‘The Wire at 20’ celebrates the iconic TV show’s 20th anniversary with host Method Man, cast, and crew
“The Wire at 20” is relishing in HBO‘s classic series to commemorate its 20th anniversary. In this podcast, musician and actor Method Man hosts interviews with The Wire’s iconic voices. Episodes honor David Simon’s drama that lasted for 5 seasons, the show’s themes, cultural influences, and forth-running legacy. It’s also awesome to hear Method Man’s memories from the show, as he played Melvin Wagstaff.
Start the 8 episodes in order from the beginning, with the average episode running less than 30 minutes. It’s the official companion podcast for The Wire fans that can even be streamed for people who have yet to binge all 5 TV seasons and would like to hear behind-the-scenes stories and more about the show’s beginnings.
Episode 1 unpacked The Wire’s trek to the screen and some of the challenges it overcame. Method Man chatted with the series’ co-creators David Simon and Ed Burns about how their journalism (he was a former police reporter) and law enforcement backgrounds informed The Wire. Plus, executive producer Nina Noble and writer/producer George Pelecanos revealed that the writer’s room sometimes gave way to shouting matches.
The Wire ran from 2002-2008 and fictionalized Baltimore, Maryland’s drug scene and the law enforcement that tried keeping everything under control. When this show premiered, it set a very high standard for shows that followed – from its writing to production. Back then on TV, cop shows were procedural and followed a format with obvious villains and heroes.
This was not your average cop show! It was about people’s behavior, what we believe in, and how a city was used to portray society and America’s issues. It showed police, politicians, drugs dealers, users, and average civilians interacting with a world that didn’t always love them back.
“The Wire at 20” is presented by HBO and Campside Media. New episodes will be released over the next several weeks, wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
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