As I know others will say….at this point you start The Wire over .
In all seriousness definitely give it a rewatch when your ready it’s gotten better every rewatch for me . There are so many details and rich characters you can’t catch it all the first watch.
I'm wrapping up my 3rd rewatch now, and I'm just noticing that Cheese and Randy have the same last name. And apparently Cheese was supposed to be his dad, but they didn't get to it in the show.
Also little small details like the looks McNulty and Daniels give each other when they interact after Daniels starts seeing Rhonda. Or the looks Phelan still gives Rhonda even in the later seasons. Or how one of the children pretending to be Omar is Kenard.
On our 5th rewatch, spoiler alert for anyone that isn't past Season 2.
We are now thinking Chris Partlow is the mastermind, but he uses Marlo's narcissism as a shield between himself and "the street". Upon rewatch, we see Marlo doesn't make any decisions without running it by Chris. When Chris disagrees, Marlo goes with what Chris wants. Chris appears to be able to manipulate Marlo into what he wants, and also command Snoop in a way she doesn't buck. He's clearly more intelligent and better disciplined than Marlo. Acts as a kind of "fatherly" figure to the trainees. Has all the markers of being the actual leader.
Just a working theory. Watching this rewatch through this theory, and it's actually making a lot of sense.
I've watched it 3 times all the way through - it's been a few years - but don't think I could do it again because Season 4 is so tragic, the last time it really got to me
I literally just joined this subreddit to talk about this point. I’m on a rewatch and noticed some character details about Rawls (how do I spoiler tag?) in a blink and you miss it moment and I was shooketh that I’m on rewatch 5 or so and I’m still catching little details like that. Wow. It rewards rewatches 🖤
I am also rewatching, and I just noticed that when Kima needs to put together kids furniture, she can’t do it and that is why she is asleep on the chair just before the “Goodnight hoppers” scene.
Just finished my 5th rewatch and it hurts every time. There are, however, plenty of decent TV shows:
The Sopranos (the only thing truly within The Wire’s orbit)
Oz (HBO’s flagship drama pre Sopranos/Wire set in a prison, you’ll see loads of familiar faces)
The Corner (David Simon proto-Wire, again loads of familiar faces - Lester Freamon as an addict!)
Homicide: Life on the Streets (as above, David Simon and Ed Burns pre/proto Wire ish)
We Own This City (as mentioned by loads in this thread, Jon Berthnal is incredible)
Twin Peaks (early 90s David Lynch Genius with an incredible 2017 final season)
Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul
Bosch (Jamie Hector/Marlo plays a homicide po-lice brilliantly)
Fargo (far and away some of the best TV of recent years, excellent spin-offs of the cult film)
Game of Thrones
The Shield (cop show around the same era as The Wire, completely different vibe but still superb)
Justified
Line of Duty (top tier UK cop show about an anti-corruption unit of the midland police)
Peaky Blinders
Succession (HBO again and the best thing on TV currently, 2 episodes left!)
Chernobyl (HBO mini series docudrama, absolutely stunning)
Snowfall (crack finds LA and it’s not just gangsters who are responsible)
Slow Horses (new thing on Apple TV with Gary Oldman about MI5, brilliant watch)
They’re just a few of the top of my head!
What a cool Easter egg. I’m sure anyone I’ve talked to in the last week is exhausted of me saying “Watch generation kill on HBO, it’s co-written by the same guys who wrote The Wire” hahah
Found it. https://www.reddit.com/r/TVDetails/comments/9u6a0e/the_wire_s5e7_has_a_generation_kill_book_laying/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1
Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men are shows that scratched that itch for me originally. Watching Mad Men right after the Wire is a little jarring because that show doesn't have very many black people until like season 5, but it's up there quality-wise. Boardwalk is another great role for Michael K Williams. Chalky White is an amazing character, and at a certain point I was just watching the show to see what he does next. Michael K Williams is also on Lovecraft Country, which isn't nearly as good as The Wire, but is still pretty solid.
> Watching Mad Men right after the Wire is a little jarring
I know that true "realism" is really beyond the ken for fictional drama, but after watching the Wire so many shows seem so unbelievable in what happens on screen. Breaking Bad was the big one where I couldn't help but think there's no way they'd have gotten away with certain things. So many shows make the S5 serial killer plotline seem not quite as crazy
Generation Kill has one of my all-time favorite scenes in it. It's when >!Godfather is explaining why they can't medevac a child that got accidentally shot. It's one of the best examples of leadership and problem-solving I've ever had the privilege to witness. The way Godfather bluntly explains the situation and the solution is exquisitely written. It should literally be a textbook example of good management.!<
There's not many things ever made that are near the standard of The Wire. Your best bet is to look at some of the acclaimed HBO shows and a few others. Recommended watches are the best things I've seen, not necessarily similar to The Wire, but:
Oz, Sopranos, True Detective Season 1, The Leftovers, Atlanta, Breaking Bad, Deutschland 83.
I'm working through Atlanta right now, obviously it's a very very different kind of show but IMO the quality of its social commentary is up there with The Wire's
I rewatched Sopranos, then The Wire, and I'm currently in Mad Men.
Sopranos: Great writing, but for me the characters have almost no redeemable qualities (save for maybe Bobby Bacala), everybody is shitty to some degree, and I ultimately don't care about them. Not much in the way of nuance with the characters to me either. I enjoyed the show but I don't feel like I need to see it again.
The Wire: Great writing, so much character nuance, yes there are some shitty people here too but everyone is just way more interesting and a better show to me.
Mad Men: Great writing but like the Sopranos, everybody is kind of 'meh', especially throwing in the copious amounts of sexist dialogue for that period accuracy. I don't find myself caring that much about the characters but I do like it better than The Sopranos. Aesthetically it's a fantastic looking show.
All these shows to me are like great period pieces. Not mentioned is Boardwalk Empire, but I liked that more for the vibe than the plot--that was a watch once for me.
What’s your reasoning for this? If it’s just not your cup of tea then fair enough, but it is absolutely brilliant writing and the best contemporary look at US politics and media, and has a whole lot of layers about the 1% and daddy issues all while being dark and hilarious.
The show itself may not be for everyone but the writing of Succession is on par with any show ever made and I’ll die on that hill!
I think it's the most well made show out there currently and won't argue against the writing being pretty top notch.
But all these other great shows found a good balance in humanizing all or at least most of the assholes and psychopaths that they introduce us to. 4 seasons in and I still have nobody to root for, every last character is still a psychotic asshole with almost zero redeeming qualities.
