The Wire is known as one of the most compelling crime dramas in Television history. The series was created by David Simon, a former police reporter, and his writing partner Ed Burns.
The series aired in June 2002 and had 60 episodes over five seasons. The Wire closely examines how real American lives are intertwined with the institutions of power and authority.
The show featured a largely unknown cast and crew but soon became the center of attention through the power of its storytelling and plot framing.
Realistic and natural themes were a significant force that pushed the show forward.
Cast and Characters
The Wire has a vast cast and is divided according to the different institutions, further divided into five seasons.
James “Jimmy” McNulty, played by Dominic West
Dominic West played his career-best role as the strong-hearted yet flawed protagonist of the series. Jimmy McNulty is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department.
He is shown to break the rules often and go ahead with his investigations rather than obey the chain of command. He is also shown to be constantly struggling with divorce and sexual promiscuity.
The character of Jimmy McNulty is based on the show’s co-creator Ed Burns.
William “Bunk” Moreland, played by Wendell Price
The best friend of Jimmy and another top cop in the Baltimore Police Department. He is also shown to encompass some of the significant character flaws of McNulty but is more rooted within the chain of command.
Cedric Daniels, played by Lance Reddick
Cedric Daniels is the lieutenant of the Baltimore Police Department, who portrayed the direct commanding officer of the team. He is a nonsense leader who always tries to keep the team in line.
William Rawls, played by John Doman
William Rawls is the ruthless and career-oriented commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department. He is very reserved about his personal life and takes extreme measures to climb the career ladder.
Tommy Carcetti, played by Aiden Gillen
Tommy Carcetti is an ambitious politician who often locks heads and helps out the Baltimore Police Department. By the show’s end, he became a governor though he started as a councilman.
Stringer Bell, played by Idris Alba
Stringer Bell is one of the primary antagonists of the show. He is the second in command of Avon Barksdale, Baltimore’s drug kingpin and criminal empire. He is very flamboyant and intelligent and looks up to Avon for his professionalism.
Avon Barksdale, played by Wood Harris
Avon Barksdale is one of the Wire’s principal antagonists and is very intelligent and professional. He looks for absolute power and knows the power dynamics of various gangs and institutions.
Awards and Accolades
As mentioned before, the Wire is highly acclaimed but only has won a few awards, such as the Writers Guild of America Award in 2008 Directors Guild of America Award in 2009. It also won a Peabody Award and was nominated for ten Television Critics awards. It was also nominated for two primetime Emmys but did not win.