Why is the wire more popular after the fact?

Kid Curry

Everyone is talking about how great The Wire is (which it is). I watched this on TG4 as far back as 2003 and I used to ask people "Do you watch The Wire" and usual response was "The Wha!?"

As an original fan who watched the final episode which must be around 2 years ago, I feel Im in a position to look down my nose at all those who are now jumping on the band wagon. I know what I'm about to say is stupid but I just feel people are wreckin it's legacy because everyone is saying how great it is but nobody appreciated it when it was actually on TV. It's almost as though to say you like The Wire is the "in thing" and people who don't get are just saying they like it and it annoys me.

For example, person in work was talking about how they thought the wire was great and made a statement along the lines of "the gay robin hood black fella". I nearly cried, how can you not know his name, it's OMAR.

Anyway, can someone tell me why The Wire is so popular after the show finished over 2 years ago???

demifuror

The majority of people are idiots. They'll let hype and critics decide for them. Its the same with the sopranos, I know people who bought the entire box set after the show had finished, and would argue how the great the show is, safe in the knowledge that most people would agree, purely because of the critical acclaim the show has received.

The latest show I'm following is Breaking Bad, its quickly become my favourite show, and having followed it from the start, I'm never done telling people to watch it. The show is still relatively unkown to most people. Anyone I've recommended it to has come back and said how they think its just okay, having not dedicated nearly enough time or effort to the show. But granted, in a few years time, when the series has finished its run, and some hipster magazine writes an article on how you must watch the show before you die, they'll all flock to amazon, buy the boxset, and the same people who didn't think much of it the first time round will all of a sudden fall in love with it.

amacachi

demifuror wrote: »

The majority of people are idiots. They'll let hype and critics decide for them. Its the same with the sopranos, I know people who bought the entire box set after the show had finished, and would argue how the great the show is, safe in the knowledge that most people would agree, purely because of the critical acclaim the show has received.

The latest show I'm following is Breaking Bad, its quickly become my favourite show, and having followed it from the start, I'm never done telling people to watch it. The show is still relatively unkown to most people. Anyone I've recommended it to has come back and said how they think its just okay, having not dedicated nearly enough time or effort to the show. But granted, in a few years time, when the series has finished its run, and some hipster magazine writes an article on how you must watch the show before you die, they'll all flock to amazon, buy the boxset, and the same people who didn't think much of it the first time round will all of a sudden fall in love with it.

In fairness Breaking Bad is getting a lot of attention and Cranston has won the best actor Emmy the last two years.
I do agree though, people are idiots. :pac: I spent nigh on a year telling everyone to watch Dexter and maybe 2 people did, then the exact same with Breaking Bad.

Bog

Penn

I'm sorry, but how can you look down your nose at people only discovering it now? I was late to it, watched the whole thing over Christmas 2008. But I'd never heard of it before. So does
That mean you're better than me? I didn't hear any critical acclaim, just one of my friends recommended it, so I said I'd watch it. Since then, I've recommended it to people who i think will enjoy it, and most of them have. Are we ruining its legacy?

The programme was made to be enjoyed. Considering yourself to be somehow superior to others just because you watched it before them is ridiculous. Those of us who are late to it are not ruining its legacy. We are celebrating it. I'm sorry, but get over yourself

chalad07

Come on mate, the more people that are exposed to it the better. Theres so much illiterate sh*te on tv nowadays thats its great to see people enjoying a show that doesnt provide instant gratification, or appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Also, I think you can appreciate a show like this more if you can watch a number of episodes in succession, and not have to wait to 'tune in next week' to see how things go.

Kid Curry

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

I'm sorry, but how can you look down your nose at people only discovering it now? I was late to it, watched the whole thing over Christmas 2008. But I'd never heard of it before. So does
That mean you're better than me? I didn't hear any critical acclaim, just one of my friends recommended it, so I said I'd watch it. Since then, I've recommended it to people who i think will enjoy it, and most of them have. Are we ruining its legacy?

The programme was made to be enjoyed. Considering yourself to be somehow superior to others just because you watched it before them is ridiculous. Those of us who are late to it are not ruining its legacy. We are celebrating it. I'm sorry, but get over yourself

Yes I'm better than you. Now build a bridge.

Penn

No thanks. I think I'll stay on this side.

TrueDub

Kid Curry wrote: »

Yes I'm better than you. Now build a bridge.

No you're not. The show is the show, whether you enjoy it the night it was first shown or 10 years later.

This reminds me of the whole "I had their first album, before everyone found out about them". Not something to be proud of.

Kid Curry

TrueDub wrote: »

No you're not. The show is the show, whether you enjoy it the night it was first shown or 10 years later.

