The Big Picture While discussions about the nature of policing have always been a hotly discussed issue within the United States, television shows about cops have also been the bedrock that the industry was built on. Much of the stylized nature of modern television was inspired by the artistic approach that Michael Mann took to procedural programming with his classic series Miami Vice, and shows like Monk, Castle, Criminal Minds, and NCIS continue to be very popular in syndication.
Although the first run of episodes set up the core conflict of the series, each subsequent season of The Wire delves deeper into aspects of Baltimore’s infrastructure. The second season ditched much of the main cast in order to show the plight of the dock secretary-treasurer Frank Sobotka , who struggled to maintain his integrity once the city’s port system became infested with smuggling operations.
‘The Wire’ Is Based on Real People One of the greatest strengths of The Wire is its incredible ensemble cast; the series provided breakout roles for actors like Michael B. Jordan and Lance Reddick, and created a truly balanced ensemble with no one leading character. Although the ensemble was effectively utilized because of the show’s excellent writing, many real public officials and police officers play themselves in The Wire.