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Where is the 'Wire' Backlash?

March 14, 2008

It’s been nearly a full workweek since The Wire wrapped, and I still haven’t seen any hint of a backlash against the HBO drama. When was the last time some critical darling in the creative world–The Wire routinely won the B&C critics’ poll, and that guy from Slate famously called it the best show ever broadcast on television–escaped a backlash? Where is the sneer of some hipster, realizing a show, a band, a film had achieved critical mass, so to speak, who decides it’d be far cooler to be in the smaller group that doesn’t like said show, band or film–an individual so sophisticated in his tastes that he can actually find fault in something the critics adore? 

We all knew people who said Seinfeld or The Sopranos had lost its edge those last few seasons, but I don’t seem to have encountered them this time around. 

In fact, Googling "The Wire sucks" elicits a mere 377 links–a number of them from fans of the show saying how it "sucks you in." That’s a far cry from the 878 links from "The Wire rules", and not much more than the 311 links from "The Wire rocks." 

Was it that The Wire, like Hendrix and Koufax, wasn’t around long enough–a mere 60 episodes across five seasons–to lose favor with the masses? Was it that, unlike Seinfeld and The Sopranos, it never hit the mainstream (if I can use my parents as a barometer of the mainstream)? 

Or was the David Simon creation, in fact, just that good?

Posted by Michael Malone on March 14, 2008 | Comments (4)

9/10/2009 4:24:13 PM EDT
In response to: Where is the 'Wire' Backlash?
John commented:

The Wire is the best show to ever air on television. Those who didn't watch it missed out on a great thing. Fortunately for them they can buy the full 5 seasons online. I have never seen anything as good.


3/19/2008 10:37:42 AM EDT
In response to: Where is the 'Wire' Backlash?
tom commented:

There was wire backlash going on all season, mostly in the form of journalists criticizing the newsroom plotline, and accusing Simon of using it to grind an axe over his experience at the Sun years ago. Notably, the guys in slate's discussion about the show wouldn't shut up about it all season.

In fact, there was SO much backlash all season that Simon published an extensive retort to his journalist critics in Huffinghton Post on monday (comment software won't let me post a link here, but it was on huffington's site just a few days ago).


3/15/2008 5:02:32 AM EDT
In response to: Where is the 'Wire' Backlash?
joenamherst commented:

The main reason there was no 'backlash' was that no one watched 'The Wire'. How in the lords name did this program last five seasons? More people watched 'John From Cincinnatti' and that was cancelled after one season!


3/14/2008 7:41:52 PM EDT
In response to: Where is the 'Wire' Backlash?
Stormy commented:

You obviously haven't read the Baltimore Sun recently. :)

Yes, it is that good.

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