The Wire: Series Wrap-Up

The Wire, set in Baltimore Maryland, was an in-depth look at the people who live in urban American centers.

The show focused on port workers, politicians, journalists, drug dealers, drug addicts, and more, and presented these people and their struggles in all their honest complexity.

The show became known for its refusal to submit to stereotype. Even the most murderous of characters ranged from the horrid to the humble, to the honorable. Some, even admirable.

Here in Baltimore, the show had some detractors, people who say that Baltimore was unfairly portrayed. But others said the show told the truth of how dysfunctional this city has become. It is emblematic of the condition of America, as seen through its urban core.

The series finale prompted us to ask, what does The Wire have to teach us about modern urban America? Does The Wire have a message for Baltimore? If so, is it a message of hope or despair? Has The Wire changed the conversation taking place in Baltimore around issues of urban blight, the drug war, the homeless, the media, and the loss of blue collar jobs? What is the legacy of this show?

To find out more about this we sat down with writers, actors, producers and even the creator of the entire series in order to ask these questions.

We hope you enjoy our special series of podcasts from the Center for Emerging Media!

Listen to the podcasts »

Sponsors

• Studio space generously provided by Clean Cuts Music and Sound Design.
• Produced by Jessica Phillips and Justin Levy.
• Engineering assistance from Andew Eppig, Liz Buckel, Nick Sjostrom, and Devin Murphy.
• Hosted by Marc Steiner.