The Wire: The Complete Series

H.B.O.'s "The Wire" is EASILY the most important television series of all time -- and MY PICK for the very best.Yes, "The Sopranos" is excellent; yes, "Deadwood" is wonderfully profane and Shakespearean; yes, "Boardwalk Empire" is a fun look at the roaring '20s; but "The Wire" -- with its searing "insider's view" into a major (albeit fictionalized) American city -- trumps them all. (I'm sorry, folks, but "Breaking Bad" doesn't even come close!)"The Wire" stands out as the best in television because of its great writing and acting. This show is populated with wonderfully complex characters and very realistic (and explicit) dialogue. The characters and stories are exquisitely detailed and intertwined with others, which requires the viewer to pay attention or "listen carefully." (My Wife is new to the series and she learned very quickly that she can't just watch "The Wire" passively -- like she's watching a "reality T.V." show or an Adam Sandler comedy.)I'm not going to say much more about the QUALITY of the show.... Like a masterpiece of literature, you need to dive into the show (or text) and discover it for yourself.The video and audio qualities are INCREDIBLE. I was initially worried when Blu-ray.com published its review with those 40 screenshots. (Some of them looked a little noisy and strange to me.) But "The Wire" looks BRAND NEW -- and WAY better than I ever imagined it could look. I watched all five seasons on D.V.D. for over eight years (give or take) and this "alternate version" of the series is much, MUCH better.The grain is consistent from episode to episode (and from season to season) and the colors really POP off of my 50-inch screen. Details are RAZOR SHARP. The wider (1.78:1) aspect ratio makes the show look more cinematic -- and I'm not distracted by any black bars on the sides. Also, as the Blu-ray.com reviewer indicated , IF you didn't know that "The Wire" was not meant to be in this wider aspect ratio...you'd never know it! Yes, you lose a little bit of visual information on the top and bottom of each shot...but you GAIN so much more on the RIGHT AND LEFT! The difference is completely NEGLIGIBLE.Indeed, every episode looks and SOUNDS amazing. The folks at H.B.O. did well to REMASTER this show! Hats off!I haven't watched all of the extras, but the content of the show more than makes up for the lack of supplemental material. The commentary tracks are all very interesting. (They've been ported over from the D.V.D.s., but they're still good.)"The Wire" is beyond reproach and this Blu-ray box set is a very attractive package. Admittedly, I'm a little biased -- when people ask me about my favorite movie, I sometimes tell them that "I can't decide" and then I change the subject and start raving about "The Wire" -- but this box set was WORTH the wait and the money.BUY THIS SET!

One of the greatest TV shows ever, paramount to the art of film and TV. In fact I would argue that everyone interesting in doing anything in Government, leadership, law enforcement, community service, education, and just life in general should be required to watch this show. It is pure genius, although there are many characters that come and go in various ways that are unapologetic the main character is Baltimore but while Baltimore is a unique city the show goes into issues that effect every city in America and society in general. The Wire is a social study of inner city life, law enforcement in big cities, politics and Government, the education system, and the [in]humanity of the streets of Baltimore and any other city. Various universities have used The Wire as the basis for entire classes to teach various social topics. Baltimore is real and The Wire is just as real with the cast being the epitome of Baltimore, a significant majority of the cast is from Baltimore and many cast members know the life of Baltimore because they lived it for better or for worse. In fact several characters are former convicts from everything from hired murder to top end drug king pins all portraying various characters to show us what its like. It would be a moral sin practically to ignore The Wire because David Simon, Ed Burns, and others are giving you a real treat. Other projects that David Simon worked on like Homicide: Life on the Streets (and the corresponding book) give you a glimpse of the broad view of how a city works but they don't go into detail, Homicide shows a law enforcement perspective with a lot of art and detail but only gives you a taste of politics. The Corner shows the other end of Homicide, the people living on the streets, dealing drugs and living in poverty and crime but The Wire ties that all up and adds so much more detail it will blow your mind. It starts off slow but I beg you to stick with it. By the time you finish Season 1 you will see a piece of art in the making of legendary proportions, and by the end of Season 3 you will see the bigger picture forming and a view of a city in an unapologetic and real manner. By the end of Season 4 going to the end of Season 5 you will wonder why other TV isn't as good as The Wire quite frankly. Its a massive learning experience, whoever you are, its a show that should be in everyone's life. This is truly a 5/5 TV series, I don't know how else to put it but this show is legendary. Do yourself a favor and buy the Blu-ray set and be surprised with how amazing it is.