Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over Binding: DVD EAN: 7321900253949 Format: PAL Label: Warner Home Video Manufacturer: Warner Home Video Number Of Items: 5 Publisher: Warner Home Video Region Code: 2 Release Date: 2005-04-18 Running Time: 720 Studio: Warner Home Video
Television really doesn’t come much better than this. Criminally ignored by far, far too many people, The Wire has proven itself to be that rarest of things: an intelligent, clever, character-driven show, that’s lasted more than one season.
This boxset brings together all the episodes from the maiden series of The Wire, spread across thirteen episodes. Yet those episodes, unlike many in the police genre where the show spends a good deal of its time, are dedicated to just one case. Furthermore, it follows both sides of the case. Thus, there’s the Baltimore police department, with its statistics to manage, its internal politics to manage and its chain of command to respect, set against a highly organised drug gang, who too have more than their fair share of problems.
The Wire is a slow burn show, taking time to delicate put its pieces in place. Rarely do you get a dramatic end to an episode, and it’s not afraid to humanise and blur the lines between good and bad. But, bluntly, there’s nothing--not even The Sopranos--that US TV has broadcast in the last ten years that can hold a torch to it. This first series is genuinely outstanding television, and really deserves your attention. And the good news? Excellent as it is, this first series isn’t even the best that The Wire has to offer…--Simon Brew
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Please tap into one of the most brilliant TV drama's of all time Comment: After Soprano's came to an end last year over here in blighty last year I was wondering would another series come along to give it a run for it's money.
I'm not sure what people think of David Chase's Mafia Epic but I can imagine cries of overrated being called out, I personally found utterly engrossing TV and simply sublime, I was somewhat sad to see it end but grateful Chase chose it to go out on high and yes I was perfectly happy with the opened ended abrupt ending to the final episode. Chase never was going to do conventional.
While I admit Showtime's Dexter started to fill that void, the 1st season was a great intro to the world of Miami's most interesting serial killer the 2nd season took the concept and ran with it, the 3rd season seems rather sedate but seems to hotting up, I knew it was falling short of Tony Soprano's Journey.
At last I've found my void well and truly filled and HBO's (god these guy are so far ahead in the game) The Wire may well eclipse Chase's genius series. David Simon a Journalist who had written the treatment for what became the TV series Homicide Life on the Street, alongide ex Cop Ed Burns also like Simon a award winning writer of Drug related crime lliterature conceived this exemplelary series.
An excellent basis for what is simply one of the most engrossing thing I've ever seen, knocks spots off most theatrical releases and it's broad canvas and rich characters make for a series which becomes more addictive each episode, I watched the 1st series in just over a week and the 2nd is a done deal as well, can't wait for season 3 which I should start today.
Season 1 introduces us to a rich vein of characters on both sides, the cops at times are nearly as dirty as the dealers. a detailed exmaination of the Baltimore underbelly where the dealing heroin is just an everyday thing. A Detail of cops is put together to build a case against a relatively unknown drug dealer called Avon Barksdale who has managed to elude the spot light but due to some of his people beating a conviction and the murder of an eye witness, the Baltimore Police department is determined to brings some convictions using wire taps, surveilance and paperwork .
Dominic West (yes he is a Brit) heads the cast as the not always likeable but compelling Homicide Detective James "Jimmy" Mcnulty seconded from Homicide to the detail after intiating the investiagtion due to his connections to now Legal Judge Daniel Phelan played by Peter Gerety, who Jimmy lets slip details of a recent case that failed involving Avon Barksdale's crew members who leans on Frankie Faison's Commisioner Ervin Burrell to act, Jimmy always a thorn in his superior Major William Rawls side, gets deeper involved in the situation and puts Burrell in a compromsing situation which results in the detail being formed due to the Judge's inability to stop shouting his mouth off after Jimmy rather naively takes him into his confidence. Mcnulty joins Lieutenant Cedric Daniels crew, a stern no nonsence performance from Lance Reddick.
