History of The Wire in Timeline
The Wire is an American crime drama television series created by David Simon for HBO, premiering in 2002 and concluding in 2008 with five seasons. The show, co-written by Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and public school teacher, draws heavily on real-world experiences within the Baltimore drug trade. The series explores the complexities of the drug trade and its impact on various institutions, including law enforcement, schools, the media, and city government.
1987: "Way Down in the Hole" released on Franks Wild Years
In 1987, "Way Down in the Hole," a gospel-and-blues-inspired song written by Tom Waits, was released on his album Franks Wild Years, which later became the opening theme for The Wire.
1991: Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets Published
In 1991, David Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, which is set in Baltimore, was published and later became the basis for the NBC program Homicide: Life on the Street.
2000: Simon and Burns collaborate on The Corner
In 2000, David Simon and Ed Burns collaborated on The Corner, which influenced the development of The Wire.
June 2, 2002: The Wire Premieres on HBO
On June 2, 2002, The Wire, an American crime drama television series created by David Simon, premiered on the cable network HBO.
2004: The Wire named best show of the year by Entertainment Weekly
In 2004, Entertainment Weekly named The Wire the best show of the year, praising it as "the smartest, deepest and most resonant drama on TV."
2004: Death of Robert F. Colesberry
In 2004, Robert F. Colesberry, the executive producer for the first two seasons of The Wire, passed away due to complications from heart surgery. Colesberry directed the season 2 finale and is credited for his significant creative role and for achieving the show's realistic visual style.
2004: The Wire nominated for Primetime Emmy Award
In 2004, The Wire received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "Middle Ground".
2005: Emmy Nomination
In 2005, The Wire received a writing nomination for an Emmy Award.
December 2006: Local Black Students Respond to The Wire
In a December 2006 Washington Post article, local black students said that The Wire had "hit a nerve" with the black community and that they knew real-life counterparts of many of the characters.
2006: The Wire Named Best TV Series of the Year by Time Out New York
In 2006, Andrew Johnston of Time Out New York named The Wire the best TV series of the year, highlighting the fourth season's focus on eighth-graders and public-school bureaucracy.
2006: The Wire Season 4 Aired on HBO
In 2006, HBO aired the fourth season of The Wire, and subscribers to HBO On Demand were able to see each episode six days earlier.
2007: The Wire's Realistic Media Portrayal
In 2007, Brian Lowry of Variety magazine described The Wire's fifth season portrayal of a working newsroom at The Baltimore Sun as the most realistic portrayal of the media in film and television.
2007: The Wire Listed Among Time's 100 Best TV Series of All-Time
In 2007, Time listed The Wire among the one hundred best television series of all time.
January 8, 2008: Soundtrack albums released
On January 8, 2008, two soundtrack albums, The Wire: And All the Pieces Matter—Five Years of Music from The Wire and Beyond Hamsterdam, were released on Nonesuch Records.
March 9, 2008: The Wire Series Finale Airs on HBO
On March 9, 2008, The Wire concluded its five-season run with a total of 60 episodes, ending the series on HBO.
2008: The Wire nominated for Primetime Emmy Award
In 2008, The Wire received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "–30–".
2009: BBC Acquires Terrestrial Television Rights
In 2009, the BBC bought terrestrial television rights to The Wire, after the series was broadcast on FX until 2009.
2010: Mario Vargas Llosa writes critical review
In 2010, Nobel Prize in Literature Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa wrote a very positive critical review of The Wire in the Spanish newspaper El País.
February 2012: Slavoj Žižek Lecture at Birkbeck, University of London
In February 2012, Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek gave a lecture at Birkbeck, University of London titled The Wire or the clash of civilisations in one country.
April 2012: Video Essay "Style in The Wire" Posted Online
In April 2012, Norwegian academic Erlend Lavik posted online a 36-minute video essay called "Style in The Wire" which analyzes the various visual techniques used by the show's directors over the course of its five seasons.
2013: Accolades for The Wire in 2013
In 2013, The Wire received several accolades: The Writers Guild of America ranked it as the ninth best written TV series, TV Guide ranked it as the fifth greatest drama and the sixth greatest show of all time, and Entertainment Weekly listed it at No. 6 in their list of the "26 Best Cult TV Shows Ever" and named it the number one TV show of all-time in a special issue.
December 26, 2014: Remastered Series Debuts on HBO GO
On December 26, 2014, the remastered series of The Wire debuted on HBO GO, following its airing on HBO Signature.
2014: The Wire available on CraveTV in Canada
In late 2014, The Wire became available in Canada in a remastered 16:9 HD format on the streaming service CraveTV.
June 2, 2015: Blu-ray Box Set Released
On June 2, 2015, the remastered version of The Wire was released as a complete series Blu-ray box set.
2016: Rolling Stone Ranks The Wire
In 2016, Rolling Stone ranked The Wire second on its list of the 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
September 2019: The Guardian Ranks The Wire
In September 2019, The Guardian ranked The Wire #2 on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century.
2022: Rolling Stone Ranks The Wire
In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked The Wire fourth on its list of the 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
2023: Variety Ranks The Wire
In 2023, Variety ranked The Wire as the seventh-greatest TV show of all time.
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