By Jamil Weeks

Ever since the airing of the first television show approximately 96 years ago, there have been many contenders worthy of claiming the throne as being the greatest television series in history. Groundbreaking shows like Game of Thrones, Seinfeld, Breaking Bad, and The Sopranos not only achieved critical acclaim and high ratings, but also penetrated pop culture. Those rare shows that tap into the human psyche in telling stories in creatively unique ways. One series that was a staple in my household during the mid 2000s was birthed from the same HBO original programming machine that brought you Oz, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Boardwalk Empire. A show that produced countless quotables, memes, and nuanced, complicated characters. A bold series that put a spotlight on the inner workings of the drug game in Baltimore. The show in question is the David Simon creation, The Wire. As an avid fan, I will break down why I consider The Wire to be the greatest television show of all time.

We have several examples of television series that revolve around cops’ pursuit of the “bad guys”. You have never seen a television show more comprehensive in storytelling than The Wire. Exploring the effects of crime in West Baltimore, we are given a complete bird’s eye view of every angle of the drug trade. The inner workings of street drug organizations. The fiends hopelessly addicted to their drugs. The stick-up kids they go to war with in the streets. The docks where they import their product. The cops who investigate them. The press that covers crime. The crooked politicians that exploit them. The school systems that failed them. No stone is left unturned. The tie that binds them altogether is the politics that govern their individual worlds. Never before have we seen a show provide such an in-depth look into street life. Fans witness how these different worlds intertwine with each other and how that affects the city as a whole. Each season is a window into the different moving parts of the city, whether it be the docks from Season 2 or the local media from Season 5. Along this journey, we are introduced to unforgettable characters witnessing their story arcs. Simon elevated The Wire from being a typical cop show to being in a class of its own in giving you a guided tour of drug distribution in Baltimore. The tour takes you from the projects and corners to the police precincts and courtrooms, as well as into city and state government offices.

Another reason The Wire stands out from the rest is the authenticity of the story Simon is telling. Being a former journalist and writer, The Wire takes a more realistic tone than your average series. The Wire was shot in real locations in the city and employed real Baltimore residents to paint a truthful portrait of city life. Who better to tell their story than the city itself and its inhabitants. Given Simon’s background, The Wire feels more like a docuseries than a crime drama. Simon strips out the sensational elements to provide a more sobering approach to storytelling. Outside of the opening and closing credits, the show is devoid of an original score. The dialogue and costume design is genuine to the city of Baltimore. Characters in the story are based upon real people. Plot points in the series often unfold as they would in the real world. Making it to the final episode of the series feels like watching an extended 60 minutes segment covering crime in Baltimore. The Wire is the epitome of art imitating life.

What brings the story to life are the complex characters the series revolves around. In some cases you get to follow some of the characters throughout all five seasons. The Wire delivers fully fleshed out characters with clear motivations for their actions. Simon gives you the good and the bad within each character. You see examples of how the cops pursuing the “bad guys” are flawed in their investigative approach and in their own personal lives. You also witness how the neighborhood transforms innocent kids into killers, drug dealers, and dope fiends. There are scenes where you are repulsed on how the police hierarchy operates in their response to rising crime, while other scenes highlight the humanity in the hustlers pushing drugs on West Baltimore streets. For example, Stringer Bell is not just an evil drug dealer. Stringer is portrayed as intelligent with aspirations to rise above the drug game into real estate. The series rips your heart out as you watch characters you invested in getting killed, going to prison, and getting betrayed. As heartbreaking as some of these characters’ stories end, these tragic but realistic outcomes are indicative of what is happening in communities all over the country. Simon reminds the audience how the drug trade is really a game that is rigged against its participants.

The Wire has one of the greatest ensemble casts created. The show was a breeding ground for talent and Simon struck a bullseye with each role casting. Many of the actors who appeared in The Wire went on to become big stars. Arguably the biggest star that got his first big start in The Wire was Idris Elba. Elba has carved out an impressive career in film, television, and video games. Leveraging his skill set from his portrayal of Stringer Bell in The Wire, Elba worked his way to the top of Hollywood appearing in blockbuster franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Fast and Furious, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Another Wire actor who hit it big was Michael K. Williams. Williams went on to star in other hit HBO shows like Boardwalk Empire and Lovecraft Country, as well as make appearances in other renowned television series like Law and Order and CSI. Landing roles in over 50 movies, Williams worked elite directors like Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua, Ben Affleck, and Paul Thomas Anderson. Michael B. Jordan broke our hearts in his death scene on The Wire. However, our hearts were healed watching his ascent into stardom. Starring in Marvel’s Black Panther and the Creed trilogy, Jordan has graduated from being a movie star to directing and producing films. Jordan and frequent collaborator, Ryan Coogler, have become the modern day Denzel and Spike. Other Wire actors that have made a splash in television and film include Hassan Campbell, Wood Harris, Wendell Pierce, Lance Reddick, Pablo Schreiber, and rapper, Method Man. Their roles in The Wire provided the perfect platform to showcase their talent, especially since the show gained a cult following.

A hallmark of a great show is the addictive quality if the story. In that capacity, I become a fiend with each viewing of The Wire, with Simon being my pusher. No matter how many times I have seen all five seasons, I watch just one episode and I am sucked back into the story. Next thing you know, I am watching the entire series again. The Wire is a show that gets better with each watch. The details in depicting realistic police work with wire taps, subpoenas, and the governmental policies that affect those investigations makes for a fascinating watch into the police work that goes into solving cases. Simon’s sophisticated impression of how the city’s underbelly operates under police scrutiny is equally engrossing. The grittiness of the show and the way Simon turns despicable characters into beloved individuals is an exercise in just how immersive the story becomes the more you watch. Simon places the audience in the middle of ground zero of the abyss that is the Baltimore streets. The raw and bold storytelling often takes viewers to dark places they were not expecting to travel. Oddly enough, the darkness is hypnotic to those unfamiliar with that way of life. Simon plunges you into that world without you physically having to experience the harsh realities for yourself. The way Simon is able to juggle the storylines of all these characters, where often their stories intersect, makes for a show that I will never grow tired of watching.

The Wire is a time capsule. Baltimore takes center stage but the universal themes of the show could apply to any American city. The show is also Simon’s indictment of our country’s institutions, such as the criminal justice system, schools, and press. Simon accurately portrays how drugs affect the community, no matter what one’s social status. Through his own investigative journalism, Simon was able to translate reality into an emotionally-gripping and entertaining television show. The portrait Simon paints is that the world we live in is not so much black and white, but rather different shades of gray. Where cops break rules to get criminals off the street. Where the desperation from living in poverty forces ordinary people into morally compromising situations that has ripple affects on the community as a whole. A thoughtful show that examines the socio-economic factors rooted in crime. A series that goes farther than any movie or show before or after it in exploring the drug trade through more lenses than crime fans are normally accustomed. Sadly, a show that is relevant today as drugs continue to plague the United States. The Wire is a show where you get to meet people from different vantage points in life, making the show relatable to people from different demographics. A timeless show with beautifully written characters that leave an indelible impression on the fans of the show. Rest in peace to Reg E. Cathey, Leo Fitzpatrick, Robert Hogan, Lance Reddick, Melvin Williams, and Michael K. Williams.