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Just finished watching the HD versions of the Wire on HBO

Phoxie

Phoxie

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Sep 4, 2001
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This is my first time to watch it since it was on "live", and I can say that it is ever better when you can watch it in a short period. The characters in it are second to none and the attention to detail is extraordinary. Just amazing work.
That being sais, it is still hard for me to pick between the Wire and the Sopranos. The Sopranos won me over when Tony pulled in to his house singing along with Layla jamming on the radio in his Suburban; only to be met by a wife that was PO'ed and having to dive into kid trouble. I was living that life, without the violence.
#1 has to be Breaking Bad - it was excellent on so many levels, and was more intense that any show has ever contemplated.
I think The Wire and The Sopranos are 2A and 2B.

Happy New Year to all in Andy's No Nip Tribute to Erin Trailer Park
 
I prefer The Wire for its huge number of very well acted characters, realism, and gutsy commentary on the challenges of a city.

Breaking Bad builds incredible tension, but there are several so so episodes that lead up to the big finale.

I put The Wire at #1 and BB at #2.

Depends what the viewer prefers.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
We finished Breaking Bad yesterday and started Sons of Anarchy today.

I'm not sure if The Wire is on Netflix but I'll check it out.
 
Having seen all of those series

Nothing comes close, IMHO, to the 1st 3 seasons of The Wire. If you consider True Detective a series, I'd take it over anything, although it was kind of a let down at the end.
 
The Wire - For The Win, and its Not Even Close

The characters, the realism, the writing, the acting - The Wire blows them competition away.

Breaking Bad's main characters were good, but some of the scenarios and minor characters were not believable.

The Soprano's was sometimes flat out boring.

JMO
 
I didn't really enjoy True Detective. Not much happened. The Woody Harrelson is an eff up. MM endless speeches. Over and over.
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True Detective

I thought came close, but it's really more like a miniseries. The ending seemed anticlimactic, but then, that's life most times and what could possibly live up to that. They also left it open ended and a mysterious sub plot for future cultivation.
 
True Detective

was the name of the show and it offered up clue after clue and as is the case in murder investigations, the devil's in the details. The minutiae. To each his own.
 
It's Sopranos ahead of The Wire by a nose for me.

But... Game of Thrones (ongoing) is my #1.

I would also put Friday Night Lights way up there. Rescue Me as well.
 
I watched SOA, but could not wait for it to be over

Cartoon characters compared to the others, especially the characters in the Wire
 
Originally posted by hoosierdug:
Nothing comes close, IMHO, to the 1st 3 seasons of The Wire. If you consider True Detective a series, I'd take it over anything, although it was kind of a let down at the end.
Click to expand...

No season four?

Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
Wire and nothing else is even close

On so many levels, it was excellent. Ground breaking television I would absolutely detest a character and then by the end of the season love him. They killed off so many characters during the 5 seasons. I put off watching several episodes as I couldn't stand to see what happened. I loved both Sopranos and BB, but I never once forgot that I was watching a tv show. Those characters on the Wire were totally real to me. I've seen it 3 times in 3 years and get something new from it every time. Don't expect any television show or movie to come close to its excellence.
 
I love FNL and Coach and Mrs. Coach

Very under rated show. I'm watching Ray Donavan now and enjoying it.
 
Season four is my favorite

Those kids.....oh those kids. And most of them had not done much acting before. Dukey and Randy can still bring tears to my eyes quicker than anything else.
 
I Liked It, But

half the reason it was so captivating was the mis-direction and fake clues designed to make you think Woody or McConaughy did it. (Remember when Woody's daughter "re-created" the sex scene from the snuff movie with her dolls? It was never discussed or explained. It was just made up to create a thought that "Woody did it!")

The Wire didn't need any "false mystery". Every character and every relationship was straight off the street - mostly because the REAL characters it was based on helped write and direct it.
 
Originally posted by zeke4ahs:
Those kids.....oh those kids. And most of them had not done much acting before. Dukey and Randy can still bring tears to my eyes quicker than anything else.
Click to expand...

So hard to watch. Damn Herc.
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Shoulda said 1-4

Stoopidity on my part. Been a while since I saw them all. Watched the 1st 3 seasons earlier this year, back to back to back. My bad.
 
