, Ed Burns, other crew, and most of the principal cast members. a b c Talbot, Margaret (October 22, 2007). "Stealing Life". The New Yorker . Retrieved October 14, 2007. In 2007, Time listed it among the one hundred best television series of all-time. [92] In 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked The Wire as the ninth best written TV series. [93] In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Wire as the fifth greatest drama [94] and the sixth greatest show of all time. [95] In 2013, Entertainment Weekly listed the show at No. 6 in their list of the "26 Best Cult TV Shows Ever," describing it as "one of the most highly praised series in HBO history" and praising Michael K. Williams's acting as Omar Little. [96] Entertainment Weekly also named it the number one TV show of all-time in a special issue in 2013. [97]Killers are portrayed in exceptionally rounded ways in The Wire. When the Stansfield Crew become prominent in Series 4 and 5 the body count goes way up. The callous brutality of Marlow is delivered by his enforcers Chris and Snoop. Snoop is one of the most engaging and witty characters, her B-More slang, strong accent, and rapid fire banter make Snoop arguably the funniest mass murderer in television history with the scene in the hardware store being particularly funny. Actress Felicia Pearson's own life story plays into her character so very well. Snoop's line "How my hair look Mike?" is perhaps the most moving line throughout the entire series, offering a glimpse into the person Snoop might well really be underneath the cold blood killer exterior. Sheffield, Rob (September 21, 2016). "100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022 . Retrieved September 22, 2016. The New Yorker Profiles David Simon– A long profile article about David Simon with info about season five as well as his next project.