The Wire, Starting April 6th

**Django** · April-02-11, 05:06 PM

I know we have some fans of The Wire here on Dyes. I just heard season one will be starting April 6th on FX.

Like all good shows you can watch these over and over and catch something new you didnt notice before every time.

"Omars comin"

If theres enough responses here Ill start a thread on the 6th after the show, if Im home to catch it.

To me The Wire isnt just some TV crime drama, its a piece of art, if it wast I wouldnt be bringing it up here.

**firstandten** · April-02-11, 05:24 PM

You're right The Wire is a small screen classic

**ejames01** · April-03-11, 08:52 PM

Have all 5 seasons on DVD

**TKshreve** · April-03-11, 09:20 PM

Direct TV plays it weekly [[uncensored) on the T101 channel. Even though I watched the entire series via Netflix, like you suggested, I rewatch it every time it is on. What a great show.

**Django** · April-03-11, 09:29 PM

I watched it also from start to finish using Netflix, one DVD after another straight through till the end. I was totally addicted.

I guess we could all just go to ejames house and watch it there, what do you say ejames, you got some popcorn?

**Detroitnerd** · April-04-11, 08:56 AM

I'm up to season three on DVD. It's about as close as a TV series has ever come to being a novel.

**maxx** · April-05-11, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

I'm up to season three on DVD. It's about as close as a TV series has ever come to being a novel.

You should probably qualify that statement. It's as close as an American TV series ...etc.. Did you see the series "The SInging Detective"? Or the CBC's series of "The Hitchhiker's Guide"?

**Jimaz** · April-05-11, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by maxx

... Or the CBC's series of "The Hitchhiker's Guide"?

Wait. I'm a big fan of the Guide. Was the CBC version this or this or something else I haven't seen yet?

**Django** · April-11-11, 02:24 AM

Damn, I somehow got my info about The Wire from a FX UK station. I thought I had just missed it last Wednesday. I just streamed episode 1 from some website while looking forward to this Wednesdays episode 2 on FX but its not happening, unless you live in the UK..

Sorry folks, oh well, this thread didnt get much play anyway. I thought there were more Wire fans here.

Still, best show ever.

I want to thank Dodger for giving me the books Homicide and Clockers. David Simon is a true artist.
I passed them on to other true fans.
If you liked The Wire I suggest you check out these two books. Homicide was especially good.

**maxx** · April-11-11, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Wait. I'm a big fan of the Guide. Was the CBC version this or this or something else I haven't seen yet?

I think it's the first. I saw it via the CBC in the 80s. I think it had 13 installments.

**maxx** · April-11-11, 12:08 PM

I looked for The Wire on FX, but nothing. I missed it the first time around. It seemed to be about drugs so I really wasn't interested in it, but I was willing to watch it now to discuss it.Movies about drug lords and drug wars don't appeal to me usually.

**Django** · April-11-11, 04:18 PM

Sorry Maxx, I made a mistake. I was looking at a UK tv guide online for the FX channel over there.

The theme of the show does revolve around drugs but much more than that. Its more about the whole war on drugs from both sides. From the bottom dealers on the street to the corrupt officials in office. From the street cops to the Mayor who are trying to deal with the task of enforcing the laws. Each season has a different setting such as the docks in Baltimore and the shipments of drugs that come in and how. Another season revolves around the newspaper writers. Another has an officer who wants to create a red light district.

Id suggest renting the first disc or watching the first episode online, heres a link
http://www.tvkuro.com/the-wire/the-w...n-1-episode-1/ After you press the PLAY button get rid of the ad and underneath the ad is the same PLAY button, press it again and youll have it. Took me a while to figure that out

The third season I believe is my favorite.

Season 1 Episode 1 sets it up nicely. I love the story of Snot Boogie, Jimmy McNulty always sums up whats going on so everyone can understand the deeper aspects of whatever is going on. Fucking genius writing.

I also thought the difference in cops was really interesting, the street cops who dont think too much but just want to bust heads "The western District Way" and the detectives who recognize their idiocy "Fighting the war on drugs one brutality case at a time"

Much of its obvious BS, the amazingly structured drug crews and their rules are just too much but still done well.

The street users such as Bubbles is another view. I guess its just interesting seeing and trying to understand all the different lives and the attitudes that go with them.

**TKshreve** · April-11-11, 08:12 PM

Django.... well said!

It's one thing I like about the show so much. You have so many viewpoints looking at the same set of problems that plague the average American city. It gives incredible insight into why things do not get done [[legally and ethically) within a cities public workeforce. It exposes crime channels, whether they're blue collar or white. There are so many levels to this series, it makes your head spin.

And I second the notion on this not only being a drug/gangster series. Way, way more than that.

By the end you feel remorse and empathy for many of the characters you would never suspect.

**maxx** · April-12-11, 05:39 PM

django: Much of its obvious BS, the amazingly structured drug crews and their rules are just too much but still done well.

That sounds like Harry Dean Stanton's speech about the repo man's code. Too funny.

Thanks for the summary. I am very dismayed by the amount of crime-related TV shows there are. I'm inclined to agree with Michael Moore that if you watch enough of that sort of TV, you can't help but get paranoid.

**Django** · April-12-11, 07:23 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IzCyp-dwbs

"A mans got to have a code" "indeed" Omar Little

**East Detroit** · April-13-11, 12:31 AM

All in the game, yo. All in the game.

**firstandten** · April-13-11, 08:16 AM

The writers took many of their plot lines from real life experiences in B-more. For example the Hamsterdam story line from season three was taken from the real life mayor at the time Kurt Schmoke who favored decriminalization of drugs and was roundly bashed by the media when he proposed the concept.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamsterdam

**Django** · April-13-11, 02:08 PM

The actor who played Snoop [[the hitwoman) did prison time for murder and just recently got busted for heroin and is facing more time.

One of Omars two friends in county lockup who helped him out with a cell phone and knife was head of a large crew of dealers in Bmore. This is unconfirmed though, a rumor I heard.

The Deacon was also a large scale dealer in Bmore, Melvin Williams.

Bubbs NA/AA sponsor is in real life country musics Steve Earle, a recovering addict.

Bubbs white sidekick and student of the streets is Leo Fitzpatrick who was himself a street punk. He was "discovered" by one of my favorite photographers and directors Larry Clark for his movie Kids. I recently saw him on a few episodes of Sons of Anarchy as a prospect of the MC but was cut from the show apparently, I was sad to see him go, he would have made a great character as a biker.

Kurt Schmoke really got a raw deal on his ideas back then, a real civil servant thinking way ahead of his time.