History of The Wire in Timeline

The Wire, created by David Simon, is a crime drama that aired on HBO from 2002 to 2008. Spanning five seasons, the show explores the drug trade in Baltimore through the perspectives of drug dealers, law enforcement, politicians, educators, and the media. Each season focuses on a different facet of the city, highlighting systemic issues and the interconnectedness of various institutions. The series draws heavily on the experiences of Simon and his writing partner, Ed Burns, to realistically portray the complexities of urban life and the war on drugs.

1987: Way Down in the Hole Release

In 1987, Tom Waits wrote "Way Down in the Hole" for his album Franks Wild Years. The song later became the opening theme for The Wire, with different versions used each season.

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1991: Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets Published

In 1991, David Simon's book "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets", which became the basis for the NBC program "Homicide: Life on the Street", was published. The show was set in Baltimore, leading to conflict with NBC executives who didn't like the show's pessimism.

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Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets

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2000: The Corner

In 2000, David Simon and Ed Burns collaborated on "The Corner", a project that influenced the creation of "The Wire". Burns' experiences with the Baltimore Police Department and Simon's observations as a police reporter shaped the show's themes.

June 2, 2002: The Wire Premieres

On June 2, 2002, The Wire, an American crime drama television series created by David Simon, premiered on HBO.

2002: HBO Aired The Wire

In 2002, HBO aired the first season of The Wire, showing new episodes weekly. HBO also allowed subscribers to see episodes 6 days earlier with the HBO On Demand service.

2003: HBO Aired The Wire

In 2003, HBO aired the second season of The Wire, showing new episodes weekly. HBO also allowed subscribers to see episodes 6 days earlier with the HBO On Demand service.

2004: Entertainment Weekly's Best Show of the Year

In 2004, Entertainment Weekly named The Wire the best show of the year, praising its complexity and depth, while noting that its sophistication contributed to its lower ratings.

2004: HBO Aired The Wire

In 2004, HBO aired the third season of The Wire, showing new episodes weekly. HBO also allowed subscribers to see episodes 6 days earlier with the HBO On Demand service.

2004: Robert F. Colesberry's Death

In 2004, Robert F. Colesberry, executive producer for the first two seasons of The Wire, passed away from complications from heart surgery. He directed the season 2 finale and was a key creative force behind the show.

2004: Emmy Nomination for "Middle Ground"

In 2004, The Wire received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "Middle Ground".

2005: Emmy Recognition Lack

In 2005, Critics noted the lack of Emmy awards for The Wire, despite two writing nominations, citing factors like the complex plot and setting in Baltimore affecting voter perception.

December 2006: Black Community Response

In December 2006, a Washington Post article quoted local black students saying The Wire "hit a nerve" in the black community, recognizing real-life counterparts of the show's characters.

2006: Time Out New York Ranks The Wire as Best TV Series

In 2006, Andrew Johnston of Time Out New York named The Wire the best TV series of the year, praising the show's exploration of urban America and its portrayal of the public-school system.

2006: HBO Aired The Wire

In 2006, HBO aired the fourth season of The Wire, showing new episodes weekly. HBO also allowed subscribers to see episodes 6 days earlier with the HBO On Demand service.

2007: Media Realism Praise

In 2007, Brian Lowry of Variety magazine described The Wire's fifth season portrayal of The Baltimore Sun's newsroom as the most realistic media portrayal in film and television.

2007: Time Lists The Wire Among Best TV Series

In 2007, Time listed The Wire among the one hundred best television series of all time.

January 8, 2008: The Wire Soundtracks Released

On January 8, 2008, two soundtrack albums for The Wire, "The Wire: And All the Pieces Matter—Five Years of Music from The Wire" and "Beyond Hamsterdam," were released by Nonesuch Records.

March 9, 2008: The Wire Series Finale

On March 9, 2008, The Wire concluded its five-season run on HBO, comprising 60 episodes.

2008: Emmy Recognition Lack

In 2008, Critics noted the lack of Emmy awards for The Wire, despite two writing nominations, citing factors like the complex plot and setting in Baltimore affecting voter perception.

2008: HBO Aired The Wire

In 2008, HBO aired the fifth season of The Wire, showing new episodes weekly. HBO also allowed subscribers to see episodes 6 days earlier with the HBO On Demand service.

2008: BBC Buys Rights to The Wire

In 2008, The BBC bought the rights to broadcast The Wire on terrestrial television. It was broadcast on BBC Two, although it was aired at 11:20 pm and catchup was not available on BBC iPlayer.

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2008: Emmy Nomination for "-30-"

In 2008, The Wire received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "–30–".

2009: BBC Buys Rights to The Wire

In 2009, The BBC bought the rights to broadcast The Wire on terrestrial television. Prior to this, the show had been broadcast on FX.

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2010: Mario Vargas Llosa Receives Nobel Prize

In 2010, Mario Vargas Llosa, who would later win the Nobel Prize in Literature, wrote a positive review of The Wire in the Spanish newspaper El País.

February 2012: Slavoj Žižek Lecture on The Wire

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

In April 2012, Norwegian academic Erlend Lavik posted online a 36-minute video essay called "Style in The Wire," analyzing visual techniques used in the show.

2013: The Wire Receives Recognition

In 2013, The Wire received multiple 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 also named it the number one TV show of all-time.

December 26, 2014: Remastered Series Debuts on HBO GO

On December 26, 2014, the remastered version of The Wire debuted on HBO Signature, airing the entire series consecutively, and on HBO GO.

2014: The Wire on CraveTV

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 Release

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 Praises The Wire

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, performances, and multifaceted nature.

2021: The Wire Recognized in 2021

In 2021, The Wire received high rankings, including number four on Empire's list of the 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time and first place by the BBC on its list of the 100 greatest TV series of the 21st century.