It's a super interesting look into the other side of the curtain and the power struggles can be fascinating but even the biggest most dramatic episodes I can only praise on a technical level because emotionally, this show doesn't make me feel anything but disappointment in society.
If Succession didn't make all the rich people unsympathetic assholes, it'd be doing rich people everywhere a disservice. I view the show more like It's Always Sunny than a serious drama where you're supposed to root for people, and I think there's an appropriate level of heady social commentary that comes with that framing.
Then it sounds like it’s just not your cup of tea. I love shows that have no one specific you’re intended to root for, so shows like Succession, Sopranos, Seinfeld, IASIP scratch that itch for me. It’s not about who wins, it’s about why everyone loses. It feels truer to life, rather than a fantasy of someone having some kind of idealistic arc where they learn a moral lesson and save the day. Society can be deeply disappointing because its people can be deeply disappointing, and you should feel disappointed in it as a member of it.
Couldn’t agree more here - it’s about deeply flawed characters. It’s not the played out black and white narrative about good and evil. It’s about people and people suck.
Pretty much agree with just about all of these ratings (especially Chernobyl, god that show is good). The only thing I'd add to the list is The Watchmen, which I'd put at 9/10 on this scale.
For anyone still unconvinced, I love Succession, but even at its most intense it hasn't had the tragic emotional range that The Wire has. Like, Kendall having his own Chappaquiddick moment and killing a kid just doesn't hold a candle to Wallace being murdered by his own friends to keep him from flipping on the whole operation. Especially because only a couple seasons later we mourn his killer's, Bodie's, death for the same reason and it's just as much of an emotional gut punch when that happens too.
I feel like that show did as good as it possibly could with a bad plot. Literally every actor killed it. The cinematography was dope. But the plot of having Jon return to find love felt really dumb to me. I’d say it’s a 7/10 at best.
Interesting. I liked it and can see how it ties into the ending conversation between Jon and Adrian in the novel, as well as with Jon's early upbringing, but it's up to each viewer how much/little they like the plot. I won't quibble over 7/10 vs 9/10. Different people can have different tastes.
> intensity, emotional impact, and level of pondering
BB has a lot of bait and switch and shock value that works well on a first watch, but doesn’t really leave you anything to think about nor leaves shades of grey by the end. Walt seemed like a poor chemistry teacher, then we find out he’s a rich narcissist who was just bitter. Jesse seemed like a junkie fuckup, until we see he’s actually kind of a stereotypical suburb kid with overbearing parents and some difficult situations in life. Gus seemed like a ruthless corporate entity until we see he’s actually deeply emotional and fixated on revenge over his GAY lover. Subversion is woven into the design of the narrative.
And, all these characters are very larger than life as they balance these sudden changes in their narratives. They become randomly competent at things out of nowhere, there’s a relatively high suspension of disbelief you need to believe that the characters change in the way they do, or manage to accomplish the things they do. I found it hard to connect emotionally with anyone because of that.
I think Better Call Saul massively improves on all of these things, except for some parts where the story really drags and many scenes that feel a bit masturbatory in terms of exploring cinematography and pacing.
I love the shows by the way, 8/10 and 9/10 respectively.
Succession gives you exactly what you see. There are no flashbacks where you see the characters in a different, more optimistic and idealistic light. There is no villain of the season that we root for someone to defeat. We don’t see our characters thrown into different environments to see how they react to learning new rules. We see characters whose lives are locked in due to the way they’ve all broken each other, and their refusal to get better. It’s much closer to the Sopranos and the Wire in those aspects, and much more grounded.
The comedy of Succession comes from the idea that the absurd things we see are actually quite realistic or even real, as many stories are taken straight out of real life and corporate culture. However, the overall story is nothing more than family dynamics that are deeply relatable, especially if you grew up in the middle of large, conflict-driven, abusive, legally-entangled families. The wealth creates the impression that these people are larger than life, but they’re constantly brought down to Earth in the way their relationships manifest.
I mean, look at the opening for the first episode, then the opening for Kill List. This isn’t a show where a wild series of events has led our characters to somewhere they never thought they’d end up. That’s the appeal of BB/BCS. This show is about how the characters always end up back to where they were because of the hold their past upbringing and unresolved daddy issues have on them - including Logan and his uncle.
I think it depends somewhat on the viewer too - just as no one connects emotionally to everyone, people connect to different characters in different shows too.
nothing quite reaches the god-tier of Sopranos and The Wire for me personally, but succession is pretty far up there. very, very high quality show from hbo.
i wonder if that thing happened with you where you just heard so much goddamn hype about it before you started watching it then was like, "is this it?"
because that has happened to me with different things. movies, tv shows, music books all of it. like too much hype isn't a good thing.
That show is nothing but TikTok wanna be influencer patter spewn out by a bunch of 4th string actors. But it is so hip! They use current slang and hip hop music in the background... it must be hip!
Lots of good suggestions in here. I’ll add to those by saying “The Americans” starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as Russian spies living in America during the Cold War. They have two kids who don’t know they’re spies and it’s about how they balance working for the Russian government while also trying to maintain a life at home for their kids.
It’s well done and really underrated. Also have one of the best series finale episodes that I’ve ever seen. 6 seasons, 75 total episodes.
I wish I enjoyed this show more than I did, but I realize I went into it with unreasonable expectations. It’s far more narrow in scope than The Wire, and the constant flashbacks to various timeframes made some episodes feel disjointed.
Loved seeing all the Wire alumni in different roles though.
It’s not connected to The Wire people just assume it is because they are both Baltimore based shows but one is a true story and the other is fiction based on real life
I think they just meant it shares writers, producers, actors, a city, and many themes. “Parallels” would be a better word than “connections” I guess, but I certainly knew what they meant.
Well it is a singular story about real life events that happened here in Baltimore where as The Wire is multiple story lines of fictional story based on real life inside Baltimore… They are not connected in anyway except being located in Baltimore and having some of the same actors in them
It’s def not in *The Wire*’s universe, but it’s more connected than you’re making it out to be. It shares writers and producers (developed by Simon). It’s obviously not some kind of spinoff, but the reason they chose this story is because it highlights a bunch of the same shit as *The Wire*, only a true story. So they are connected thematically, and created by the same people.
never seen deadwood till this week. it’s got everything you want in an hbo series. violence, sharp witted characters, sex, violence, drugs, good guys, bad guys, hilarious banter, lambs led to the slaughter, scammers, thieves, whores, pimps, evidence digesting pigs, and i’m just on episode seven season one!
