Set the video: The Wire, FX, Monday 23 July, 10pm

By ShinyMedia on July 23rd, 2007 1 comment

The Wire is being shown from the very first episode (it finished it’s 4th season in the US last December) on FX tonight and I’ll be booking my space on the sofa in advance. I have to admit that I’ve not seen The Wire before. I have heard of it’s impressive reviews (Newsday called it “the greatest dramatic series ever” and Entertainment Weekly named it their best show of 2004) but until FX’s recent promotional blitz had yet to properly acknowledge it on my TV radar.

It’s made by HBO, and is a multi-layered look at the conflict between police units and drug gangs. A true ensemble piece, The Wire even stars another Brit with a convincing American accent in Dominic West. It has been applauded for it’s gritty, urban realism (yes, I know that sounds horribly trite) and for tackling class and race issues that America would rather pretend don’t exist. For a while it looked like it might be cancelled but the fifth and final series is in sight for US audiences and now we should try and really get behind it in the UK. It’s a one woman revolution – who’s with me?

Join TVScoop on Facebook for exclusive competitions and gossip

Category: Digital and satellite, Drama, Imports, Set the Vid

Tags: awards, cops, crime, Dominic West, Drama, drugs, FX, gangs, HBO, The Wire, units

Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

http://rullsenbergrules.blogspot.com Rullsenberg

Bizarrely, we picked up and watched season 2 before getting season 1. No matter: whilst we had to work hard to follow what was going on with character relations, it was actually so rewarding that we didn’t care. When we watched season 1 some things made more sense in terms of those relationships and history, but again it was just a joy. Katie, you won’t be disappointed but do expect to have to keep on your toes, not catch all the dialogue let alone understand it all, but you will become addicted. Its a glorious novel of a series.