The Wire

American crime drama television series (2002–2008)

TV series · TMDB

★ 8.6

Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy, and distinctions between good and evil are routinely obliterated.

Aired: 2002–2008
Seasons: 5 · 60 episodes
Status: Ended
Created by: David Simon
Network: HBO
Genres: Crime, Drama

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Key facts

Genre: Crime drama Police procedural Serial drama Political drama Tragedy
Created by: David Simon
Showrunner: David Simon
Theme music composer: Tom Waits

Article

The Wire is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered on June 2, 2002, and ended on March 9, 2008, comprising 60 episodes over five seasons. The idea for the show started out as a police drama loosely based on the experiences of Simon's writing partner Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and public school teacher.

Set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland, The Wire introduces a different institution of the city and its relationship to law enforcement in each season while retaining characters and advancing storylines from previous seasons. The five subjects are, in chronological order: the illegal drug trade, the port system, the city government and bureaucracy, education and schools, and the print news medium. Simon chose to set the show in Baltimore because of his familiarity with the city.