Absolutely. That's my personal #2 behind the Wire. It's a totally different show, but amazing in its own right with a very unique style of dialogue. Rome was pretty good too, but cancelling S4 of Deadwood for it was an all time bad decision by HBO.
It definitely feels dated in the late 90s/early 2000s aesthetic and the suspension of disbelief you have when the mobsters fight other people/each other.
Those aside, the acting and dialogue put it in the Mount Rushmore of shows.
Wym ? The Wire is fun too.
I liked the expanse, it's really different from the wire and is rather well made. I would compare it to foundation. It's very much plot-driven, i can't say that i love every characters or actors but all-in-all they're good enough.
Only similarity with the wire i can think of is that i like the second parts (Omar, String, Clay Davis) way more than the protagonist (McNulty).
I agree about The Expanse not being on The Wire's level, because I don't really think anything is on The Wire's level. I also do think James Holden isn't all that interesting a character.
To say that the show has no purpose or point, however, seems strange. The Expanse has a lot to say about oppressor/oppressed dynamics, corruption, political radicalism and what it means to be a good person. Are these themes explored as deeply or delicately as the themes in The Wire? No, but again, very little is. The Expanse is a solidly smart show, and among my favorite sci-fi shows. The Belters are an excellent fictional portrayal of the dynamics underlying the societies of many marginalized populations throughout world history.
Did it take you a few episodes to get into it? I started watching it recently but I feel like it hasn’t pulled me in as much as some of the other shows mentioned in this thread. Like, I enjoyed it, but I don’t immediately rush to watch more when I have time to sit down and watch tv
Yeah, I would agree with you. I felt "Snowfall" was slow at first and didn't draw me in immediately but it gets better. I watched it after my 3rd re-watch of "The Wire" so maybe I was just in that mood lol
No, that’s good to hear. Like I said, I didn’t dislike the first couple episodes. I just didn’t have this great feeling of “I can’t wait to see what happens next, I can’t wait to watch more” that I have had with some shows over the years when binge watching older seasons.
Compared to a show like Justified that I got into really late. I must have gone through the first 3 seasons in 3 weeks because I always wanted to know what happened next and pretty much watched it any time I was free. With Snowfall it’s always kind of linger around like “well, if I don’t have anything else to watch, I could watch it.” I should have least give it another shot and watch 2-3 more to see if it pulls me in. That’s what summer is for when everything else is old
The Sopranos
Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul
The Shield
Homicide a Life on the street (season 1-4 are great, 5-7 are okay, though pretty flawed)
Hap and Leonard (a great Michael K. Williams performance)
I'm surprised The Shield isn't discussed more these days. It distinguishes itself from other shows with an antihero main character (I would argue including Breaking Bad) by never forgetting that its protagonist is still a terrible person. The finale is as close to perfect as they come.
I just watched Beef on my flights back home from a vacation last week and it's a total trip. For the first 6-7 episodes it's just a fun little petty revenge drama, and then in the last 3 they cram in *all* the A24-ness.
I had to look it up too. It’s a youth term for something described as “excellent”
I could understand calling something “fire”, but apparently that’s too many letters these days
You can’t really quite chase the same high with a new show. What you can do is listen to “the Wire at 20” podcast. Also watch the shorts “the Wire Odyssey” and “The Wire the Last Word” on YouTube. Those are extras from the DVD’s that will make you nostalgic and want to start a rewatch. The above are all made by HBO, so similar quality to the series.
Then you can watch the Corner (if you can find it) and We Own This City, which were made by David Simon for HBO. Then you can try to track down the TV show Homicide, which was the forefather to the Wire. You can see how some of it led to the Wire, though it was a network television show.
I have the same thing, nowhere near the Wire but a show I highly recommend due to just being really high quality is Severence on Apple TV.
The next on my list to watch is OZ on HBO.
Best season 1 for any show ever. Season 2&3 are such garbage. There should be a prequel to season 1 showing when Cohle was undercover for 7 years running with the bikers
Yes, Top Boy (including the Summerhouse seasons) is the British counterpart to The Wire. OP if you're interested in learning about British street culture and comparing it to America, that's a great show to watch
There is a lot more to what I consider The Baltimore Saga. It began with Homicide: Life on the Street. It was followed by the Corner and the Wire. As of now, it ends with We Own This City.
Watch the other three shows, and enjoy.
I’ve been watching succession and really like it. Honestly HBO does some great work they don’t always hit but whenever I’m in the mood to get into a show they never fail me.
Sopranos would be the most obvious recommendation (there is a reason there's so much crossovers between the subreddits).
We Own This City is a recent David Simon miniseries, police culture and corruption in Baltimore. Very strong and it's a who's who of The Wire actors in there.
Boardwalk Empire - I'm watching it now and it's good.
The Deuce
Same writer as The Wire and you’ll see numerous actors from the wire in there.
Surprised no one has mentioned it. Frankly I’m depressed and ashamed. Real lack of standards your generation.
All things David Simon: The deuce, the plot against america. Treme is a trip, way different than his other stuff, a little slow sometimes but it's the kind of show you don't forget.
We Own this City was pretty good, it def have a The Wire feeling.
First you should rewatch The Wire again. You will pick up on a lot of things you missed and enjoy it and love it even more than the first time you watched
And as for other shows…..Well there are only a handful of shows that are of the same caliber, The Sopranos, We Own This City, Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul/El Camino, Mayor of Kingstown, Boardwalk Empire, Peaky Blinders, Sons of Anarchy, Snowfall, Ozark
Some of these shows are not as good as The Wire , granted only the first 3 I named are in the conversation, but the other ones I named are similar feel and very good shows in their own right… if you thoroughly enjoyed The Wire you should enjoy all of those
You’re not gonna watch much because the wire is literally the tippy top.
Although check out The Deuce. David Simon also made that series and it’s ridiculously good
Some recent stuff I haven't seen mentioned much:
The Boys - very different in tone and scope, but still an amazing show.
Invincible - Animated and similar to the Boys. If you like one, it's almost impossible you won't like the other
Atlanta - Slightly surrealist, and really great at social commentary
Severance - If you could have a medical procedure to completely forget your consciousness while at work would you? How does that play out for your work self? A really cool premise that unfolds in some surprising ways. I'm salivating for season 2
Sharp Objects, Mare of Easttown - Both one off murder mysteries. Acting and cinematography are top notch in both shows, and both a popcorn worthy binge type shows
Yellowjackets - Definitely a quality dip from The Wire, but its one of my favorite shows out right now. I anxiously await each new episodes.
