Best of the Small Screen, Favorite Series of All Time, No. 2

 

Welcome to this year's exploration of TV, the Best of the Small Screen. Throughout the year I'll be looking at my favorite shows in four categories: Network Sitcoms, Network Dramas, Cable Series and Streaming Series. We'll cap the exploration with my Top 10 shows of all time regardless of format. Check back each Saturday for another installment in the countdown!

Omar: You come at the king, you best not miss.

The Wire (2002-2008)
Starring: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Wendell Pierce, Michael K. Williams, Sonja Sohn, Idris Elba, Clarke Peters, Andre Royo, and Wood Harris
Original Position: Cable Series, No. 2
About: I mentioned that the Cable category had the most entries in this list. It also has the best. Perhaps its the kind of stories cable has told. Perhaps its the era in which many of these took place. Perhaps it's just who I am. Three of the top four on this list come from HBO, including this No. 2 selection, The Wire. It wasn't a show I watched when it was originally airing. I found it later on DVD and devoured it. This was during an era where you still had a Blockbuster. I would go and rent films or seasons of TV series and go through them. That's how I first found The Wire, a suggestion from my dad. I quickly watched the whole thing, purchasing it on disc so I didn't have to keep going back-and-forth to Blockbuster. It was an incredibly moving and thought-provoking experience. Since then I've thought about the series many times, and thought about its rich themes and characters. Everything at the top of my lists comes down to the way it makes me think about the world. The Wire is a metaphor for the decay of Urban America. It takes a hard look at all our institutions and asks us all hard questions. It's not always easy to watch, but it gives you plenty to consider. That's one of the many reasons it's atop this list.