Quite rightly critically acclaimed during its five season run The Wire builds its story and characters slowly over the course of the opening episodes. Stick with it though and you will be rewarded with arguably the most complex and fascinating show in TV history.
Set in Baltimore the show follows both sides of the war against drugs in an inner city area. What sets The Wire apart from the majority of other programmes is that everything is not simply black or white, not all the criminals are bad guys and the cops and politicians can be just as corrupt as any drug dealer. For me the show reached its peak during seasons three and four but, after the slow opening, The Wire is fantastic viewing throughout.
Quite simply the best TV series ever made, as the title states. The storylines are both interesting and realistic, there are so many fantastic characters it's difficult to name a favourite. Unlike many other programmes I have watched and enjoyed, this never seems to lose focus or be treading water with the plot. Not a single wasted episode. Believe the hype- this is an absolute steal. BUY IT!
About a year ago I brought the Sopranos box set. It seemed a lot to pay for a show I'd never seen a single episode of but I loved gangster movies and thought it worth the risk. I thought it would take me ages to watch it but I got through all 83 episodes in less than a moth. The only disapointing thing was the empty feeling I had when I'd finished watching it. Surely it couldn't be bettered? WRONG! I recently brought the Wire. What can I say, Fantastic! really can't say enough about this series. It's exciting, interesting, action packed, disturbing, clever and at times confusing. Well worth buying.