Recommended viewing: The Wire

OutOfBreathOutOfBreath Posts: 1,804
edited February 2008 in A Moving Train
That is the most engaging and real-feeling tv-series I have seen ever. One thing is that I believe in the characters. They are so well portrayed as to make Sopranos look superficial by comparison. Another is the story-telling, the way in which a story is told over the course of each season and also as a whole.

But what really drags me in is that it seems to be very relevant and critical social commentary on what goes on in the inner city slums of America. The conflicts between system and people and how they resolve themselves. The spot-on depiction of the bureaucratic structure of the court and police. How the top men do what they can to stay in position and look good, while doing as little as possible.

This series have really captured the ambiguity and two-sides-to-the-coin of reality. For any socially aware people, this is a must-see. Which is why I put it on the train

For those of you who have no idea what this is, here's wikipedia on it:
wikipedia wrote:
The Wire is an American television drama set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland. Created, produced, and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series is broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States. The Wire premiered on June 2, 2002, with 60 episodes airing over the course of its five seasons. The fifth and final season, which encompasses 10 episodes, premiered on January 6, 2008.

The plot of the first season centers on the ongoing struggles between police units and drug-dealing gangs on the west side of the city, and is told from both points of view. Subsequent seasons have focused on other facets of the city. The large cast consists mainly of character actors who are little known for their other roles. Simon has said that despite its presentation as a crime drama, the show is "really about the American city, and about how we live together. It's about how institutions have an effect on individuals, and how…whether you're a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge [or] lawyer, you are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution you've committed to."[1]

The Wire has received critical acclaim for its realistic portrayal of urban life and uncommonly deep exploration of sociological themes, and has been named the best show on television by TIME,[2][3] Entertainment Weekly,[4] The Guardian,[5] the Chicago Tribune,[6] Slate,[7] the San Francisco Chronicle[8] and the Philadelphia Daily News.[9] Despite the positive reviews, the show has failed to draw an audience commensurate with its press.[10]

Peace
Dan
"YOU [humans] NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?" - Death

"Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965
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