In case you did not know, The Wire is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon.
Set and created in Baltimore, Maryland, the series explores distinct institutions within the city and their interactions with law enforcement in each season, all the while continuing the development of characters and storylines from prior seasons.
The Wire delves into five specific subjects in sequential order: the illicit drug trade, the port system, the city’s government and administrative apparatus, the education system and schools, and the world of print journalism. The decision to use Baltimore as the backdrop for the series stemmed from David Simon’s personal familiarity with the city.
It’s one of my favourite TV shows of all time and today I’m delving deep into it…
Here are 16 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know about The Wire TV Show
1. The character “Bubbles,” portrayed by Andre Royo, drew significant inspiration from a genuine Baltimore drug addict and police informant who went by the same name. The real-life Bubbles, whose speech was even more impaired compared to the fictional character, initiated his collaboration with law enforcement in the early 1960s following an arrest for burglary.
Over the subsequent decades, he served as an informant, contributing to the apprehension of several hundred criminals, and receiving a minimum of $50 for each capture. His nearly eidetic memory and adeptness at blending into various situations positioned him as one of the city’s most skilled informants. Ultimately, he adopted the hat method depicted in the series, feigning involvement in hat sales and utilizing specific hat colors to signal individuals the police should apprehend.
2. A notable aspect of The Wire is that numerous minor roles are portrayed by actual police officers, politicians, and individuals with a history of criminal activity. Remarkably, some of the former criminals featured in the series were once apprehended by the very real-life law enforcement officers who also participate in the show.
3. HBO aired the series in the United States, with The Wire debuting on June 2, 2002, and concluding on March 9, 2008, encompassing a total of 60 episodes spanning five seasons. David Simon revealed that HBO came close to canceling the show during its third and fourth seasons, and he had to personally plead with the network to ensure its continuation.
4. In a departure from the typical conventions of police dramas, the characters in The Wire seldom resort to firearm use. Throughout the series, only one police officer, Prez, discharges his weapon, and in all three instances, it is unintentional.
The initial occurrence involves an inadvertent discharge that hits a wall within the squad room. The second incident transpires while he is under the influence, resulting in a shot fired into the air, followed by the unfortunate use of the weapon to strike a teenager, causing severe injury and blindness in one eye. Lastly, he mistakenly fires his gun, striking an undercover officer in another instance.
5. According to Michael Kenneth Williams, he secretly struggled with a cocaine addiction during the third season of the show. He never missed a day of work nor was he ever late. He also suffered with an identity crisis and severe anxiety due to his popularity as Omar.
6. On more than one occasion, former US president Barack Obama has cited The Wire as one of his favorite TV shows. Interestingly, during the 2008 presidential election, the show’s greatness was one of the few things that both John McCain and Obama could agree on. McCain mentioned it alongside Seinfeld as a personal favorite.
7. The Wire benefited from the talents of several writers who had established themselves outside of the television realm. George Pelecanos, a highly accomplished and esteemed crime fiction author in the United States, contributed to the series by penning eight episodes and also served as a producer during the third season.
Richard Price, who had already achieved recognition as a writer, having authored numerous novels and screenplays, including the acclaimed 1992 crime novel Clockers and the screenplay for Spike Lee’s 1995 film adaptation of his own work, wrote for the show, earning credits on five episodes. Additionally, Dennis Lehane, known for his work on Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone, lent his writing expertise to the series, contributing to three episodes.
8. The Wire is considered one of the few TV shows that can genuinely be argued as “the best show ever” in pop culture. Esteemed publications like Slate, HitFix, and Complex have, at different points, designated it as the top drama series to grace television screens. Numerous prominent outlets have included it in their lists of the greatest shows ever, placing it alongside renowned series like Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos and I Love Lucy.
9. Two and a Half Men secured nine Emmy Awards, whereas The Wire, often regarded as one of the greatest television series, did not receive a single Emmy. The show only garnered two Emmy nominations, both for its writing. The episodes recognized were the season three episode “Middle Ground,” known for the intense confrontation between Omar, Brother Mouzone, and Stringer Bell, and the series finale of season five, titled “–30–.”
10. Dominic West, who portrayed Jimmy McNulty on The Wire, initially didn’t anticipate the show’s longevity, and this was a primary factor in his decision to join the cast.
As a British actor, he secured the role by channeling his best Robert De Niro impression. However, he had reservations about committing to a five-year contract that required him to reside in Baltimore. His agent reassured him by suggesting, “don’t worry, it’ll only last one season.”
11. The character of Omar in The Wire, often compared to a modern-day Robin Hood, drew inspiration from real-life sources in Baltimore. Donnie Andrews, a former drug dealer and stickup artist, served as one such inspiration. Andrews, who had turned himself in to detective-turned-producer Ed Burns after committing a contract killing to fuel his heroin addiction, later served time in prison.
He eventually transformed into a mentor for young prisoners, actively working to counter gang influences. Simon and Burns collaborated with Andrews during their research for the book The Corner and successfully advocated for his release from a life sentence in 2005, after he had served 22 years in prison.
Andrews continued his advocacy work until his passing in 2012 due to a heart condition. While there were parallels between Andrews and Omar, it’s worth noting that Omar’s sexual orientation as a gay character was inspired by another figure, Billy Outlaw, who was also a stickup artist.
12. David Simon, in the wake of the politically-charged third season of The Wire, conceived a scheme to develop a spinoff series titled The Hall. This spinoff would have delved into the ascent of Tommy Carcetti and offered a more unvarnished look at the corrupt world of Baltimore politics.
Simon even took the initiative to draft a script and begin assembling a writing team for the project. However, HBO rejected the idea, humorously citing, “We only want one show that nobody is watching in Baltimore, not two!” as their rationale.
13. In the season five episode “Took,” actor Richard Belzer is seen disputing his bar tab, likely reprising his role as Detective John Munch from Homicide: Life on the Street and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. This connection adds complexity to the character Jay Landsman, as Munch was also partially inspired by a real-life figure named Jay Landsman.
14. The Wire, akin to other top-notch series like Mad Men, adhered to a strict adherence to the script during filming, with virtually no off-script improvisation, according to Dominic West, who portrayed McNulty. In fact, West asserted that not a single scene featured improvisation.
15. Michael K. Williams couldn’t whistle and an actress was used to dub all Omar’s whistling scenes.
16. There won’t be a season 6 of The Wire. In 2011 US Attorney General Eric Holden asked David Simon and Ed Burns for another season or a movie while he was running an anti-drug campaign.
David Simon responded with the following statement: “We are prepared to go to work on season six of The Wire if the Department of Justice is equally ready to reconsider and address its continuing prosecution of our misguided, destructive and dehumanising drug prohibition.”
Well, there you have it, 16 interesting facts you might not have known about The Wire. If I’ve left out something interesting, feel free to comment below.
Check out the trailer for the first season of the show below:
Want to watch The Wire? If you’re in South Africa, you can stream this show on Showmax. If you’re in the USA, it’s available to stream on Max. Check out JustWatch to find out where you can stream it in your region.
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