Comments on: The Wire. http://www.magneticmediafed.com/hbo/the-wire News, reviews and commentary for the TV obsessed. Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:49:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: paul http://www.magneticmediafed.com/hbo/the-wire#comment-1336 paul Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:41:58 +0000 http://www.magneticmediafed.com/?p=348#comment-1336 Well, Slate did give the Simon interview huge play. And this is, as the Sun notes, probably the best-reviewed show in tv history. Well, Slate did give the Simon interview huge play. And this is, as the Sun notes, probably the best-reviewed show in tv history.

]]> By: rick http://www.magneticmediafed.com/hbo/the-wire#comment-1323 rick Mon, 11 Dec 2006 04:43:43 +0000 http://www.magneticmediafed.com/?p=348#comment-1323 The reason I left out the numbers is because audience size has little to do with what's actually being talked about. <em>CSI</em>, <em>Without A Trace</em>, hell, even <em>Extreme Makeover: Home Edition</em> get huge numbers, but no one talks about those shows. With <em>The Wire</em> what I don't understand why it isn't breaking through into other areas in the media. Outside of David Simon or Ed Burns, the creators of the show, when have you ever seen an interview or read an article about someone in the cast?* Simon is right in that message board post when he suggests the lack of viewers could have something to do with the show being completely produced outside of the New York/Hollywood system. Also significant is the suspicion that race plays a role in the audience's decisions. For those looking for a season wrap-up that was a little less... meandering, you're best served: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2006/12/wire-end-of-term.html">here</a> *I actually read an interview on the AP wires with Andre Royo, who plays Bubbles, last week. Of course, this was just as the season was ending. The reason I left out the numbers is because audience size has little to do with what’s actually being talked about. CSI, Without A Trace, hell, even Extreme Makeover: Home Edition get huge numbers, but no one talks about those shows. With The Wire what I don’t understand why it isn’t breaking through into other areas in the media. Outside of David Simon or Ed Burns, the creators of the show, when have you ever seen an interview or read an article about someone in the cast?* Simon is right in that message board post when he suggests the lack of viewers could have something to do with the show being completely produced outside of the New York/Hollywood system. Also significant is the suspicion that race plays a role in the audience’s decisions.
For those looking for a season wrap-up that was a little less… meandering, you’re best served: here

*I actually read an interview on the AP wires with Andre Royo, who plays Bubbles, last week. Of course, this was just as the season was ending.

]]> By: paul http://www.magneticmediafed.com/hbo/the-wire#comment-1320 paul Sun, 10 Dec 2006 22:41:03 +0000 http://www.magneticmediafed.com/?p=348#comment-1320 Oh, and here are series creator David Simon's thoughts on the show's failure to attract a large audience (circa 2004): <a xhref="http://boards.hbo.com/thread.jspa?forumID=451&threadID=100000825&messageID=100296266#100296266">LINK</a> Oh, and here are series creator David Simon’s thoughts on the show’s failure to attract a large audience (circa 2004):

LINK

]]> By: paul http://www.magneticmediafed.com/hbo/the-wire#comment-1319 paul Sun, 10 Dec 2006 22:36:55 +0000 http://www.magneticmediafed.com/?p=348#comment-1319 "The Wire had no buzz." Then why is everyone I know watching it? Here's a story from the Financial Times, Nov. 21, 2006 that suggests Entourage gets five million, but doesn't give data for The Wire (other than 400,000 people watch it early every week): <a xhref="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/98bd6164-7983-11db-b257-0000779e2340.html">LINK</a> This Baltimore Sun story (which also has some nice info on the show's impact on the city's economy) -- <a xhref="http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-to.hbo13sep13,0,745198.story">LINK</a> -- suggests 1.53 million tuned in for season four's premiere. It seems likely that the audience has expanded since then -- the FT story suggested that the DVR audience has doubled. So maybe 2 million viewers? Now that there are some numbers on the table (and I suspect you could find more for the other HBO shows), does your thesis remain the same? “The Wire had no buzz.” Then why is everyone I know watching it? Here’s a story from the Financial Times, Nov. 21, 2006 that suggests Entourage gets five million, but doesn’t give data for The Wire (other than 400,000 people watch it early every week): LINK

This Baltimore Sun story (which also has some nice info on the show’s impact on the city’s economy) — LINK — suggests 1.53 million tuned in for season four’s premiere. It seems likely that the audience has expanded since then — the FT story suggested that the DVR audience has doubled. So maybe 2 million viewers?

Now that there are some numbers on the table (and I suspect you could find more for the other HBO shows), does your thesis remain the same?

]]> By: AK http://www.magneticmediafed.com/hbo/the-wire#comment-1316 AK Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:35:23 +0000 http://www.magneticmediafed.com/?p=348#comment-1316 Im with ya all the way man. Ive talked to a ton of people of late who havent even heard of the Wire (even when they have HBO) However, I did convince Dave S to put the first 3 seasons into his Netflix queue. So Im doing my part! Im with ya all the way man. Ive talked to a ton of people of late who havent even heard of the Wire (even when they have HBO) However, I did convince Dave S to put the first 3 seasons into his Netflix queue. So Im doing my part!

]]>