UnderdogMindset

From almost canceled to one of the best shows

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The Wire
Posted: Jul 4, 2023
Doubters Struggle TV

Nowadays, many people will consider The Wire as one of the best television shows ever. There was doubt early on whether the show would succeed, which was quickly proven wrong. Yet, despite critical acclaim back then, it struggled to find an audience when it was airing. The show's ratings were consistently low; it peaked at 4 million viewers. The show was constantly on the brink of cancellation, especially after seasons three and four. But creator David Simon and his team refused to give up on their vision.

They fought to keep the show on the air, and their continuation paid off. Over time, The Wire developed a passionate fanbase and gained widespread recognition for its masterful storytelling, complex characters, and unflinching portrayal of Baltimore's inner city.

Quotes

The bottom line is that they gave us complete creative control to tell the story exactly as we wanted to tell it. If this is the end, we did 37 strong episodes, and I could not be more proud of what we did. I wouldn't change a word.

David Simon

Don't worry, it'll only last one season.

Dominic West's agent

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References

  • Why The Wire Ended After Season 5 (Was It Canceled?)

    When watching The Wire on HBO, it was easily noticeable that there's nearly a two-year gap between the season 3 finale and season 4 beginning. This is due to the fact that the series was almost canceled after season 3.

  • The 100 greatest TV series of the 21st Century

    1 The Wire (2002-2008) 2 Mad Men (2007-2015) 3 Breaking Bad (2008-2013) 4 Fleabag (2016-2019) 5 Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

  • How The Wire became the greatest TV show ever made

    It won no Emmys, was dwarfed by The Sopranos in its viewing figures, and every season was a struggle to get recommissioned. A decade ago this spring, The Wire finally ended, after five series.

  • How Much Gold Is Game of Thrones Worth?

    The Wire drew a minuscule audience (peaking at 4 million but down under 1 million in its final episodes) and was ignored at the award shows, but thanks to critical acclaim, HBO gave the show five glorious seasons to spool out its complex drama.

  • Why we're teaching 'The Wire' at Harvard

    "The Wire" is fiction, but it forces us to confront social realities more effectively than any other media production in the era of so-called reality TV. It does not tie things up neatly; as in real life, the problems remain unsolved, and the cycle repeats itself as disadvantages become more deeply entrenched.

  • 'I just did my best De Niro impression'

    Although it is not HBO's biggest commercial hit, few shows have received the same level of critical acclaim as The Wire. Ostensibly focused on a drug war in the port city of Baltimore, the show is both a sprawling depiction of urban decay that's Dickensian in its scope and a good-old fashioned tale of cops chasing criminals.

  • Survival of HBO series going down to `The Wire'

    Unlike the last two seasons, when HBO announced renewal of "The Wire" before the critically acclaimed, Baltimore-based drama even finished filming, this year's lackluster ratings mean a decision will go right down to, well, the wire in coming weeks.