The Wire, one of the greatest TV series of all-time, premiered 20 years ago this week. In honor of two decades of âOmar comingâ (RIP), chess lessons, and deez nuts, creators David Simon and Ed Burns spoke to the New York Times about the showâs legacy, and whether HBO would still make it today, in a post-Game of Thrones landscape.
âNo, definitely not. HBO was going up the ladder at the time,â Burns said. âThey didnât understand The Wire until the fourth season. In fact, they were thinking about canceling it after three. We caught that moment where networks were thinking, âOh, we need a show for this group of people.â But now, itâs got to be Game of Thrones.â
He continued, âItâs got to be big. Itâs got to be disconnected from stepping on anybodyâs toes. Iâve watched a couple of the limited series on HBO, and theyâre good shows, but theyâre not cutting new paths. They are whodunits or these rich women bickering among themselves in a town.â Burns said he doesnât hear anyone saying, âHey, thatâs a really great showâ on HBO, which is not fair to The Righteous Gemstones, Barry, and Succession, three great shows. (I would add HBO Maxâs Hacks in there, too.)
An argument could be made that HBO would still greenlight The Wire in 2022, but â and hereâs the big difference between then and now â it wouldnât have run for five seasons. Enlightened was also little-watched critical hit for HBO, but it only lasted for two seasons. Imagine if The Wire had ended after season two with Ziggy and his duck.
The Wire would have a very different legacy.
(Via the New York Times)