This reminds me of the whole "I had their first album, before everyone found out about them". Not something to be proud of.

Cool the jets.

Penn

I'd just like to say that I was perhaps a bit harsh last night. But I still disagree with you

I see what you mean about people not knowing characters names, or not realising some of the more subtle elements of the shows brilliance. I gave my friend the loan of my boxset, and although he loved it, he complained about how things happened and people got promoted between seasons which wasn't shown and sometimes was barely even referred to.

But things like that would have happened even if he watched the show when it first started on tv.

Let's face it, over here, it was shown late on TG4. I know I for one rarely watched TG4, and even then, TH4 seemed to be focusing more on advertising Nip/Tuck. The show just slipped under peoples radar. I know a lot of people started saying on Facebook how the loved The Wire once it was starting to be shown on BBC a few months ago (or was it last year). I talked to a few of them who said they'd never heard of it before that. So to them, they were watching it on tv for the first time just like you were years ago.

The point is, it doesn't matter when anyone watched it. The only thing that matters is that they enjoyed it. Whether they know loads of trivia about it or watched it first or read the books doesn't matter a damn. They watched the show. They enjoyed the show.

spurious

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

The point is, it doesn't matter when anyone watched it. The only thing that matters is that they enjoyed it. Whether they know loads of trivia about it or watched it first or read the books doesn't matter a damn. They watched the show. They enjoyed the show.

I feel ya.

Elmo

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

Let's face it, over here, it was shown late on TG4. I know I for one rarely watched TG4, and even then, TH4 seemed to be focusing more on advertising Nip/Tuck. The show just slipped under peoples radar. I know a lot of people started saying on Facebook how the loved The Wire once it was starting to be shown on BBC a few months ago (or was it last year). I talked to a few of them who said they'd never heard of it before that. So to them, they were watching it on tv for the first time just like you were years ago.

In fairness to TG4 they did show it during prime time the last season aired with an unfortunate break for Snooker meaning it was pushed into the late night slots. but they are currently repeating series 5 10pm Thrusday Nights.

Perhaps you should watch TG4 more. In the UK no terrestrial broadcaster picked up the series until the BBC ran all 5 season back to back and even then it was shown at midnight.

mikemac

Kid Curry wrote: »

Everyone is talking about how great The Wire is (which it is). I watched this on TG4 as far back as 2003 and I used to ask people "Do you watch The Wire" and usual response was "The Wha!?"

It was shown on TG4 and at a late hour too when many won't watch it.
I'm not aware of what other channels it was shown on. BBC was mentioned but a lot of Ireland cannot receive BBC channels, not without cable or satellite.

So onto my second point:

demifuror wrote: »

I know people who bought the entire box set after the show had finished,

Well are you're great to have set 9-5 hours in education or work.
For just about every series I've been interested in, I buy the boxset at the end of the season.
With work it's pretty certain, I won't be around in the evenings to watch an episode and if I start missing them, that I'm not half watching a series.
Best to wait for the boxset, I'm far from alone on this.

For the two of you, are you the sort who are invited to a house party and then insult your host over their music collection? Sounds like it

amcalester

I had never heard of it until mid way through the last series. A friend recommended it but I didnt want to start watching at the end so I waited until the boxset came out and bought it.

Does that make me less of a fan than you?

Elmo

feelingstressed wrote: »

It was shown on TG4 and at a late hour too when many won't watch it.
I'm not aware of what other channels it was shown on. BBC was mentioned but a lot of Ireland cannot receive BBC channels, not without cable or satellite.

TG4 aired the show at 11pm. The messed up the schedule in the final season only. And they are currently repeating series 5 at 10pm. The BBC got it "after the fact" and still proceeded to show it after midnight on BBC2 a channel that gets around the same kind of viewership as TG4 in Ireland. If it wasn't for TG4 I would never have heard of either The Wire or Oz.

The other reason is its broadcast on FX a cable channel not available on all packages, or it is in the top package.

yermanoffthetv

I missed the first series on FX because of the bloody hype. Everyone was "oooooh its best thing ever" and I ignored the show because these were the same people who said lost was good. End up watching the second series before the first Lesson learned, dont listen to anybody.

Mindkiller

I hope I can be as big a hipster as you one day OP.

Mebbe if Treme becomes a big hit in a few years.

amacachi

Mindkiller wrote: »

I hope I can be as big a hipster as you one day OP.

Mebbe if Treme becomes a big hit in a few years.

If only, eh?

Kid Curry

Mindkiller wrote: »

I hope I can be as big a hipster as you one day OP.

Mebbe if Treme becomes a big hit in a few years.

Highly unlikely.

rovert

Definitely after the fact.

