THE WIRE

HBO’s hit action-drama series The Wire dropped its first episode in 2002, with fans initially thinking the show was, to a huge degree, just another police drama. As its episodes and seasons unveiled, the show showed the ins and outs of the criminal justice system and focused specifically on Baltimore, Maryland. The story may seem inspired by former Baltimore journalist and author David Simon’s realizations about the judicial system.

The series revolves around the lives of characters Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), Omar Little (Michael K. Williams), Kima Greggs (Sonja Sohn), Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), and defense attorney Maurice Levy (Michael Kostroff). What made The Wire a truly remarkable hit was the fact that the showrunners did not hesitate to kill off lead characters, whom fans loved so well, for the sake of a good story. For 60 episodes, The Wire tackled various socio-political issues like the drug trade, mayoral politics, union longshoremen, print journalism, and the school system. While The Wire has long ended, it cannot be denied much of what it featured are still relevant today.