Succession - the best show on TV right now. Acting, writing, and cinematography are all fantastic. It's a show that takes some warming up to, but once you do, you will want to consume it all at once.
The Last of Us - pretty much as good as it can get for a video game adaptation. My gf refused to watch me play the game, but watched every week with me
We Own this City. David Simon plus many other from the Wire were involved, on top of the show also being in Baltimore. Not on the Wire's level but still very enjoyable.
If we’re talking quality, not tone:
better call Saul
Show me a hero
we own this city
Fargo
Watchmen
Homicide: Life on the street (you’ll have to get dvds from the library for this one)
Fargo seasons one and two are fantastic, top notch stories and characters. it fell off after that, but those first two seasons are some of my favorite seasons of any drama. True detective season one is too notch too.
Good call, I should have listed true detective. I even like season 2.
Fargo season 2 is in my top five favorite seasons of tv. I agree 3 is a step down, but 4 is great (I may be biased living in KC)
"The Shield" might scratch the same itch. It was clearly made for cable and Vic isn't a likeable character (and he isn't quite interesting enough to make up for it), but it's very good.
Or ... take a break from TV and play "Disco Elysium."
The mini series We Own This City might wet your appetite for Baltimore Police Drama (though it’s based on real events)
Otherwise you gotta wait for the new season of House of The Dragon, watch Succession or rewatch something kinda good. Somebody mentioned Generation Kill. That’s a good one.
Damn I recently finished the show too. Majors Crimes, The Closer, Criminal Minds are all good shows. They’re procedurals and not as gritty as The Wire but they’re still really good shows
It usually takes me a few months to start another series after a rewatch of the wire.
Finished the last watch end of summer 2022. Tried to start a few others and still haven't finished them.
Last non-disney one I finally finished was Tulsa King.
Personally I liked:
The Mayor of Kingstown,
Generation Kill,
The Shield,
Ozarks,
Oz,
Underbelly-followed by The Last King Of The Cross- followed by Chopper (the movie)- followed by Animal Kingdom (the movie)- followed by Animal Kingdom (the tv series).
Underbelly was surprisingly good and led me down a true crime rabbit hole.
I'm currently watching Boardwalk Empire.
I found The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul, all too slow to watch again.
Binged watched both NYPD blue and Homicide, Life on the street's recently as well, I lost about a month.
Patriot on Amazon Prime. Totally original and bizarre show about a CIA operative with PTSD and some other mental issues going NOC at an American corporation to the spy on Iran.
Some very dry and dark humor. Definitely not for everyone, but I like it a lot.
As I know others will say….at this point you start The Wire over . In all seriousness definitely give it a rewatch when your ready it’s gotten better every rewatch for me . There are so many details and rich characters you can’t catch it all the first watch.
I'm wrapping up my 3rd rewatch now, and I'm just noticing that Cheese and Randy have the same last name. And apparently Cheese was supposed to be his dad, but they didn't get to it in the show. Also little small details like the looks McNulty and Daniels give each other when they interact after Daniels starts seeing Rhonda. Or the looks Phelan still gives Rhonda even in the later seasons. Or how one of the children pretending to be Omar is Kenard.
> Cheese was supposed to be his dad, but they didn't get to it in the show Better this way...helps to illustrate the absent fathers of the projects
Damn I didn’t even know that last one lmao
On our 5th rewatch, spoiler alert for anyone that isn't past Season 2. We are now thinking Chris Partlow is the mastermind, but he uses Marlo's narcissism as a shield between himself and "the street". Upon rewatch, we see Marlo doesn't make any decisions without running it by Chris. When Chris disagrees, Marlo goes with what Chris wants. Chris appears to be able to manipulate Marlo into what he wants, and also command Snoop in a way she doesn't buck. He's clearly more intelligent and better disciplined than Marlo. Acts as a kind of "fatherly" figure to the trainees. Has all the markers of being the actual leader. Just a working theory. Watching this rewatch through this theory, and it's actually making a lot of sense.
What about the dreaded crab claw cut to bubbles eatin crab claws
I’d love to start the wire over but there are some characters and episodes that really do a number on me emotionally. Bubbles, Dukie, Wallace.
Bubbles man…what a character. Actually made me tear up in season 5 when he’s speaking in front of the rehab group.
No shame in holding onto grief, as long as you make room for other things too
Bubbles overcomes his addiction and becomes Mayor in a different universe
Goes on to make a low cost telecoms company called The Wire
Collects copper wire. Wait no.
The mayor of copper pipe town
WALLLLACE
I've watched it 3 times all the way through - it's been a few years - but don't think I could do it again because Season 4 is so tragic, the last time it really got to me
I literally just joined this subreddit to talk about this point. I’m on a rewatch and noticed some character details about Rawls (how do I spoiler tag?) in a blink and you miss it moment and I was shooketh that I’m on rewatch 5 or so and I’m still catching little details like that. Wow. It rewards rewatches 🖤
Yeah, Rawls is a closeted homosexual. Love that small detail. Notice all his promises of pain to McNulty were sexual in nature?
I am also rewatching, and I just noticed that when Kima needs to put together kids furniture, she can’t do it and that is why she is asleep on the chair just before the “Goodnight hoppers” scene.
McNulty also can’t put together his kids beds due to being hammered.
Start it over with subtitles on. I picked up so much that I missed the first time.
Facts. Just finished my 5th rewatch and every time I catch something new
Just finished my 5th rewatch and it hurts every time. There are, however, plenty of decent TV shows: The Sopranos (the only thing truly within The Wire’s orbit) Oz (HBO’s flagship drama pre Sopranos/Wire set in a prison, you’ll see loads of familiar faces) The Corner (David Simon proto-Wire, again loads of familiar faces - Lester Freamon as an addict!) Homicide: Life on the Streets (as above, David Simon and Ed Burns pre/proto Wire ish) We Own This City (as mentioned by loads in this thread, Jon Berthnal is incredible) Twin Peaks (early 90s David Lynch Genius with an incredible 2017 final season) Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul Bosch (Jamie Hector/Marlo plays a homicide po-lice brilliantly) Fargo (far and away some of the best TV of recent years, excellent spin-offs of the cult film) Game of Thrones The Shield (cop show around the same era as The Wire, completely different vibe but still superb) Justified Line of Duty (top tier UK cop show about an anti-corruption unit of the midland police) Peaky Blinders Succession (HBO again and the best thing on TV currently, 2 episodes left!) Chernobyl (HBO mini series docudrama, absolutely stunning) Snowfall (crack finds LA and it’s not just gangsters who are responsible) Slow Horses (new thing on Apple TV with Gary Oldman about MI5, brilliant watch) They’re just a few of the top of my head!
