The Wire : The Complete Series

The Wire : The Complete Series
Released: 3 October 2012
Classification: MA15+
Region: 4 (Australia & New Zealand)

From David Simon, creator and co-writer of HBO's triple Emmy-winning mini-series The Corner, this unvarnished, highly realistic HBO series follows a single sprawling drug and murder investigation in Baltimore. Told from the point of view of both the police and their targets, the series captures a universe of subterfuge and surveillance, where easy distinctions between good and evil, and crime and punishment, are challenged at every turn.

The series' first season concentrated on the often-futile efforts of police to infiltrate a West Baltimore drug ring. Seasons Two and Three introduced new story lines as the drug investigation escalated, adding the pressures on the working class and the city's political leadership to the city's mounting problems. Season Four explored the public school system against the backdrop of a new drug empire and mayor, while the fifth and final season centred on the media's role in addressing or failing to address what was really going on in the city.