The Wire TV Series - any good?

It is the best TV series I have ever seen.

Give it 4 episodes though; there have been those that couldn't hack it.

fair enough recommendation, will certainly give it a chance

cheers

it's superb and rewarding.

unlike all the other american series which are duly extended series after series, gradually becoming more contrived as the writers look to drag it out, the entire story arc of the wire was mapped out and adhered to for a defined number of series.

Lots of people say this is best show ever

I watched the first 7 episodes a few years back then missed the 8th and didn't bother after

Starts off quite poorly IMO .Very familiar character types , and very derivative of other programmes/films . There is a very stupid scene where 2 cops just say 'fcuk' about 100 times with no other dialogue .Hard to see why that was other than a self concious attempt to contrive a 'classic scene'

Though as there must be 100 episodes in all maybe it gets a lot better

good info

will see how it goes, I deliberately avoided watching the Sopranos for years as I am vehemently opposed to gangs, criminals and other low life but someone I respect greatly persuaded me it was a high quality show

indeed it was but I detested the wiseguys right from the start

By the time they get to the NAILGUN it's electric...

Yeah The Sopranos was amazing and i also expected it to be awful. When i read a preview i thought 'jeez hasn't that subject been done to death'  and only watched the 1st episode because i was looking for something that i had recorded and someone else had taped over it with that. But right away could see this was different not only from other gangster sagas but from anything else that had been on TV.

The Wire though starts slowly and unsurprisingly . I should give it another go but it sounds like quite a commitment .

Like most folks, I couldn't believe it would be better than The Sopranos but...let's just say that The Sopranos is Canford Cliffs and The Wire is Frankel...

must be good then because the Sopranos was incredibly high quality even though I hated all the characters

Politics...PO-LICE...Chain of Command...Education...The Streets...The Church...the Media...the Courts and Lawyers...DIY stores...everything was covered.

At first glance it appears to be just another cop show...however stick with it.. what prevails is just pure unrivaled brilliance.

will do

Getting the complete box set as a christmas prezzie so quite looking forward to it.

The first two seasons are very good, then they get worse and worse imo. Wish I had never watched seasons 3-5. It's not that they are terribly bad, but they tarnish your memory of the first two seasons.

It seems lots of people think the fourth season is the best though, and also rate the third higher than the first two.

For me it's 2>1>>>3>4>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>5

Brilliant series, not sure what tobes means by the characters are familiar. Not many shows around that show the clear connection between politics and the police as good as this one, well certainly not in uk shows.

Fantastic show  ...... mind not as good as David Simon's previous work the incomparable Homicide Life On The Street.

I am reading his book at the moment , he spent a year with the Baltimore PD ,this led to the tv dramas he made .....oh it's a signed copy as well.

The first two seasons are very good, then they get worse and worse imo. Wish I had never watched seasons 3-5. It's not that they are terribly bad, but they tarnish your memory of the first two seasons


Sort of agree but if you watch 1-2 you will be so fecking addicted that you will watch 3-5

"...I have form for watching shows after everyone"

Same here and I don't usally get round to watching them at all.

The more people bang on about how good a show is the more determined I am not to watch it.

Then I think, hey maybe I'm missing out on something here.

I've recently been forced into watching an episode of Downton Abbey for the first time.

I didn't have a clue what was going on but I could see it was extremely good and I know I would like it.

So now I'm going to buy myself all the past series of Downton Abbey, on DVD, for Christmas

Never seen The Wire so can't comment on that. Have no idea what it's about.

I could lend you Downton Abbey, Rick, when I've watched it

Never heard of it

hi Sue, hope you are feeling better - I can't watch Downton, it makes me want to kick the TV screen in. My grand parents were in service in the 1910-1930s and told me all about it

Thw Wire -it's 67 Gb of material so it is taking its time coming down lol

can't wait to start, will let you know

I'm fine thanks Rick

Yes, I know what you mean about Downton. I thought as I was watching it that they were painting an unbelievably  false, rosy picture, of life 'below stairs'.

