I was a little apprehensive about The Wire, all of the reviews I have read in the press seem to rate it very highly, as did my friends in the USA who have had 3 seasons to enjoy.

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The Plot
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The Wire is set in Baltimore, Maryland on the East Coast of the USA and is basically a cop show, with a difference. The best way i have heard it summed up would be NYPD Blue crossed with 24.

The main storyline is one of murders and drugs. What initially looks to be yet another hood murder turns into a mammoth case against an underworld kingpin by the name of Avon Barksdale.

Our main character is homicide cop, alcholic, divorcee Jimmy McNulty who appears at the trial of " D " otherwise known as D'Angelo Barksdale, the nephew of our kingpin. After seeing D walking away from a murder despite overwhelming evidence to convict him and send him to the chair or similar fate. Jimmy digs a little deeper to the annoyance of his superiors who are eager to clear this up on the cheap.

The story then begins to evolve and it becomes apparent that despite no previous convictions or suspiscions that Avon Barksdale is running a large criminal empire the scale of which is seemingly endless.

As the case grows so does the list of people implicated and the resources needed to keep up are running thin leading to confrontation between McNulty and Co.
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The Characters
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COPS!!!

Detective Jimmy McNulty - Dominic West

At first he looks like another of the pretty boy American actors that seem to come off of the conveyor belt. However, this first impression does not last as West deliver an outstanding performance as the troubled but brilliant detective. McNulty is considered a trouble maker and is not at all popular with his superiors due to the interference he is able to call on from a friendly judge and a pal in the FBI. An alchoholic struggling to come to terms with separating with his wife and kids following an affair and other indiscretions with a colleague.

Lieutenant Daniels - Lance Reddick

When you first meet Daniels he comes accross a bit of a pen pusher, company man more interested in his progression than real police work. This opinion is shared by McNulty and Co when they are assigned to Daniels watch but their fears are quickly vanquished as he proves to be a tough, and resourceful leader and eventually wins over his team. Reddick plays the part very well and is very believeable as a cop.

Bunk - Wendell Pierce

Bunk Moreland is Jimmy McNulty's best friend and confidant. Bunk is a bit of a joker , which helps to balance out McNulty. He is also quick witted cop with a good nose and can be resourceful and inventive.Pierce plays the part well and is good comedic relief in what is a hard show with little time for niceties.

Herc & Carver

I chose to sum these guys up together as they are never apart. Basically frontline grunts who do the leg and muscle work Herc & Carver have great on screen chemistry and have some great debates and wordplay. They are also suffering from a bit of intimidations as they get orders from other officers who are equal or lower rank but more highly favoured with the bosses.

Kima

An all action great female cop who is highly respected and appears to be on the up within the department. Kima has many resources including a snitch by the name of Bubbles, an addict who trusts Kima implicitly and gives her all kinds of good information. Kima sometimes get a hard time from her colleagues as she is gay, however its all in good spirit. A great role superbly played by Sonja Sohn, one of the stars of the show.

The other cops and good guys are too many too mention but they are all carefully crafted each with depth of character and well played.

BAD GUYS !!!!

Avon Barksdale = Wood Harris

Well we'll start at the top i suppose. Avon does not get his hands dirty and he and his cohorts have developed some sophisticated schemes to keep their respective noses clean. Played by Wood Harris Avon is intelligent but menacing and Harris portrays this well and is believeable in the role. All to frequently these drug baron types are far too high profile, not something you want to be when your chosen profession is illegal.

Stringer Bell - Idris Elba

Stringer is Avon's right hand man or to coin a mafia term "consulieri" ( think that spelled right ) He manages the day to day operation and keeps the troops in line. His main aim is to keep Avon happy and out of jail. Stringer clearly has ideas of moving into the realms a legal way of earning a living but is a ruthless man when he needs to be. A great thoughtful but menacing performance from Elba.

D'Angelo - Larry Gilliard Jr

Avon's nephew and one of the reasons that the case is even in existence. When he returns from prison following the accquital he finds he has been relegated to the benches in the hood serving up the drugs to the junkies leading a team of kids. A reluctaant participant in a family business D is clearly looking for an escape. Giliard Jr plays the part well and is convincing as a the troubled and conflicted D.

as with the COPS there are numerous characters all superbly written and played, too many to mention.
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The Verdict
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Simply brilliant, engrossing TV , very realistic or at least what i would consider to be so. Every character has been written well the dialogue is sharp and correct. There really are no faults with the show other than it really does consume you, i borrowed the DVD from a friend and watched all 13 episodes in a week !
If you like cop shows or even if you don't give this a try you'll not be disappointed.

NB: I borrowed the DVD set however i have seen it priced at over £50 which is a lot of money for something that isn't one that you'd playback alot so rent or borrow it if you prefer not to part with the money !