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 after five seasons (60 episodes), the show delves into the intricate web of drug trade, politics, and social issues in Baltimore. Initially conceived as a police drama drawing from the experiences of Simon's collaborator, Ed Burns, a former homicide detective, The Wire offers a realistic and unflinching portrayal of urban decay and systemic corruption.
1987: Tom Waits releases "Way Down in the Hole" on Franks Wild Years
In 1987, Tom Waits released the song "Way Down in the Hole" on his album Franks Wild Years, which was later used as the opening theme for The Wire.
1991: Simon publishes Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
In 1991, David Simon's book, 'Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets', was published. This book later served as 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'. This experience influenced the creation of 'The Wire'.
June 2, 2002: The Wire Series Premiere
On June 2, 2002, The Wire, an American crime drama television series created by David Simon, premiered on HBO.
2004: Entertainment Weekly names The Wire best show of 2004
In 2004, Entertainment Weekly named The Wire the best show of 2004, calling it "the smartest, deepest and most resonant drama on TV."
2004: Robert F. Colesberry's Death
In 2004, Robert F. Colesberry, executive producer for the first two seasons of The Wire and director of the season 2 finale, passed away due to complications from heart surgery. Colesberry had a large creative role as a producer.
2004: Primetime Emmy Nomination for "Middle Ground"
In 2004, The Wire was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "Middle Ground".
2005: Emmy Nomination in 2005
In 2005, The Wire received a writing nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award.
December 2006: Washington Post Article on The Wire's Impact
In December 2006, a Washington Post article reported that local black students felt The Wire resonated with the black community, reflecting real-life situations of drugs and violence.
2006: Time Out New York names The Wire the best TV series of 2006
In 2006, Andrew Johnston of Time Out New York named The Wire the best TV series of 2006, highlighting the fourth season.
2007: Media Portrayal Praised by Variety
In 2007, Brian Lowry of Variety magazine described the fifth season of The Wire, which portrayed a working newsroom at The Baltimore Sun, as the most realistic portrayal of the media in film and television.
2007: Time lists The Wire among the 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 for The Wire, titled '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
On March 9, 2008, The Wire concluded its five-season run on HBO, totaling 60 episodes.
2008: Emmy Nomination in 2008
In 2008, The Wire received a writing nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award.
2008: Primetime Emmy Nomination for "–30–"
In 2008, The Wire was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "–30–".
2008: BBC Buys Rights to The Wire
In 2008, the BBC acquired terrestrial television rights to The Wire in the UK, broadcasting it on BBC Two.
2009: FX Broadcast Ends
In 2009, FX stopped broadcasting The Wire in the United Kingdom.
2010: Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa writes a critical review of The Wire
In 2010, Mario Vargas Llosa, the Nobel Prize in Literature Laureate, wrote a positive review of The Wire in the Spanish newspaper El País.
February 2012: Slavoj Žižek Lecture at Birkbeck
In February 2012, Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek delivered a lecture at Birkbeck, University of London, titled 'The Wire or the clash of civilisations in one country'.
April 2012: Erlend Lavik Posts Video Essay
In April 2012, Norwegian academic Erlend Lavik posted a 36-minute video essay online titled 'Style in The Wire,' analyzing visual techniques used in the show.
2013: Rankings and Recognition in 2013
In 2013, The Wire received numerous accolades, including being ranked the ninth best-written TV series by the Writers Guild of America, the fifth-greatest drama and sixth-greatest show of all time by TV Guide, and being listed as No. 6 in Entertainment Weekly's "26 Best Cult TV Shows Ever".
December 26, 2014: Remastered Series Debuts on HBO
On December 26, 2014, the remastered 16:9 HD version of The Wire debuted on HBO Signature and HBO GO, featuring an open matte of the original 4:3 framing.
2014: Availability on CraveTV in Canada
In late 2014, The Wire became available in Canada on the streaming service CraveTV in a remastered 16:9 HD format.
June 2, 2015: Blu-ray Box Set Release
On June 2, 2015, The Wire was released as a complete series Blu-ray box set.
2016: Rolling Stone Ranks The Wire Second Greatest TV Show
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 #2 on 100 best TV shows of the 21st century
In September 2019, The Guardian ranked The Wire #2 on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century, praising its writing, performance, and artistic merit.
2022: Rolling Stone Ranks The Wire Fourth Greatest TV Show
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 Seventh-Greatest TV Show of All Time
In 2023, Variety ranked The Wire as the seventh-greatest TV show of all time.
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