Talk:The Wire

Plot section

The plot section has recently been tagged as too long. I think the plot overviews for the first three seasons are fine, but season 4 may need to be trimmed a little, while season 5 definitely needs to be cut down quite a bit. If an experienced copy-editor could help out, that would be great. Thanks. Drovethrughosts (talk) 14:52, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

I added the tag. I think that sections 3, 4, and 5 definitely need to be trimmed, but I have not yet watched the whole series. As soon as I finish it, I will edit the section.Athene cunicularia (talk) 15:52, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

I've cut the fifth season synopsis back but I think it could do with further pruning. Arthur Holland (talk) 20:37, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

The plot of season 2 is pretty similar to the film 'On the Waterfront' featuring Marlon Brando, maybe some mention of this could be made. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.221.200.61 (talk) 20:06, 11 April 2011 (UTC)

On the notability tags added to all the episode pages

I'm speaking more as a reader here than as an editor: I've found the episode-by-episode plot summaries extremely useful as I've watched the series. Reading the plot summary after watching each episode has really helped me keep track of the events and people in this very complex story. I recognize that these articles may violate notability policies and style guidelines about the lengths of plot summaries. But they've been useful to me, and I assume to a lot of other readers. It's also obvious that one or more Wikipedians put a lot of work into writing these summaries. I would hate to see it all disappear into the ether. It's my opinion that each episode of The Wire is individually significant as a work of art. In any case I hope there will be a full discussion before any action is taken. Leoniceno (talk) 07:03, 11 September 2011 (UTC)

As far as I can see it they are not tagged for notability (that could have led to deletion) but for improvement of sources (which usually does not lead to deletion). Whether that tagging is actually justified or really useful depends on the particular case. For a simple plot description no sources other than the episode itself is needed (though occasionally other editors are not aware of that), but for any additional commentary or analysis an external source would be required.--Kmhkmh (talk) 11:50, 11 September 2011 (UTC)

Some of them are tagged with "May not meet the general notability guidelines," and the tag has been up since June. Good to know that the episode itself is acceptable as the source for a plot summary. Leoniceno (talk) 23:50, 11 September 2011 (UTC)

Well if you are afraid that some episodes might silently vanish due to a lack of notability (we do have some editors that dislike episode articles), I'd suggest you add those with the an actual notability tag to your watchlist and post a message here when an actual AfD occurs.--Kmhkmh (talk) 00:07, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

Time the series takes place in.

So does the series takes place in the 1980s? and if so why isn't it mentioned in the article?--84.94.120.42 (talk) 11:33, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

It takes place around the time it was filmed and aired. The clothing styles certainly do not reflects the 80s. Off the top of my head I can remember a student in the 4th season mention Enron. --CutOffTies (talk) 11:45, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

The cell phones (and computers) they use were not around either back then either, but i believe parts of the plots are driven or influenced by experiences/events of/in Baltimore in the 1980s. As far as the social/economic situation is concerned Reagan's 80s and Bush's 2000s have quite a number of similarities.--Kmhkmh (talk) 15:30, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

Commercial success

In the intro, it is stated that The Wire "never enjoy[ed] large commercial success." My question is, how can the commercial success of an HBO show be measured? HBO is paid for by subscription, and there is presumably no way of knowing which shows make people subscribe. Since HBO shows generate no immediate profit for the company, I think it is wrong to say anything about The Wire and commercial success - unless we're talking about DVD sales. I feel that a clarification or reformulation is in order. Wouldn't it be better to say that The Wire never attained large mainstream popularity, or something like that? 130.238.66.78 (talk) 17:07, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

It is a good point. I initially removed your clarify tag because the citation right there to the Telegraph cites poor viewership. Then again, viewership doesn't necessarily have much to do with commercial success. I think a sensible fix is to change "commercial success" to "high viewership" or something like that. DVD sales are fluid.. I'm no tv expert but I assume viewership implies at the original air time. Thank you --CutOffTies (talk) 18:10, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

I would read that potentially as dvd sales, but primary as selling the broadcasting rights worldwide (syndication). --Kmhkmh (talk) 18:17, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for the comments! I've edited the sentence; please feel free to revise it. 130.238.66.78 (talk) 14:31, 30 September 2011 (UTC)

Continuation

In June 2011 Eric Holder ordered (as United States Attorney General) the authors to write one more season or at least a movie. They responded they will do it if the United States Department of Justice will rework their "misguided, destructive and dehumanising drug prohibition".

I found that in the German wiki including those two references, but nothing here. May not relevant enough? 84.227.38.7 (talk) 22:46, 1 January 2012 (UTC)

You could just add it and wait, if someone complains. That's how I work at the german article. --88.70.228.22 (talk) 13:54, 26 January 2012 (UTC)

Excellent analysis

• The rebirth of tragedy The television show The Wire resurrects the classical Greek vision: some conflicts are beyond resolution. Nemissimo (talk) 14:54, 12 June 2012 (UTC)

Police procedural

According to the definition of police procedural (quote: attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes) with the argument described in the article (especially if you watched this extraordinary series) I think we should add the corresponding category.--Galazan (talk) 10:01, 24 August 2012 (UTC)

I removed it because "police procedural" is usually synonymous with "case-of-the-week" shows, which obviously The Wire is not. Labeling it a "police procedural" just seems odd to me. Anyway, I'd like to hear what some other editors think. Drovethrughosts (talk) 12:46, 24 August 2012 (UTC)

I think this "case of the week" meaning is not in the sense of police procedural, that remarks the true police work far away from fiction. At least I never heard about it.--Galazan (talk) 13:24, 24 August 2012 (UTC)

• To provide my 2 cents, I am with Drovetrughosts on this. And it's not only about the "case of the week" aspect either. In the words of Charlie Brooker, "calling The Wire a 'cop show' is a bit like calling The Godfather a 'film about a few dodgy Italians'." Police procedurals and "cop shows" in general are portrayed firmly from the perspective of law enforcement, which The Wire is certainly not. --213.196.194.27 (talk) 11:36, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

It's obvious that Brooker was talking about the complexity of this master TV work, which couldn't be tagged with a simple stereotype. I insist in my point: please read the meaning of police procedural.--Galazan (talk) 17:34, 17 September 2012 (UTC)