The Wire to Receive Broad Airtime on UK Television

Fans of popular television crime series The Wire who are used to watching the show on boxed sets can rest easy now. There are now plans on UK television channels showing all five seasons of the now-defunct series across weekday nights this spring, so old and new fans alike will be able to see the series in its entirety.

The Wire began its run on American television magnate HBO in 2002, and ran until March of 2008. Each season of The Wire focuses on one aspect of city life - a spokesperson of the show has noted that it was not intended for the show to be entirely focused on crime and police.

In fact, the show has been known to be a strikingly poignant look at the degradation and fall of American cities, with a focus on street gangs, the media, government and the police force. The series is set in Baltimore, which has a reputation as a violent American city, but which also suffers from many problems that other urban areas around the world are dealing with.

The Wire never managed to garner huge ratings during its run, and many people believe it was mostly a hit with the critics because it was only available to watch on select television channels.

As aforementioned, each season focuses on one aspect of the city of Baltimore. Season one introduces the main characters, including members of a street gang and officers in the Baltimore police department. Season two looks deeply at the city's ongoing drug problem and the effects of that addiction on the poor.

Season three also looks at the street culture, but includes aspects on the importance of local government and the problems surrounding corruption. Season four analyses the city's school system, and the effects that it has on driving young people towards, or away from, gang culture.

The fifth and final season focuses primarily on the role of the local community newspaper, and what it means for covering and affecting change on the problems in Baltimore.

With critical acclaim and a fan cult following - which have followed the writer of the show from his previous series' including Homicide: Life on the Streets - UK viewers are sure to tune in to watch the series play out all at once.

Filled with gritty street shots and great cinematography, fans tuning on HD television sets are sure to enjoy the look of such programmes. Indeed, with many channels now broadcasting in HDTV, this makes such popular shows more impressive to watch.

About the Author:

Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.