If you haven't noticed, "The Wire" is a critically acclaimed but somewhat ignored TV show on HBO. If you're not watching it, you are both not alone and horribly misguided. On a scale of 1 to 100, The Wire is a 98, Arrested Development is an 82, Sports Night is a 70 and just about everything else is less than a 50. (This includes: The Sopranos, The West Wing, Seinfeld, and the biggest gainer on the charts - 30 Rock. -- 30 Rock might just be the funniest show on TV right now.) Maybe I'll put The Office, Friday Night Lights and the Colbert Report in the 50s, but nothing other than the above-mentioned three above 60.
Anyhow, if you have not seen the first four seasons of The Wire, DO SO NOW!! No show has done more to explain the current economic, criminal and educational situation our country is in right now. The first three seasons are on DVD. The fourth is available On Demand through many cable operators and will be on DVD soon. The fifth and final season will be airing sometime next year.
I could go on, but I actually have a ton of work to do. The original purpose - to point you to this interview with David Simon, where he talks about what he actually means to say with the characters and plotlines, as well as revealing his political leanings (as if you hadn't guessed) and more - WARNING: THERE ARE MULTIPLE SPOILERS INVOVLED!! Do not read this if you haven't finished season four - and you have to watch the episodes in order, or you're wasting your time. Anyhoo - on to the interview.
FOLLOW-UP: Here's Part 2.