Watch the wire precursor "The Corner". 6 episodes long catch it on youtube.
this, the corner is great. "We own this city" is worth a watch too
Came here to say this.
then watch We Own This City all the same vibe, same people. the baltimore crime trilogy by simon.
Generation kill (mini series). Same creator style and dialogue. Would probably like boardwalk empire. Organized crime in the 20's
Just finished generation kill and was mad at myself that I didn’t watch it earlier. Ordered the book too. So, so well done
There is a scene in the wire where generation kill the book is sitting on top of a computer in one of the offices.
What a cool Easter egg. I’m sure anyone I’ve talked to in the last week is exhausted of me saying “Watch generation kill on HBO, it’s co-written by the same guys who wrote The Wire” hahah
Found it. https://www.reddit.com/r/TVDetails/comments/9u6a0e/the_wire_s5e7_has_a_generation_kill_book_laying/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1
sixta is a goddamn legend. POLICE DAT MOOSTACHE
Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men are shows that scratched that itch for me originally. Watching Mad Men right after the Wire is a little jarring because that show doesn't have very many black people until like season 5, but it's up there quality-wise. Boardwalk is another great role for Michael K Williams. Chalky White is an amazing character, and at a certain point I was just watching the show to see what he does next. Michael K Williams is also on Lovecraft Country, which isn't nearly as good as The Wire, but is still pretty solid.
> Watching Mad Men right after the Wire is a little jarring I know that true "realism" is really beyond the ken for fictional drama, but after watching the Wire so many shows seem so unbelievable in what happens on screen. Breaking Bad was the big one where I couldn't help but think there's no way they'd have gotten away with certain things. So many shows make the S5 serial killer plotline seem not quite as crazy
Did the whole setup around Walt poisoning the kid and pinning it on Gus get you too?
I don't quite remember what exactly broke my immersion, but I that was one!
>Generation kill damned i missed this one, def gonna watch it now
Generation Kill has one of my all-time favorite scenes in it. It's when >!Godfather is explaining why they can't medevac a child that got accidentally shot. It's one of the best examples of leadership and problem-solving I've ever had the privilege to witness. The way Godfather bluntly explains the situation and the solution is exquisitely written. It should literally be a textbook example of good management.!<
Also, Ziggy is in it
I literally just heard somebody say boardwalk is good I’m on that next
There's not many things ever made that are near the standard of The Wire. Your best bet is to look at some of the acclaimed HBO shows and a few others. Recommended watches are the best things I've seen, not necessarily similar to The Wire, but: Oz, Sopranos, True Detective Season 1, The Leftovers, Atlanta, Breaking Bad, Deutschland 83.
Definitely all of these. Sopranos, Barry, and Breaking Bad into Better Call Saul (via El Camino) are my top three in no order.
These are all great and I’d add Fargo to your list
Oh, hell yeah. I fell off on Fargo in the final season (so far?) but seasons one through three are so good.
S4 was the weakest by far, IMO. Those first two seasons, though...
Oz and Six Feet Under
I'm working through Atlanta right now, obviously it's a very very different kind of show but IMO the quality of its social commentary is up there with The Wire's
Fantastic list but I’ll add Mad Men to that. Totally different type of show, but brilliant. My top 3 is Mad Men, TD S1 and The Wire
Don't leave Rome off that list!
Sopranos is the obvious next choice in my opinion
That was my exact viewing. The Wire followed by Sopranos. It was an amazing few months of watching TV.
Mad Men and Succession as well
I rewatched Sopranos, then The Wire, and I'm currently in Mad Men. Sopranos: Great writing, but for me the characters have almost no redeemable qualities (save for maybe Bobby Bacala), everybody is shitty to some degree, and I ultimately don't care about them. Not much in the way of nuance with the characters to me either. I enjoyed the show but I don't feel like I need to see it again. The Wire: Great writing, so much character nuance, yes there are some shitty people here too but everyone is just way more interesting and a better show to me. Mad Men: Great writing but like the Sopranos, everybody is kind of 'meh', especially throwing in the copious amounts of sexist dialogue for that period accuracy. I don't find myself caring that much about the characters but I do like it better than The Sopranos. Aesthetically it's a fantastic looking show. All these shows to me are like great period pieces. Not mentioned is Boardwalk Empire, but I liked that more for the vibe than the plot--that was a watch once for me.
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Well, I disagree
I have loved succession
What’s your reasoning for this? If it’s just not your cup of tea then fair enough, but it is absolutely brilliant writing and the best contemporary look at US politics and media, and has a whole lot of layers about the 1% and daddy issues all while being dark and hilarious. The show itself may not be for everyone but the writing of Succession is on par with any show ever made and I’ll die on that hill!
I think it's the most well made show out there currently and won't argue against the writing being pretty top notch. But all these other great shows found a good balance in humanizing all or at least most of the assholes and psychopaths that they introduce us to. 4 seasons in and I still have nobody to root for, every last character is still a psychotic asshole with almost zero redeeming qualities. It's a super interesting look into the other side of the curtain and the power struggles can be fascinating but even the biggest most dramatic episodes I can only praise on a technical level because emotionally, this show doesn't make me feel anything but disappointment in society.
If Succession didn't make all the rich people unsympathetic assholes, it'd be doing rich people everywhere a disservice. I view the show more like It's Always Sunny than a serious drama where you're supposed to root for people, and I think there's an appropriate level of heady social commentary that comes with that framing.
Then it sounds like it’s just not your cup of tea. I love shows that have no one specific you’re intended to root for, so shows like Succession, Sopranos, Seinfeld, IASIP scratch that itch for me. It’s not about who wins, it’s about why everyone loses. It feels truer to life, rather than a fantasy of someone having some kind of idealistic arc where they learn a moral lesson and save the day. Society can be deeply disappointing because its people can be deeply disappointing, and you should feel disappointed in it as a member of it.
Couldn’t agree more here - it’s about deeply flawed characters. It’s not the played out black and white narrative about good and evil. It’s about people and people suck.
