Television The Wire

Cina said:
The majority of people who have watched both shows fully always seem to rate The Wire as being better, like moi. Most people who rate Breaking Bad better are people who haven't ... well ... watched The Wire. Or 'gave up' a few episodes in, like you :)
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Breaking Bad is more fun IMO. You get linked with Walter White more than with any other character in any TV show (at-least from my experience). At times the plot doesn't make sense and there are quite a few deus ex machina but still it is incredible fun. Which makes people rate it as much as The Wire, regardless that The Wire is by far more realistic (well, bar the fifth season which is bullshit) and has the best writting ever made in a TV show.

Both masterpieces IMO, but The Wire is more slower and needs more dedication (and concentration) than Breaking Bad (and any other show bar perhaps Sopranos).
 
Maybe I was too young when I tried it, but I remember being quite bored by it.
 
Revan said:
The Wire is by far more realistic (well, bar the fifth season which is bullshit) and has the best writting ever made in a TV show.
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On the whole season 5 thing, have you rewatched it? I found on repeat viewing the drop off in quality was nowhere near what I'd remembered.

Also, worth pointing out that even with the drop off, it was still better written than the vast majority of other TV.
 
The Breaking Bad comparisons are unhelpful because Breaking Bad is a cartoon show in comparison. Which isn't a bad thing, everything pretty much is. Breaking Bad is silly popcorn gangsterism/Wild West fantasy done exceptionally well, but still essentially that. The Wire is something significantly more. Which isn't to say you'll enjoy it more, that's subjective, but it just is.
 
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I prefer The Sopranos to The Wire, but those two shows are easily the two best shows that I've seen. Both are on a completely different level to Breaking Bad.
 
Rado_N said:
On the whole season 5 thing, have you rewatched it? I found on repeat viewing the drop off in quality was nowhere near what I'd remembered.

Also, worth pointing out that even with the drop off, it was still better written than the vast majority of other TV.
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Nope, I have watched The Wire only a single time (around 2 years ago). However I agree with you that it is still better written than the majority of the other shows. My 'season 5 is bullshit' was more compared to the other 4 seasons which are as perfect as a TV show can be.
sizzling sausages said:
There's no way it's on a different level to The Sopranos, IMO. Both are top quality and then it's down to taste for which one you prefer.
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I found the Wire significantly better than The Sopranos. In fact, I think that Breaking Bad is better than Sopranos too.
 
sizzling sausages said:
There's no way it's on a different level to The Sopranos, IMO. Both are top quality and then it's down to taste for which one you prefer.
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I watched The Sopranos first and for a long time it was my benchmark for quality TV, I'm a huge fan of the show. But The Wire is better, in a tier of one.
 
Cina said:
I'm tempted to but I'm going to wait for the remastered HD version which HBO are releasing soon.
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Nggghh! Really?
Quick, to the orgasm thread!

I'm a huge fan of BB, and I think it hits the highest heights of any TV (and most film for that matter), but as an overall entity, The Wire is the best.
The call-backs in it are crazy. The Pathos is at times shattering. You give a shit about what happens to nearly everyone.

It will have you talking like a corner-boy though, it permeates you that much.
 
Revan said:
I found the Wire significantly better than The Sopranos. In fact, I think that Breaking Bad is better than Sopranos too.
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I'm watching The Sopranos for the first time now - at the beginning of Series 3. It is very good but nowhere near as good as Breaking Bad and The Wire which are both brilliant in different ways.
 
Huge fan of the Wire, it's easily one of my favourite all-time TV shows (firm place-holder in my top 3). It's brilliant in fact, and people who haven't the patience to give it a shot are missing out.
 
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You need to stay with Series one until you are hooked and then you can't stop watching.
 
I got through season 1 and never quite manage to go on from there, didn't hook me in enough like the Sopranos did, which I consider to be one of the benchmarks of the best. How much better is season 2 and onwards?
 
