"When you walk through the garden..."

[bcholmes]

One of my cow-orkers has loaned me seasons of The Wire. I've watched the first two seasons so far. I think it's a good show, and it has a novel way of representing police work, but I'm not sure I see it as "the best show on television" as so many people seem to claim. Do you think it's the best show on television?

Comments

[xthlcm.livejournal.com]

I think people go gaga over it because it's the most realistic portrayal of African-American criminals and their situation in urban black culture that's ever been done. This has a lot to do with David Simon's experience as a reporter in Baltimore, as a well as his collaboration with Charles S. Dutton on The Corner (an HBO miniseries from 2000, also situated in W. Baltimore and dealing with similar subject matter). It's a smartly written and well-produced series that makes middle class white people feel like they understand the problems of poor black people, so of course they're going to call it the best show on television.

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

I adore complicated continuing stories where everyone has redeeming features, where there's a payoff later for the reader/viewer who notices little things.

I also don't watch very much television, and never watch as aired. It may or may not be wonderful *television*, but in my limited experience it's the best DVD storytelling I've seen in a couple of years. If you think there is better DVD storytelling in another show, I respect your cineastic opinion enough that I would give that show a try. And if you want to see more detail on what I thought while watching, my tag is "the wire" with my first entry on Aug 31st of last year.

[cigfran-lwyd.livejournal.com]

i'm rather taken with Celebrity Addiction Club.

when you say "cow orkers", do you mean this?
http://www.mataglap.com/Images/sgng/welshcow.jpg

[abostick59.livejournal.com]

I think it is the best show on television. Can you find a show, now or in the past, that's better?

[wild-irises.livejournal.com]

Our household is in agreement, and interested in the response to the question.

One thing I would say about The Wire is that the two groups who appear to like it best are white intellectuals (including many TV critics) and people of color from the inner cities. This makes me feel good about my opinion.

[fightingtiger.livejournal.com]

I dunno about best on television, though I can't think of anything better, but I will sit still for an hour to watch it, and I won't do that for much else. I just think it's smart about showing different perspectives and doesn't get into a whole lot of heavy-handed moralizing. It shows the "grey area" more than I see other tv do, and it also shows types of people I don't typically see on television. I can't think of a television show that I've seen a regular black lesbian character on for instance. I guess one could say the L Word, but I don't watch that either.

[maevele.livejournal.com]

Seconded.

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

I've been claiming, for the last few years, that Battlestar Galactica is the best show on television. And I still think it has more oomph for me than The Wire.

I think there are a few reasons why I prefer BSG over The Wire. First, I feel like I have a much stronger emotional connection with the characters on BSG than I have with The Wire. If I were, for example, to contrast Starbuck and McNulty -- both people good at their careers with self-destructive streaks -- I feel Starbuck's decline into drunken fucked-up-itude so much more profoundly than McNulty, who simply seems to fall down a lot.

I feel as if, while The Wire spends time giving you a clear understanding of the circumstances in which characters make decisions, all of that is subservient to the overarching plot of case. We see conversations between Daniels and his wife because we need to know why Daniels makes the choices that he does. It's less about knowing who Daniels is. There have been exceptions: D'Angelo Barksdale and Ziggy Sobotka have both been great characters to make emotional connections with. But Barksdale's now dead and I'm given to understand that we leave the dock characters behind after season 2.

I do find myself wondering if The Wire's sparse approach to music is playing a role in making me feel like I have less of an emotional connection to the show. I can think of a number of really strong instances of music setting a really powerful tone on BSG. I think that helps to engage me at an emotional level.

Also, I find The Wire less cinematic than BSG. I can think of maybe one moment in the first two seasons of The Wire where the shots were interestingly constructed.

I think there's stuff to say about the themes as well, but I'm still mentally formulating my arguments, there.