It has come to the stage with my peer group that the Wire is "been there done that" with it now. We are post-The Wire. :pac:

Elmo

rovert wrote: »

Definitely after the fact.

It has come to the stage with my peer group that the Wire is "been there done that" with it now. We are post-The Wire. :pac:

But then that means we are post-post-The Wire

Turtyturd

feelingstressed wrote: »

Well are you're great to have set 9-5 hours in education or work.
For just about every series I've been interested in, I buy the boxset at the end of the season.
With work it's pretty certain, I won't be around in the evenings to watch an episode and if I start missing them, that I'm not half watching a series.
Best to wait for the boxset, I'm far from alone on this.

Same as, personally I find it hard to sit down and watch an hour long show on a weekly basis a remember every little detail of what has gone before (something essential for The Wire). So I tend to buy boxsets and watch them for a couple of hours straight when I get a chance. Did this with the Wire where I watched every season over a weekend after I had got it.

Does looking down on people who discovered the show after you fill any kind of gap in your life? Think of how many things you have become aware of because people told you about them. I have told plenty of people about it and about 90% of them became fanatics of it and even those that didn't found some aspect of it they enjoyed. And the best thing about it was that I got to talk to all them about everything that happened as if I was experiencing it again for the first time and some even pointed out stuff that I had missed the first time around.

Wacker

Kid Curry wrote: »

Yes I'm better than you. Now build a bridge.

This is amazing. You start a thread about how people are lame for getting into a TV show after you, someone calls you out on it, and they need to get over it?

Take your own advice pal.

PhiloCypher

I started watching around around the time season 2 was airing and while I'm proud to be an early adopter I don't begrudge the people who came a little late to the party , some people just prefer to watch their shows in large batches via boxsets and not week to week .

DuckStab

Despite the trollish behaviour of the OP I do somewhat agree with the sentiment. I stumbled across the show completely by accident when season 1 was on, and although I had missed a great deal (5 episodes already shown) I really enjoyed it. More so when I got to see the missing episodes and realised what the hell was going on!
The show had zero publicity. No ads on TG4 (until season 2), no TV critics reviewing it, no message boards a-fawning, word of mouth seemed to be the one way of promotion. I sung the show's praises to whomever would listen, but despite my efforts I only got one person into it. Everyone else said something along the lines of "Sorry, not my kind of thing" or "Just another cop show". Fair enough, if you don't like it you don't like it. What really rubs me up the wrong way is that these same people now proclaim the show to be an unbridled work of art and consider themselves fans.

I don't begrudge new viewers who appreciate the show's genius, it's the people who watch the show because "The Critics" told them to. The people who, after watching the 5 seasons, have no clue about the basic premise, can't say what's going on and can't name any characters (never mind the intricate subtext, real life stories behind most of the characters, the show's near cancellation after season 3 etc.) but still say the show is brilliant, safe in the knowledge that everyone else now thinks so.
I agree it would've been difficult to get into the show originally as TG4 only showed the first season twice and the DVDs for seasons 1 & 2 didn't come out until 2005 (I still remember paying the princely sum of €165 for the two!), and I would very seldom buy a boxset without having at least seen the bulk of one season. There wasn't a whole lot of info out there despite overly-biased fans raving - check out this version of the Wikipedia page compared with today's - http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Wire&oldid=23145861 So invariably the only time the show was going to get the fanbase it deserves would be either towards the end of the run or after it had finished altogether.
I would however disagree that it's better to watch many episodes and indeed seasons in quick succession. I somewhat enjoyed the agonising week's wait between episodes, not to mention the year long wait when a season ended - two years in fact between both 3-4 and 4-5. It allowed one more time to digest and appreciate.

As smug sounding as this is, there is also a lot more pleasure in being able to say that you stumbled across the show and watched it under your own volition. No one can now watch this show without having some kind of expectation; it's gotten major publicity and has been accepted as one of the greatest shows ever, arguably the greatest, so it's impossible to go into it knowing nothing. This adulation has created an air of expectation that is almost impossible to live up to for the masses - the network TV slop-fed viewers expect to be blown away in the first 10 minutes of the first episode (though the very first scene is gold very few realise it) and can't get the slow burning nature of the show, too used to the L&O/CSI format of a case being wrapped up and bowtied in 60 minutes. Or the fact that "important" incidents aren't signposted with incidental music. Previous events not being conveniently recalled through flashback (barring again the first episode, included at the network's behest mind). It's like taking a vagrant destroyed with drinking bottles of cheap cider every day in off the street to give him a glass of vintage wine or whiskey and asking him to describe the subtle undertones caressing his palette. He'll down the glass in one and say he could've bought 4 litres for the price of that sip! It is undoubtedly a show that deserves to be watched but some people, well a lot of people, simply do not deserve to watch it.