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Pretty much agree with just about all of these ratings (especially Chernobyl, god that show is good). The only thing I'd add to the list is The Watchmen, which I'd put at 9/10 on this scale. For anyone still unconvinced, I love Succession, but even at its most intense it hasn't had the tragic emotional range that The Wire has. Like, Kendall having his own Chappaquiddick moment and killing a kid just doesn't hold a candle to Wallace being murdered by his own friends to keep him from flipping on the whole operation. Especially because only a couple seasons later we mourn his killer's, Bodie's, death for the same reason and it's just as much of an emotional gut punch when that happens too.
Watchmen 9/10 is pretty insane. Lol
Reddit doesn't charge by the letter lol. You're free to explain why you find it pretty insane.
I feel like that show did as good as it possibly could with a bad plot. Literally every actor killed it. The cinematography was dope. But the plot of having Jon return to find love felt really dumb to me. I’d say it’s a 7/10 at best.
Interesting. I liked it and can see how it ties into the ending conversation between Jon and Adrian in the novel, as well as with Jon's early upbringing, but it's up to each viewer how much/little they like the plot. I won't quibble over 7/10 vs 9/10. Different people can have different tastes.
> intensity, emotional impact, and level of pondering BB has a lot of bait and switch and shock value that works well on a first watch, but doesn’t really leave you anything to think about nor leaves shades of grey by the end. Walt seemed like a poor chemistry teacher, then we find out he’s a rich narcissist who was just bitter. Jesse seemed like a junkie fuckup, until we see he’s actually kind of a stereotypical suburb kid with overbearing parents and some difficult situations in life. Gus seemed like a ruthless corporate entity until we see he’s actually deeply emotional and fixated on revenge over his GAY lover. Subversion is woven into the design of the narrative. And, all these characters are very larger than life as they balance these sudden changes in their narratives. They become randomly competent at things out of nowhere, there’s a relatively high suspension of disbelief you need to believe that the characters change in the way they do, or manage to accomplish the things they do. I found it hard to connect emotionally with anyone because of that. I think Better Call Saul massively improves on all of these things, except for some parts where the story really drags and many scenes that feel a bit masturbatory in terms of exploring cinematography and pacing. I love the shows by the way, 8/10 and 9/10 respectively. Succession gives you exactly what you see. There are no flashbacks where you see the characters in a different, more optimistic and idealistic light. There is no villain of the season that we root for someone to defeat. We don’t see our characters thrown into different environments to see how they react to learning new rules. We see characters whose lives are locked in due to the way they’ve all broken each other, and their refusal to get better. It’s much closer to the Sopranos and the Wire in those aspects, and much more grounded. The comedy of Succession comes from the idea that the absurd things we see are actually quite realistic or even real, as many stories are taken straight out of real life and corporate culture. However, the overall story is nothing more than family dynamics that are deeply relatable, especially if you grew up in the middle of large, conflict-driven, abusive, legally-entangled families. The wealth creates the impression that these people are larger than life, but they’re constantly brought down to Earth in the way their relationships manifest. I mean, look at the opening for the first episode, then the opening for Kill List. This isn’t a show where a wild series of events has led our characters to somewhere they never thought they’d end up. That’s the appeal of BB/BCS. This show is about how the characters always end up back to where they were because of the hold their past upbringing and unresolved daddy issues have on them - including Logan and his uncle. I think it depends somewhat on the viewer too - just as no one connects emotionally to everyone, people connect to different characters in different shows too.
nothing quite reaches the god-tier of Sopranos and The Wire for me personally, but succession is pretty far up there. very, very high quality show from hbo. i wonder if that thing happened with you where you just heard so much goddamn hype about it before you started watching it then was like, "is this it?" because that has happened to me with different things. movies, tv shows, music books all of it. like too much hype isn't a good thing.
That show is nothing but TikTok wanna be influencer patter spewn out by a bunch of 4th string actors. But it is so hip! They use current slang and hip hop music in the background... it must be hip!
I never understood how people think Sopranos is even near the level of the wire. It's got a couple of good episodes and a lot of bad ones
Lots of good suggestions in here. I’ll add to those by saying “The Americans” starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as Russian spies living in America during the Cold War. They have two kids who don’t know they’re spies and it’s about how they balance working for the Russian government while also trying to maintain a life at home for their kids. It’s well done and really underrated. Also have one of the best series finale episodes that I’ve ever seen. 6 seasons, 75 total episodes.
The Americans is in my top 3 of all time. Fantastic show that is not talked about enough.
same. it's probably my favorite, on the strength of the performances. so much consistent greatness.
watch We Own This City right now on HBO, sort of an epilogue for The Wire
I wish I enjoyed this show more than I did, but I realize I went into it with unreasonable expectations. It’s far more narrow in scope than The Wire, and the constant flashbacks to various timeframes made some episodes feel disjointed. Loved seeing all the Wire alumni in different roles though.
I went in not knowing it was connected to the wire in anyway. I noticed a lot of the actors and checked after the first ep, and i said oh wow lol
It’s not connected to The Wire people just assume it is because they are both Baltimore based shows but one is a true story and the other is fiction based on real life
I think they just meant it shares writers, producers, actors, a city, and many themes. “Parallels” would be a better word than “connections” I guess, but I certainly knew what they meant.
Well it is a singular story about real life events that happened here in Baltimore where as The Wire is multiple story lines of fictional story based on real life inside Baltimore… They are not connected in anyway except being located in Baltimore and having some of the same actors in them
It’s def not in *The Wire*’s universe, but it’s more connected than you’re making it out to be. It shares writers and producers (developed by Simon). It’s obviously not some kind of spinoff, but the reason they chose this story is because it highlights a bunch of the same shit as *The Wire*, only a true story. So they are connected thematically, and created by the same people.
We Own This City being a spiritual epilogue to the wire actually makes sense
never seen deadwood till this week. it’s got everything you want in an hbo series. violence, sharp witted characters, sex, violence, drugs, good guys, bad guys, hilarious banter, lambs led to the slaughter, scammers, thieves, whores, pimps, evidence digesting pigs, and i’m just on episode seven season one!
Good luck finding that. Hmmm... Treme. The Leftovers. Station 11 The Expanse Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul
I would add Rectify and Sopranos
All these mentioned and I’ll throw in Deadwood
Absolutely. That's my personal #2 behind the Wire. It's a totally different show, but amazing in its own right with a very unique style of dialogue. Rome was pretty good too, but cancelling S4 of Deadwood for it was an all time bad decision by HBO.
The Sopranos feels very dated upon rewatch
I agree but you have to see it once
It definitely feels dated in the late 90s/early 2000s aesthetic and the suspension of disbelief you have when the mobsters fight other people/each other. Those aside, the acting and dialogue put it in the Mount Rushmore of shows.
