4 ms·

So I guess "The Wire" was basically a documentary?

893helios 9y ago
It was written by David Simon..so yeah https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Simon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Simon
atwebb 9y ago
The creator worked the city desk/homicide reporting for 12 years @ the Baltimore Sun. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Simon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Simon
rexreed 9y ago
Yes it basically is based on true stories. I live in Baltimore, I should say just lived, because I just moved out. The city is every bit as corrupt, dangerous, and malicious as it's made out to be. Don't want anything further to do with this city. And the folks here were delirious thinking that Amazon was going to set up HQ2.
- wambotron 9y ago
  I've always liked Baltimore, but I never lived there. I used to visit every year when I lived up North, but since moving to Richmond, I haven't been up at all. I kind of miss the weird grittiness it has.
  - soylentcola 9y ago
    Yep. Been living here for around 12-13 years and it's definitely a mixed bag. Plenty not to like about it, but that can be said for many cities with the sort of history as this one. Not planning to move anytime soon (partly because I love living close to work and partly because it's a relatively affordable city compared to some others in the region. Suburbs aren't for me and I guess on some Sisyphean level, I don't like the idea of just moving because it's got problems. When the only people who don't flee to the 'burbs are those who are unable, you get issues like this city's been seeing for years.
    - throwaway_bmore 9y ago
      Been here for almost 4 and agree about the affordability aspect. You could buy a rowhome less than 3 miles from O's stadium for like 250k in a not-terrible neighborhood.
- nsnick 9y ago
  But the crab cakes are so good!
- ch4s3 9y ago
  I also recently moved away (I wonder if we know one another), in the last 18 months , and was blown away by everyone's collective delusions about Amazon. With the police terrorizing most communities, the lack of heat in the schools, and the delay in bike plan implementation to 2020+, I can't believe anyone thought it was even a remote possibility.
  - wehadfun 9y ago
    >the lack of heat in the schools https://twitter.com/AaronMMaybin/status/948632894699921409 https://twitter.com/AaronMMaybin/status/948632894699921409
- nradov 9y ago
  The inner harbor area seems safe enough and has interesting tourist sites including several museum ships.
oh_sigh 9y ago
Based on true stories, and if it wasn't a British guy cast in a lead role you would find a lot of the actual local 'personalities' in the show.
savanaly 9y ago
The situation sounds much more like The Shield. The Wire was focused on institutional problems. It was more interested in the tragedy that incentives in the police force and city government were such that barely an iota of thought was ever given as to how to actually fix the problems of the city. Instead most work was expended in public relations efforts, cooking the books and ass covering. There was one storyline in season 1 where Herc and Carver thought about pocketing some drug money instead of turning it in as evidence, but they ended up giving it back didn't they? The Shield on the other hand..
- roymurdock 9y ago
  Yeah, main character(s) of the Wire were "good police" which is what caused many of them to self destruct trying to get actual police work done in a setting where politics was more important than justice. These guys don't exactly sound like good police: "The unit, whose purpose was to get guns off the street, even stole and sold guns."
- bcassedy 9y ago
  They think about stealing but realize that they might get caught due to the wiretap. In a later season when they're taking part in a raid with a dead wiretap and no risk of being caught after the fact, they do take the money. The entire 5th season has most of the department cooking the books to get their overtime pay.
  - nsnick 9y ago
    It is not exactly the same because real Baltimore cops would not even consider the possibility of being caught and know that if they were, nothing would happen to them.
  - thirdsun 9y ago
    > They think about stealing but realize that they might get caught due to the wiretap. If I remember correctly they still and accidentally lose some of that money in the back of their car. Lt. Daniels notices and tells them to bring it it back. They find it, but it looks bad regardless of their honest intentions. ("Do you think he believed us?" - "Would you?")
thirdsun 9y ago
In light of those current issues I wish David Simon would revisit Baltimore and "The Wire". However I guess he's busy with "The Deuce" these days.

It was written by David Simon..so yeah https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Simon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Simon

atwebb 9y ago

The creator worked the city desk/homicide reporting for 12 years @ the Baltimore Sun. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Simon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Simon

rexreed 9y ago

Yes it basically is based on true stories. I live in Baltimore, I should say just lived, because I just moved out. The city is every bit as corrupt, dangerous, and malicious as it's made out to be. Don't want anything further to do with this city. And the folks here were delirious thinking that Amazon was going to set up HQ2.

wambotron 9y ago
I've always liked Baltimore, but I never lived there. I used to visit every year when I lived up North, but since moving to Richmond, I haven't been up at all. I kind of miss the weird grittiness it has.
- soylentcola 9y ago
  Yep. Been living here for around 12-13 years and it's definitely a mixed bag. Plenty not to like about it, but that can be said for many cities with the sort of history as this one. Not planning to move anytime soon (partly because I love living close to work and partly because it's a relatively affordable city compared to some others in the region. Suburbs aren't for me and I guess on some Sisyphean level, I don't like the idea of just moving because it's got problems. When the only people who don't flee to the 'burbs are those who are unable, you get issues like this city's been seeing for years.
  - throwaway_bmore 9y ago
    Been here for almost 4 and agree about the affordability aspect. You could buy a rowhome less than 3 miles from O's stadium for like 250k in a not-terrible neighborhood.
nsnick 9y ago
But the crab cakes are so good!
ch4s3 9y ago
I also recently moved away (I wonder if we know one another), in the last 18 months , and was blown away by everyone's collective delusions about Amazon. With the police terrorizing most communities, the lack of heat in the schools, and the delay in bike plan implementation to 2020+, I can't believe anyone thought it was even a remote possibility.
- wehadfun 9y ago
  >the lack of heat in the schools https://twitter.com/AaronMMaybin/status/948632894699921409 https://twitter.com/AaronMMaybin/status/948632894699921409
nradov 9y ago
The inner harbor area seems safe enough and has interesting tourist sites including several museum ships.

oh_sigh 9y ago

Based on true stories, and if it wasn't a British guy cast in a lead role you would find a lot of the actual local 'personalities' in the show.

savanaly 9y ago

The situation sounds much more like The Shield. The Wire was focused on institutional problems. It was more interested in the tragedy that incentives in the police force and city government were such that barely an iota of thought was ever given as to how to actually fix the problems of the city. Instead most work was expended in public relations efforts, cooking the books and ass covering. There was one storyline in season 1 where Herc and Carver thought about pocketing some drug money instead of turning it in as evidence, but they ended up giving it back didn't they? The Shield on the other hand..

roymurdock 9y ago
Yeah, main character(s) of the Wire were "good police" which is what caused many of them to self destruct trying to get actual police work done in a setting where politics was more important than justice. These guys don't exactly sound like good police: "The unit, whose purpose was to get guns off the street, even stole and sold guns."
bcassedy 9y ago
They think about stealing but realize that they might get caught due to the wiretap. In a later season when they're taking part in a raid with a dead wiretap and no risk of being caught after the fact, they do take the money. The entire 5th season has most of the department cooking the books to get their overtime pay.
- nsnick 9y ago
  It is not exactly the same because real Baltimore cops would not even consider the possibility of being caught and know that if they were, nothing would happen to them.
- thirdsun 9y ago
  > They think about stealing but realize that they might get caught due to the wiretap. If I remember correctly they still and accidentally lose some of that money in the back of their car. Lt. Daniels notices and tells them to bring it it back. They find it, but it looks bad regardless of their honest intentions. ("Do you think he believed us?" - "Would you?")

thirdsun 9y ago

In light of those current issues I wish David Simon would revisit Baltimore and "The Wire". However I guess he's busy with "The Deuce" these days.