Best of the Small Screen, Cable Series 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!

Freamon: All the pieces matter.

The Wire (2002-2008)
Starring: Dominic West, Clarke Peters, Andre Royo, Michael K. Williams, Wendell Pierce, Sonja Sohn, Lance Reddick, Idris Elba, Wood Harris, and Jamie Hector
Favorite Episodes: "The Wire," Episode 1.06; "The Cost," Episode 1.10; "The Hunt," Episode 1.11; "Sentencing," Episode 1.13; "Bad Dreams," Episode 2.11; "Port in a Storm," Episode 2.12; "Amsterdam," Episode 3.04; "Middle Ground," Episode 3.11; "Mission Accomplished," Episode 3.12; "Home Rooms," Episode 4.03; "Margin For Error," Episode 4.06; "That's Got His Own," Episode 4.12; "Final Grades," Episode 4.13; "Late Editions," Episode 5.09; "-30-" Episode 5.10
About: I didn't catch The Wire as it was airing. I found it later, thanks to stumbling upon the first season on DVD at Blockbuster. I brought it home, watching the first four episodes, and quickly went back for more. By the time I'd finished it, I never thought I'd ever see anything as powerful again. What creators David Simon, a former reporter for the Baltimore Sun, and Ed Burns, a former Baltimore Police Officer, created with the series was remarkable. It's a metaphor for the decay of urban America set in the city of Baltimore. It looks at the drug war, the role of the ports, the role of the government, the role of the education system and the role of the media. Each season tackles a different topic while continuing this long-form story. And it's powerful. It's emotional. And it makes you think. At the time when I first finished it, around when I started blogging, I wrote at length about the series. It's incredibly well acted, well written and well produced. It's incredibly powerful and a series that's well worth seeking out. Though it was released 20 years ago, the themes and issues it examines are still as relevant today. 

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