The Wire at 20

The Wire boldly wiped its slate clean in Season 3, rerouting the show moving forward. Idris Elba discusses the slow dissolution of Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale's relationship and The Wire's use of humor. Then host Method Man goes deep on what many people consider The Wire's best season: Season 4. Jermaine Crawford recalls the pleasures and pains of playing Dukie, Alexa Fogel explains the challenge of casting child a...

The Wire created one of the most complex characters in the history of television in Omar Little, played by the late Michael Kenneth Williams. Casting director Alexa Fogel recalls what made her consider Williams for the role, and Ed Burns remembers his initial doubts and how Williams extinguished them when the cameras rolled. Idris Elba, Andre Royo, JD Williams, Wendell Pierce, Hassan Johnson, Domenick Lombardozzi, Clarke Peters, Ka...

The Wire has historically been known for its tight-knit family environment behind the scenes. Executive producer Nina Noble attributes their bond to the show's underdog status. Domenick Lombardozzi, Dominic West, JD Williams, and Andre Royo join The Wire at 20 to talk about the frat house environment they cultivated. Next, Karen Thorson and Jim True-Frost recall renting rooms in Clarke Peters's home, a more mature space tha...

The Wire isn’t exactly a love letter to Baltimore, but you can’t deny the Charm City gives the show its personality and energy. David Simon joins The Wire at 20 to describe how the politics of filming in Baltimore changed over time. Andre Royo and JD Williams recall the day-to-day excitement and challenges of filming on the city’s streets. And Method Man engages in a dynamic conversation with one cast member who was B-more to the c...

Casting director Alexa Fogel explains how tricky it was to cast one of The Wire’s lead characters, Jimmy McNulty. We hear from Dominic West, Wendell Pierce, and Andre Royo about scoring their roles and the unique prep work they did to ace their performances. Domenick Lombardozzi and Jim True-Frost weigh in on the precarious nature of the show, which often felt like it was on the verge of cancellation. Producers Karen Thorson and Ni...

The Wire was far from a surefire hit from day one. Host Method Man walks through The Wire’s long journey to the screen and the initial challenges it faced. Series co-creators David Simon and Ed Burns join to discuss how their backgrounds in journalism and law enforcement shaped their vision for the series. Executive producer Nina Noble and writer/producer George Pelecanos weigh in on how the writer’s room was sometimes a shouting m...