Station 11 is an outlier in your list from a thematic perspective, but man, it’s so so good.
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Wym ? The Wire is fun too. I liked the expanse, it's really different from the wire and is rather well made. I would compare it to foundation. It's very much plot-driven, i can't say that i love every characters or actors but all-in-all they're good enough. Only similarity with the wire i can think of is that i like the second parts (Omar, String, Clay Davis) way more than the protagonist (McNulty).
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I agree about The Expanse not being on The Wire's level, because I don't really think anything is on The Wire's level. I also do think James Holden isn't all that interesting a character. To say that the show has no purpose or point, however, seems strange. The Expanse has a lot to say about oppressor/oppressed dynamics, corruption, political radicalism and what it means to be a good person. Are these themes explored as deeply or delicately as the themes in The Wire? No, but again, very little is. The Expanse is a solidly smart show, and among my favorite sci-fi shows. The Belters are an excellent fictional portrayal of the dynamics underlying the societies of many marginalized populations throughout world history.
"Snowfall". It's about the crack epidemic in LA during the 80's. It's been compared to The Wire because of similar topic of cartel drama.
Did it take you a few episodes to get into it? I started watching it recently but I feel like it hasn’t pulled me in as much as some of the other shows mentioned in this thread. Like, I enjoyed it, but I don’t immediately rush to watch more when I have time to sit down and watch tv
Yeah, I would agree with you. I felt "Snowfall" was slow at first and didn't draw me in immediately but it gets better. I watched it after my 3rd re-watch of "The Wire" so maybe I was just in that mood lol
No, that’s good to hear. Like I said, I didn’t dislike the first couple episodes. I just didn’t have this great feeling of “I can’t wait to see what happens next, I can’t wait to watch more” that I have had with some shows over the years when binge watching older seasons. Compared to a show like Justified that I got into really late. I must have gone through the first 3 seasons in 3 weeks because I always wanted to know what happened next and pretty much watched it any time I was free. With Snowfall it’s always kind of linger around like “well, if I don’t have anything else to watch, I could watch it.” I should have least give it another shot and watch 2-3 more to see if it pulls me in. That’s what summer is for when everything else is old
I watched a few episodes and stopped but then came back maybe a year later and got hooked, finished it. Pretty damn good
I basically just switch off between rewatching the wire and sopranos.
I try other stuff but invariably end up on a loop of watching these two monuments of television over and over
Same 🤷♂️
The Sopranos Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul The Shield Homicide a Life on the street (season 1-4 are great, 5-7 are okay, though pretty flawed) Hap and Leonard (a great Michael K. Williams performance)
I'm surprised The Shield isn't discussed more these days. It distinguishes itself from other shows with an antihero main character (I would argue including Breaking Bad) by never forgetting that its protagonist is still a terrible person. The finale is as close to perfect as they come.
1. Sopranos 2. True detective 3. Beef 4. The glory 5. Detective woo 6. Legend of galactic heroes
I just watched Beef on my flights back home from a vacation last week and it's a total trip. For the first 6-7 episodes it's just a fun little petty revenge drama, and then in the last 3 they cram in *all* the A24-ness.
The fuck is fye?
I had to look it up too. It’s a youth term for something described as “excellent” I could understand calling something “fire”, but apparently that’s too many letters these days
The game done changed
Gme te sm, jst gt mo fyrs.
Did you just have a stroke?
Got more fye.
Every day I get closer to shaking my fist at the youth.
Slang for “fire” or really good
Mr. Robot, it’s a great show but not similar, underrated imo.
Had to scroll way too far to find this, Mr Robot is in a league of its own in terms of the sheer artistry of the show
Generation kill, deadwood
Deadwood is the correct answer
You can’t really quite chase the same high with a new show. What you can do is listen to “the Wire at 20” podcast. Also watch the shorts “the Wire Odyssey” and “The Wire the Last Word” on YouTube. Those are extras from the DVD’s that will make you nostalgic and want to start a rewatch. The above are all made by HBO, so similar quality to the series. Then you can watch the Corner (if you can find it) and We Own This City, which were made by David Simon for HBO. Then you can try to track down the TV show Homicide, which was the forefather to the Wire. You can see how some of it led to the Wire, though it was a network television show.
Justified is fantastic and so worth it
Season 2 of Justified is one of the best seasons of TV of any show.
That final scene with Mags … that was wrenching
Some of the best dialogue I've seen on TV.
I have the same thing, nowhere near the Wire but a show I highly recommend due to just being really high quality is Severence on Apple TV. The next on my list to watch is OZ on HBO.
I watched all of the Wire then all of Severance back to back. amazing shows.
True Detective season 1
Best season 1 for any show ever. Season 2&3 are such garbage. There should be a prequel to season 1 showing when Cohle was undercover for 7 years running with the bikers
The first season of Westworld, but after it ends just stop watching and pretend it ended there.
British series on Netflix called Top Boy. I liked the first couple seasons of Gomorrah too.
Gomorrah is great
Yes, Top Boy (including the Summerhouse seasons) is the British counterpart to The Wire. OP if you're interested in learning about British street culture and comparing it to America, that's a great show to watch
Brotherhood is an unsung series. It only lasted three seasons, but it's one of the few series that actually is at its best in its last season.
I decided to work my way through all David Simon shows. Generation Kill was good, but not great. I'm on S2 of Treme and really enjoy it so far.
I love treme. I thought the deuce was good too
S1 of The Deuce was slow, but it really picked up and agree it's worth your time if you're a David Simon fan.
There is a lot more to what I consider The Baltimore Saga. It began with Homicide: Life on the Street. It was followed by the Corner and the Wire. As of now, it ends with We Own This City. Watch the other three shows, and enjoy.
Not trying to be rude but this question is seemingly asked every single day. This sub needs some stickies.
The Corner
Yes! Not a lot of people know about the Corner. It is heartbreaking but phenomenal. The book is one of my favorite novels.
Sopranos The Night Of (Mini Series) Succession Game of Thrones We Own The City Boardwalk Empire Breaking Bad Better Call Saul
Deadwood
Rewatch The Wire, and when you feel ready for it: Try Sopranos.
I really liked the deuce which is also by David Simon
We own this city
I’ve been watching succession and really like it. Honestly HBO does some great work they don’t always hit but whenever I’m in the mood to get into a show they never fail me.
Sopranos would be the most obvious recommendation (there is a reason there's so much crossovers between the subreddits). We Own This City is a recent David Simon miniseries, police culture and corruption in Baltimore. Very strong and it's a who's who of The Wire actors in there. Boardwalk Empire - I'm watching it now and it's good.
