Guide Note

The Wire is an HBO original television series based on the ongoing drug wars in Baltimore, Maryland produced by David Simon. The series examines the drug trade not only through the eyes of the police force but by examining the lives of the drug dealers and addicts themselves. The series was shot in the Baltimore area and often used locals as extras.

Fast Facts

1. Debuted: June 2, 2002
2. Series Finale: March 9, 2008
3. Network: HBO
4. Number of Seasons: 5
5. Number of Episodes: 60
6. Created By: David Simon
7. Producers:
   1. David Simon
   2. Nina Kostroff Noble
8. Primary Directors:
   1. Joe Chappelle
   2. Ernest R. Dickerson
   3. Clark Johnson
   4. Edward Bianchi
   5. Steve Shill
9. Primary Writers:
   1. David Simon
   2. Ed Burns
   3. Chris Collins
   4. George P. Pelecanos
   5. Richard Price
10. Cast:
    1. Dominic West
    2. John Doman
    3. Frankie Faison
    4. Aidan Gillen
    5. Deirdre Lovejoy
11. Runtime: 60 minutes / episode
12. Selected Awards:
    1. WGA Award (2008)
    2. Peabody Award (2004)
    3. Edgar Award (2007)

Creator David Simon based The Wire on his experiences as a police reporter for The Baltimore Sun, as well as on those of his writing parter, former Baltimore homicide detective Ed Burns. Initially intended to focus on police surveillance, the show grew to represent the larger pressure between individual need and institutional pressure. Each season approached the show's core issues and themes from a different perspective: the police department, the dockworkers, the politicians, the education system, and the media.