I finished Season 2 a few weeks back and thought it was brilliant. Was a bit disappointed initially as I was hoping for more Barksdale action but the whole Dockside plot played out superbly.
 
The Wire gets better and better with season 4 being possibly the best TV I've watched.
 
Season three the best for me. The whole Hamsterdam story was what TV shows are made for, and they pulled it off perfectly.
 
Season 2 is massively underrated
Season 5 gets shit on too much due to the McNulty killing thing, but it redeems itself near the end. Very good, falls short compared to other seasons
Season 3 was excellent.
Season 1 is on par with season 5
Season 4 is the pinnacle of television. Easily several levels above season 3, or any other season in television.

Edit: My comments may be hyperbole, but while technically seasons 1 through 4 are roughly on par, tackling socio-economical issues with great depth and patience, the added element of the kids just bumped up the viewing experience a notch. Can't think of other scenes in the series that hit as hard as Sherrod's OD death, Bubbles breaking down, Randy challenging Carver...
 
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2 > 3 > 1 > 4 > 5

Actually, there isn't much between the first four seasons IMO. All of them are easily 10/10. I prefer the second season (which is very different to the others) but the other three are perfect too. Fourth is considered the best from the majority (and arguably is) but I wasn't a big fan of Marlo which may effect me preferring the other three seasons (one with the Greek and the other two with Avon/Stringer).
 
Not seen Breaking Bad, but I will echo what's been said about this being top quality TV.

For me, it's only just second to Band Of Brothers....though BOB isn't a multi-series show, of course. The Wire has that same feel to it, where you get to know all the individual characters deeply.

*Edit* - Series one hooked me within one episode, as I am hugely interested in the whole 'black american neigbourhood gang culture' thing. Series two really threw me off, though, as it's such a dramatic change in story to the previous one....but then hooked me back in after a few episodes.
 
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I can't decide between Season 1 and Season 4 as my favourites right. After those 2, the order would be 3>5>2, but even 2 is epic unmissable television.

For characters, it's difficult, but I'd roughly rank my favourites like this:

1. Omar
2. Bodie
3. Stringer
4. Prez
5. Bubbles

Ask me on another day and I'd probably have Michael, Avon, or D in there too.
 
I definitely agree with those that say BoB and The Wire are out there on their own as the pinnacles of TV in their respective formats, but I'm tempted to say the Wire is even one step above that. Band of Brothers is just perfect - an incredible story masterfully told - and it's probably the first (and only) thing on TV that has ever truly competed with a well-made big budget film, but The Wire is something else - it's unique. It's hard to see something emulating it in any time soon whereas with BoB I think it's only a matter of time before something else like it comes along with the budget, the actors, the directing, the cinematography etc. What The Wire managed is much more difficult to come by. Shame it finished the way it did. Season 5 isn't awful but it's certainly not great TV.
 
Leg-End said:
The Wire

The Sopranos
Breaking Bad

The Rest
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Yes.

Carl said:
I find that hard to believe but it's certainly encouraging. Definitely need to get it watched I think.
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I feel genuine envy towards those who haven't seen it yet. You're in for a surprise treat. I just get the treat.
 
Brwned said:
I definitely agree with those that say BoB and The Wire are out there on their own as the pinnacles of TV in their respective formats, but I'm tempted to say the Wire is even one step above that. Band of Brothers is just perfect - an incredible story masterfully told - and it's probably the first (and only) thing on TV that has ever truly competed with a well-made big budget film, but The Wire is something else - it's unique. It's hard to see something emulating it in any time soon whereas with BoB I think it's only a matter of time before something else like it comes along with the budget, the actors, the directing, the cinematography etc. What The Wire managed is much more difficult to come by. Shame it finished the way it did. Season 5 isn't awful but it's certainly not great TV.
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I agree with most of what you say, except for the bolded part. I think most would agree that despite its (very exaggerated) flaws, season 5 is still excellent TV.
 
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