Introducing…Talking The Wire

This was supposed to post yesterday, but it didn’t.  WP is funny like that at times.  But you should be able to expect updates on this little project every Wednesday.

My Friend Amy and I really should not be allowed to talk or e-mail or twitter.  Ever.  Because well…we chat about things, and then wonder whey they don’t exist and decide that we should do something about it.  This time we were chatting about television shows, George Pelecanos, and The Wire.  This time we brought Elizabeth from As Usual, I Need More Shelves along for the ride.  We’re going to watch and discuss The Wire every week.  We’re aiming to go through two episodes each time.  I am so excited beacuse I have been very interested in watching the show, but you basically have to do something drastic to make me sit and watch tv.   This is that something drastic.

Take a look at what Netflix had to say about Season 1 of The Wire:

Creator David Simon’s gritty HBO drama takes an unflinching look at Baltimore’s drug culture, through the eyes of both the dealers and the police. Season 1 follows the investigation of a violent drug-dealing crew known as the Barksdale Organization. But the line between good and bad is blurred, as the cops push the boundaries of morality while even the hardened criminals display flashes of humanity. Dominic West stars as detective Jimmy McNulty.

Last week Elizabeth, Amy and I exchanged some preliminary thoughts on The Wire:

How did you first hear about The Wire?

Nicole: I don’t really know.  The Wire was one of those shows that over time just seeped into my consciousness.  Everyone was always talking about how good it was and how realistic, but I am pretty sure that I might have been in the middle of watching Oz On Demand and that was all of the gritty realism that I could take at the time.  The Wire was also on on that time when it was impossible to hear anything bad about HBO programming.  They literally could do no wrong- even though I am still mad that they canceled Carnivale before I could figure out exactly what was going on.Amy: Well, I think I probably read about it on the TV sites.  I used to read TV blogs and TV Guide Online everyday before books marched in and took over my whole life.  I don’t have HBO so I couldn’t watch it.  But unlike any other media art form, I almost always trust television critics.  They really know their stuff so if they liked the Wire, I figured it was at least worth my time.Elizabeth: I was watching the fantastic show Six Feet Under on HBO when The Wire premiered, so I knew about it right from the start. (And Nicole – I hear you about Carnivale – my husband and I still have dreams that some other station will pick that series up and at least give it an ending!)