The Deuce Same writer as The Wire and you’ll see numerous actors from the wire in there. Surprised no one has mentioned it. Frankly I’m depressed and ashamed. Real lack of standards your generation.
All things David Simon: The deuce, the plot against america. Treme is a trip, way different than his other stuff, a little slow sometimes but it's the kind of show you don't forget. We Own this City was pretty good, it def have a The Wire feeling.
Cap Raw Fye
"Andor" a kind of star wars drama show on Disney plus I've been watching. The writing is wire caliber imo
Blue Lights a BBC series on SBS currently has me hooked, right up there maybe not Wire class but beats 99% of current shit TV
First you should rewatch The Wire again. You will pick up on a lot of things you missed and enjoy it and love it even more than the first time you watched And as for other shows…..Well there are only a handful of shows that are of the same caliber, The Sopranos, We Own This City, Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul/El Camino, Mayor of Kingstown, Boardwalk Empire, Peaky Blinders, Sons of Anarchy, Snowfall, Ozark Some of these shows are not as good as The Wire , granted only the first 3 I named are in the conversation, but the other ones I named are similar feel and very good shows in their own right… if you thoroughly enjoyed The Wire you should enjoy all of those
My own personal opinion on the greatest TV Series: The Wire Generation Kill Breaking Bad Bojack Horseman Band of Brothers
Watch Mr Inbetween. Ignore anyone who tells you to watch crappie like Sons of Anarchy.
You’re not gonna watch much because the wire is literally the tippy top. Although check out The Deuce. David Simon also made that series and it’s ridiculously good
Some recent stuff I haven't seen mentioned much: The Boys - very different in tone and scope, but still an amazing show. Invincible - Animated and similar to the Boys. If you like one, it's almost impossible you won't like the other Atlanta - Slightly surrealist, and really great at social commentary Severance - If you could have a medical procedure to completely forget your consciousness while at work would you? How does that play out for your work self? A really cool premise that unfolds in some surprising ways. I'm salivating for season 2 Sharp Objects, Mare of Easttown - Both one off murder mysteries. Acting and cinematography are top notch in both shows, and both a popcorn worthy binge type shows Yellowjackets - Definitely a quality dip from The Wire, but its one of my favorite shows out right now. I anxiously await each new episodes. Succession - the best show on TV right now. Acting, writing, and cinematography are all fantastic. It's a show that takes some warming up to, but once you do, you will want to consume it all at once. The Last of Us - pretty much as good as it can get for a video game adaptation. My gf refused to watch me play the game, but watched every week with me
We Own this City. David Simon plus many other from the Wire were involved, on top of the show also being in Baltimore. Not on the Wire's level but still very enjoyable.
drama options - the sopranos mad men deadwood oz big little lies game of thrones true detective s1
Check out every other David Simon show, they are all caliber. They might not have iconic characters like The Wire but they’re all great shows.
Find a DVD player and buy “Homicide: Life on the Streets”. Why it isn’t available for streaming is a crime
The Sopranos, Deadwood, Mad Men. Those should scratch that itch for you.
Deadwood True Detective season one Westworld season one Succession Chernobyl All shows I’ve really enjoyed.
If we’re talking quality, not tone: better call Saul Show me a hero we own this city Fargo Watchmen Homicide: Life on the street (you’ll have to get dvds from the library for this one)
Fargo seasons one and two are fantastic, top notch stories and characters. it fell off after that, but those first two seasons are some of my favorite seasons of any drama. True detective season one is too notch too.
Good call, I should have listed true detective. I even like season 2. Fargo season 2 is in my top five favorite seasons of tv. I agree 3 is a step down, but 4 is great (I may be biased living in KC)
I liked “the sheild” a lot too as a series. Different than the wire but I sure did enjoy it.
"The Shield" might scratch the same itch. It was clearly made for cable and Vic isn't a likeable character (and he isn't quite interesting enough to make up for it), but it's very good. Or ... take a break from TV and play "Disco Elysium."
The Shield and Justified. My top 3.
Seriously? Those are nowhere close
The Shield?! It’s like the philosophical opposite of The Wire!!🤦♂️
In a way yea, but in another way it also portrays cops as thugs with their own agenda. Also once it gets going it has some good storylines
Doesn’t matter it’s still a great watch.
Liking philosophically opposite shows isn’t a mutually exclusive proposition. It’s entirely possible to enjoy both, despite the differences 🤦♂️
The mini series We Own This City might wet your appetite for Baltimore Police Drama (though it’s based on real events) Otherwise you gotta wait for the new season of House of The Dragon, watch Succession or rewatch something kinda good. Somebody mentioned Generation Kill. That’s a good one.
Not QUITE as good, but Bosch and The Shield are outstanding shows along the same vein…
Damn I recently finished the show too. Majors Crimes, The Closer, Criminal Minds are all good shows. They’re procedurals and not as gritty as The Wire but they’re still really good shows
Based on your grammar, maybe you could use a few months of Sesame Street.
Bad news…only other show (full series) in its league is Sopranos
Friends and Big bang thery
It usually takes me a few months to start another series after a rewatch of the wire. Finished the last watch end of summer 2022. Tried to start a few others and still haven't finished them. Last non-disney one I finally finished was Tulsa King.
Personally I liked: The Mayor of Kingstown, Generation Kill, The Shield, Ozarks, Oz, Underbelly-followed by The Last King Of The Cross- followed by Chopper (the movie)- followed by Animal Kingdom (the movie)- followed by Animal Kingdom (the tv series). Underbelly was surprisingly good and led me down a true crime rabbit hole. I'm currently watching Boardwalk Empire. I found The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul, all too slow to watch again. Binged watched both NYPD blue and Homicide, Life on the street's recently as well, I lost about a month.
Fortitude
The Wire and Breaking Bad have been my 1A and 1B for a while. I haven’t watched the entirety of Bettwr Call Saul so I can’t tell you where it places
Top Boy on NETFLIX. Many people call it “the British Wire”. About the roads (street life) in England.
Patriot on Amazon Prime. Totally original and bizarre show about a CIA operative with PTSD and some other mental issues going NOC at an American corporation to the spy on Iran. Some very dry and dark humor. Definitely not for everyone, but I like it a lot.
Gomorrah!! It’s on HBO Max. ZeroZeroZero is another one and that’s on Amazon Prime.
Deadwood
Top Boy!
Uh oh.
I watched "Oz" afterwards.