It's not

and you get what you pay for. There's a reason so many of the shows being discussed as "the best shows ever on TV" are on HBO. Better writing, better directors, better acting, better everything.
 
it's opinion based so all of your goofy rankings mean chit

That being said:
1) Breaking Bad (not even close)
2) Sopranos
3) All in the Family
4) The Wire
5) Game of Thrones
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cutting edge television

It was WAY ahead of its time and Archie Bunker rivals any tv character ever.

But, yeah, AITF doesn't really fit into these types of shows.
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Ha

I don't mind doling out the green for some quality $hit that helps me foget about life for awhile. BB got kinda cheesy. There was a lotta fluff. Same with GoT.
 
I am watching The Wire on Amazon Prime.

I believe Amazon and HBO have some sort of exclusive agreement. I think the only other way is HBO2Go
 
So after acknowledging the subjectivity of said rankings you offer even....

goofier and shittier ones yourself?

In the names of all things sane...


Meh, however fvck yourself.
 
Breaking Bad is a Disney caricature compared to the Wire. It has

2 things going for it: a great actor (the retarded kid...obviously) and a killer final season. Overall it doesn't come close.

I wouldnt rank it much higher than Rome or Deadwood.

Love the Sopranos, but they could've tightened it up a bit. I've watched the Wire at leadt 3 full times through. There is rarely a wasted scene. It's actuallybetter the second time through as you can see Simon setting little things up a season or two ahead of time.

I really like True Detective. Entertaining. GoT is the best since The Wire, though.
 
You can watch it here for free......

I've tried watching the show twice, but couldn't get into it.

People keep saying it's great though.

I pretty much hate most TV shows so that may be the problem. I found BB just as boring.
 
There are a lot of characters and story lines. It's a big reason it didn't

do well commercially. And unlike GoT, there aren't a bunch of bewbs and cool sword fights to keep you interested until it picks up.

I'd say the first season takes anywhere from 3-7 epidodes to pick up and get going. The biggest mistake Simon made was shifting gears too much in Season 2 (although it's a great season and ties the narrative together perfectly) and introducing another dozen or so characters. S2 drags for the first couple episodes.

The other complaint is some people can't handle the urban slang and depictions.

The writing is top notch. It's a former crime reporter's critique of the war on drugs, american democracy and institutions, etc...but you won't get that from one episode or even one season.
 
I'll have to give it another go, been meaning for years to watch.

Sopranos is my all time favorite, have probably watched it 7plus times all the way through. A lot of stuff, particularly in the 'slower' episodes that I've picked up rewatching, artistic details that Chase put in that are very subtle. Plus has a combination of real world family struggles that are relatable to most families.

Breaking Bad was one of the most intense shows I've ever watched, and i loved it. But it never felt as plausible or realistic as the sopranos. And while I've gone back and binge watched it from beginning to end once, don't really desire to again. Maybe in a few years.

GOTs? Barf...totally different genre, and not interesting whatsoever other than the humping and bewbs
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Re: Breaking Bad is a Disney caricature compared to the Wire. It has

Deadwood was a real bummer that the writers strike or whatever killed that show and they never finished it off.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
Agreed...

Watched 2 seasons of BB, and quit. Got bored. I am sure I should pick it up again, but there are so many other good shows on that I probably won't.
 
I have watched the first 5 episodes twice and just wasn't interested....

in seeing the 6th.

I don't think it's terrible, just didn't interest me.
 
It's why I tell everyone that watches it to do two things

Watch it with closed caption, otherwise you miss a lot. And read Alan Sepinwell's recaps afterwards. I would have been lost with all the characters without that.
 
It Turns Into An Anti-Gubmint Screed

E'rrbody against The Man

And they legalize drugs in Year 3 in Hamsterdam.

And McNulty goes undercover with ho's.

Best.
Cable.
Evar.
 
The last season is excellent. Maybe the best season

of any series. It moves and is well done. The rest of them aren't nearly as good. Guy who play Walter is a good actor though.
 
I watched the HBOS marathon. I recorded all the episodes since I had heard how great the Wire was. People talk.

Then I watched it and I must say it blew away any dramatic series I ever saw. Great acting, well shot, well directed and perfectly written. Far greater and more gripping than any movie I ever saw. Great, great series.
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