The group which in includes Detectives, lesbian Kima Greggs, Lester Freamon, Ellis Carver, Thomas "Herc" Hauk as well as Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski, only there due to his father in law being Deputy Comm Valchek, someone who will figure prominently in Season 2. Daniels is also afforded by Burrell some dead beat near retirement officiers who give the impression Burrel has no intention of letting this investiagtion run for too long, enough time to humour the Judge in his quest for convictions and is looking for either quick results which doesn't dig to deep or closing it down due to failure to bulid a case
Mcnulty continues his Homicide cases alongside partner the deep voiced Detective William "Bunk" Moreland (Wendell Pierce) who Jimmy continues to investigate current cases which have connections to his investigations with the Detail a murder with ties to Barksdale.
Although when Lester (an excellent Clarke Peters) starts to uncover money connections that lead to highly connected officials, the investigation has the breaks halted on it and the team are told to concentrate on the hoods and the drugs.
As well as this we get the perspective of the drug dealers, as well as Wood Harris's intimidating Barksdale, Avon's right hand the superb Idris Elba as Stringer Bell (another Brit) including Avon's own nephew D'Angelo a superb Larry Gillard Jnr, who has recently beat the conviction which helps to fuel the beginnings of Daniel's Details investigation.
D'Angelo is in charge of his patch and has under is command a group of would be gangster teenager pushing heroin on the neighbourhood which the Detail zero on in for the majority of their operation. Gillard is brilliant in conveying the uncertainty of his dealings in his Uncle's empire and is the moral concience of this season
Amongst this are colourful characters like Junkie Bubbles (Andre Royo) who is also a snitch for detail cop Kima Greggs. Michael K Williams charismatic homosexual under dog Omar who is a blight in Barksdale schemes and after Avon's orders result in the death of his lover becomes determined to be the fly in Avons ointment by upsetting his operations.
The Wire is simply astonishingly good, the acting is consistently brilliant and the storytelling and plotting is masterful, I thought maybe the critics were maybe going over the top with their plaudits for this HBO drama but it is that good and is without doubt the greatest TV series since HBO's own Soprano's. Customer Rating: Summary: The Bomb Comment: This Wire is a great show, I'm no TV buff but think that this is the kind of stuff television was made for- it is complex and difficult but worth every single minute of your attention. It's greatest acheivement for me is that this is an ensemble piece with something like twenty main characters, all of which gradually unfurl throughout the series.
If you want to be challenged, watch this.
If you're going to be offended by the language, don't.
Customer Rating: Summary: The Wire Comment: Cracking series.
Had heard alot about it and it lived upto it's billing.
Enjoy Customer Rating: Summary: GREAT TV Comment: I can't believe that it's taken me this long to hear about and watch The Wire. As other reviewers have said, it is a gritty, realistic cop drama with a high body count.
The characters are great (particularly Omar, Bunk and McNulty) and the story lines well thought-out with lots of twists and turns. I was gripped.
One slight criticism; the sound quality wasn't great and I was straining to hear what some of the characters were saying. (In the end I put on the subtitles which did detract a little from the drama but at least I could follow what was being said.)
The only problem with buying a box set is that you end up saying, "Let's watch just one more episode." You have been warned! Customer Rating: Summary: Clever, intelligent, realistic, slightly boring Comment: The Wire is the latest in a long line of programmes that newspaper reviewers tell us are the best thing on TV. Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Battlestar Galactica, now The Wire. And like all these other shows it is good. It is a show with three dimensional characters in believable real world situations. It deals with issues that other programmes don't touch. It is intelligent and complex and everything you would want from challenging TV. Like all these other greatest TV shows it is also a little boring.
There are other shows which have little of the qualities listed above. They are full of stereotypes and clichés. There is a despicable villain and an unusually good looking team of detectives with unfeasibly accurate powers of detection. Every episode ends on a cliffhanger. Let us face it. They are rubbish. But every week you cannot wait to see what happens next.
So, to sum up. If you want social realism and a challenge then get The Wire, it's perfect for you. If you want some less worthy and just require entertainment then get Dexter instead.
