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The Wire : Complete HBO Season 1 | 
 enlarge | Actors: Dominic West, Sonja Sohn
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £50.99
Buy New: £14.97
You Save: £36.02 (71%)
New (11) Used (1) from £14.97
Rating:  70 reviews
Sales Rank: 1
Format: Pal
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Number Of Items: 5
Running Time: 720
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.5 x 1.1
EAN: 7321900253949
ASIN: B0007IK5Z0
Release Date: April 18, 2005
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Television really doesn't come much better than this. Criminally ignored by far, far too many people, The Wire has proven itself to be that rarest of things: an intelligent, clever, character-driven show, that's lasted more than one season.This boxset brings together all the episodes from the maiden series of The Wire, spread across thirteen episodes. Yet those episodes, unlike many in the police genre where the show spends a good deal of its time, are dedicated to just one case. Furthermore, it follows both sides of the case. Thus, there's the Baltimore police department, with its statistics to manage, its internal politics to manage and its chain of command to respect, set against a highly organised drug gang, who too have more than their fair share of problems. The Wire is a slow burn show, taking time to delicate put its pieces in place. Rarely do you get a dramatic end to an episode, and it's not afraid to humanise and blur the lines between good and bad. But, bluntly, there's nothing--not even The Sopranos--that US TV has broadcast in the last ten years that can hold a torch to it. This first series is genuinely outstanding television, and really deserves your attention. And the good news? Excellent as it is, this first series isn't even the best that The Wire has to offer…--Simon Brew
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| Customer Reviews: Read 65 more reviews...
 Slow-burn masterpiece July 22, 2008
The Wire revolves around a police investigation of drug dealers in Baltimore using a wire tap; doesn't sound thrilling does it? Shows like The Shield would have burnt through this story arc (and about 46 bodies) in maybe 3 episodes. The problem is though, that with that fast and loose approach you never really care all that much about the characters, it almost becomes like watching a horror movie just guessing who's going to get bumped off next.
As others have said, The Wire is very different. The nearest comparison for me is The Sopranos rather than any other cop drama; like that epic series the characters in The Wire are flawed, scarred, even fragile, but that makes their moments of strength all the more engaging. I also didn't really get hooked until I was a few episodes in, but once you've started watching The Wire, it ruins your ability to watch lighter-weight shows like CSI or Law & Order, which isn't necessarily a bad thing!
Final point of trivia, both the lead detective McNulty and one of the two villains, Stringer Bell, are both British, doing outstanding accents. Check YouTube for evidence!
Great if you enjoyed: The Sopranos, Heroes, ER
Not so great if you enjoyed: The CSI's
The Wire Seasons 1-4 July 2, 2008
For those wondering if they should start watching the wire and dont want to read the long (but praise worthy) reviews that have been written here, briefly:
Season 1 - 5* very good, great characters, great stories, exciting, funny all those things. It really is fantastic!
Season 2 - 2* I found the story a bit boring, not half as exciting plotwise or character wise as season 1. The strength of the wire is that the characters are so believable you end up loving all of them good or bad. There's little of that in this series
Season 3 - 3* Improvement on Season 2 but again not as entertaining as season 1. The best parts are where the story refers to characters from season 1 which is all too rare in my opinion
Season 4 - 5* I'd give it 6* if I could! Has a great balance of new and old characters and it tells a great story which combines both. The story of the youthful new characters is great.
Overall YES GET THE WIRE! Season 1 is great and it's definately worth sitting through Seasons 2&3 so you understand whats going on in season 4. You could bounce from 1 directly to 4, however if you enjoyed season 1 as much as I did you will still want to watch all of them.
hbo keep the quality rolling June 23, 2008
The reviews for season one are blinding here and i certainly wont spoil that trend,this is one of the greatest opening seasons of any show that i can think of,this is brilliantly written and achieved that it is near impossible to pick even a single fault.
The show deals with the drug trade in baltimore and spends equal time showing the inner workings of both a police unit organised to send the criminals down and equal time with those who make a living of the drug trade.
Through this unique style we learn alot about the characters but also we find that the cops can at times be as devious as the criminals that they chase and the political issues that hold the crime unit back stink to high heavens that its a wonder that anything gets done.
There is so much more to this show than that,i wish to say that this is gripping and entertaining with comical moments as well but the subject matter is mainly serious and it is so well delivered that you could be forgiven for thinking that this is a documentary,wow.
Brilliant June 6, 2008
I knew a lot of people who had watched this and gone on and on about it so I thought I would get involved. It is brilliant!! The characters are all excellent....from the bent cops to the drug dealers. They jump off the screen at you and leave you wanting to know what is going to happen next. I bought series 2 and 3 and have just finished series 2. Someone said the show needed subtitles...when was that??? Maybe you need to clear out your ears and listen...this is a top show with some excellent actors in it.
Absolute class May 19, 2008
This is possibly the greatest series I have ever watched. The blend of characters is brilliant and the story telling is incredibly compelling as the series picks up pace. It creates a brilliant and, I assume, realistic picture of the US Justice system today. Every character is entertaining in his or her own right and they are not oversimplified or pigeon holed into the usual stereotypes. The Sopranos received a lot of accolades but I believe that this series matches and even eclipses it. Class is the one word to some it up.
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