I recently watched an excellent series on this very thing. Did you see it? It was in 3 parts, can't think what it was called.

Life was unbelivably grim for those below stairs.

Anyway, I've just sent for the first series of Downton. I need something to watch over the winter.

Enjoy The Wire.

I am vehemently opposed to gangs, criminals and other low life

Sounds like The Wire will be right up your street.

Amazing , absolute brilliant program, second only to the sopranos imo

what I mean is that I was aware that many viewers were fans of the Sopranos and as such were rooting for the main protagonists to succeed, come out on top, get away with their crimes etc etc whereas from the very beginning Tony Soprano struck me as an evil sociopath who believed he had the right to do whatever he wanted, including heinous crimes, and to do anything to get away with it. Reading discussion forums, blogs and so on many viewers have expressed the opinion that "yes, Tony Soprano was a bad man but you have to put it in context, he was just doing what he had to do..."

well I don't see it that way, he was never a sympathetic character and in fact was total scum. As Dr. Melfi's own therapist said 'you can't treat a sociopath' and that's what he was

Jesus, Judorick getting all upset about the fictional Sopranos again. FWIW, I think if you enjoyed The Sopranos then you will enjoy The Wire as well. I preferred The Sopranos as there was a smaller cast enabling the characterisation to be better and the main characters more interesting, also some of the Baltimore accents - Omah especially - are tricky to follow at first. I enjoyed series 2 which dealt with the unions and the docks the most but all of the series were good and would thoroughly recommend as one of the best tv series ever to be screened.

With a proper balanced diet, Rick, I think you will find yourself becoming less easily frustrated by fictional characters on tv.

I enjoyed it and am not upset. My immediate reaction was as described before 'you're a scum bag and I hope bad stuff happens'. I am just commenting on all the views and opinions I heard about the show and the characters before I watched the series years after everyone else.

what's my diet go to do with it? you are a mental pillock and I am not frustrated, just expressing a different set of opinions from the masses

You might have even more of a problem with The Wire, then, as it is far more 'true to life' than the Sopranos ever was.

Think I'll stick with Downton Abbey

it's got nothing to do with 'true to life'

I simply did not suspend my revulsion of the behaviour of these vile criminals just because they happen to be characters in a TV show. The show is truly excellent and I really enjoyed it. Just never forgot what I really thought about them. I watched the episodes over a month when I was laid up with an injury years after the show finished so never had the experience of watching it week to week and building an emotional connection to it unlike millions of Soprano fans who went through the cliffhangers and wondering what will happen next week, next season...

A healthier balanced diet might even help boost your low self esteem Rick. Do you struggle to stay in shape?

Judorick, We've already had this argument before but by refusing to accept the characters and plot line as they were intended by, David Chase - and Tony's often apparent contradictory character/personality - you're missing quite a large point that the writer of the series is trying to make. Strange really for a work of fiction.

Did you watch it in French (we know you are fully fluent) or English, Rick?

Perhaps some of the nuances didn't translate?

Ignore ozy he is a thick bitter mick.

I'm intrigued.

I'd like to watch The Sopranos but not sure if it would be my sort of thing.

I would have thought Rick, what with you being a degree, sorry diploma ridden, pyschiatrist, hypnotist, life coach etc etc. that the Melfi character might have resonated with you.

Why did you miss the original showing btw?  Was that at the time you were in the internatinal olympic training camp?  Or shacked up with the stunning French brunette that was to become your wife?

My mate Mick the Irishman thinks it's  a great series.

I saw someone buying a box set in HMV, a clear vote of confidence.
Must be good.

the kids sort of liked it, they ain't the brightest though if you know what i mean. beginning to think that "free" state education deal was something of a false economy scam

Cracking thread

It's nearly as good as Breaking Bad - the best TV series ever, by far.

Just finished ep 8 of the final series of breaking bad and Walter has gone gangster psycho, does anyone know when the second half of the series is gonna be shown?

nice one bridgeboy,still on series 3.