Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The Wire - An Alternative to Broadcast TV



As usual, there's not much to watch on regular TV....as they say: same old, same old.

On the recommendation of our son, who is probably more attuned to such things, I bought the whole 5 seasons of The Wire, an HBO video series based in Baltimore, Maryland.

The core of the program is probably the drug trade, but includes the city police department, the longshoremen on the docks, the education system, politicians and the print media.  In short, it's a series about a broken city with broken systems that should be making life better for it's citizens, but is failing miserably.  It's a realistic commentary on the state of this city....perhaps many American cities.

I have to say that this is probably the best thing I've seen.  Ever, and I was a big "West Wing" fan....

If you have sensitive ears, you will have problems with the language and the casual violence, but the show is real and examines real issues.  I've embedded some of the greatest quotes from the series just to give you a taste of what's in store.  And no, it's NOT a documentary....

Watch it.  You won't be disappointed.