Elmo

DuckStab I think your being very unfair to Critics who did review the show when it first aired on Irish Television. They also gave good reviews to the cultish "Freaks and Geeks" of which I would be really happy for more people to see, regardless of if they came to the series now 11 years after the fact.

Beefy78

Elmo wrote: »

TG4 aired the show at 11pm. The messed up the schedule in the final season only. And they are currently repeating series 5 at 10pm. The BBC got it "after the fact" and still proceeded to show it after midnight on BBC2 a channel that gets around the same kind of viewership as TG4 in Ireland. If it wasn't for TG4 I would never have heard of either The Wire or Oz.

The other reason is its broadcast on FX a cable channel not available on all packages, or it is in the top package.

BBC2 only screened it late to avoid being forced by OFCOM to make cuts to the more graphic scenes but they treated the show with respect and plugged it heavily.

Elmo

Beefy78 wrote: »

BBC2 only screened it late to avoid being forced by OFCOM to make cuts to the more graphic scenes but they treated the show with respect and plugged it heavily.

TG4 have 2.5% of the Irish Audience which is not to dissimilar to BBC 2's 3% share.

The X-Files pre-dates TG4 by 3 years, and Murder 1 a number of years before that (both of which aired on Network 2 and Sky 1). Here in Ireland The Wire was a natural fit for TG4 due to their buying of other HBO since 2000 (Such as Oz and Carnivàle) and their deal with Time Warner for many of those shows.

The BAI do not have such strict rules as OfCom.

Beefy78

To be honest I'd mis-read your post, hence my edit of two thirds of what I'd written. I had to leave something up though

Elmo

Beefy78 wrote: »

To be honest I'd mis-read your post, hence my edit of two thirds of what I'd written. I had to leave something up though

No Prob. OfCom are a little overly strict with programming content.

frag420

Well I am currently watching a gritty show on a station that nobody watches and I know that feck all people are watching this show but I watch it because it is so good that in a few yrs time I can go onto boards.ie and look down my noses at people who are only getting it five yrs too late...........

Its called................who cares


frAg

Elmo

frag420 wrote: »

Well I am currently watching a gritty show on a station that nobody watches and I know that feck all people are watching this show but I watch it because it is so good that in a few yrs time I can go onto boards.ie and look down my noses at people who are only getting it five yrs too late.

I didn't say that at all. In actually fact I was in support of those who thought it didn't matter when you came to the show or what channel you and many others watched the show on. I was just pointing out why TG4 was showing the series, due to the lack of interest from RTÉ and TV3 in the series, obviously they are above that kind of thing :rolleyes:

As I said I think more and more people should check out Freaks and Geeks which only aired for one season on RTÉ 2 and E4 and is possibly the best Teen comedy to every come out of the US (while that isn't saying much, I know most will be impressed).

clived2

I was on this corner first, so therefore its mine



Please do not compare a drug war with watching a tv show,

Ash.J.Williams

Op is a little elitest, i was of the opinion that all American TV was tripe, now that i know it most definitely isn't i will be checking out such programs as the wire..

Elmo

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

Op is a little elitest, i was of the opinion that all American TV was tripe, now that i know it most definitely isn't i will be checking out such programs as the wire..

Aren't you being a little elitest? What shows do from the states do you think are tripe?

Most TV is Tripe every now and then it gives something worthwhile. Suppose we can all be elitest when we want!

run_Forrest_run

I'm an extreme late comer to the wire, it's not that I didn't know of its existence but I just never got around to watching it and once it started well, it's too late.
Lately a friend gave me the box set and wow, I am addicted.

I don't usually like cop/baddies/drugs etc dramas, they just all seem too cliche for me...until now.

Now I'm only coming to the end of Season 1 but I am relishing the next 4 seasons!! It's addictive, I watch at least one episode per night and I have to pull myself away to ensure I get some sleep each night.

I love the characters, the script and most importantly, the pace. Some people may moan it's too slow but I disagree. The pace allows character development along with layers of brilliantly told stories.

OK, I must get out of this forum now before I stumble across a spoiler that will ruin the next month for me

Bob Z

Kid Curry wrote: »

Everyone is talking about how great The Wire is (which it is). I watched this on TG4 as far back as 2003 and I used to ask people "Do you watch The Wire" and usual response was "The Wha!?"

As an original fan who watched the final episode which must be around 2 years ago, I feel Im in a position to look down my nose at all those who are now jumping on the band wagon. I know what I'm about to say is stupid but I just feel people are wreckin it's legacy because everyone is saying how great it is but nobody appreciated it when it was actually on TV. It's almost as though to say you like The Wire is the "in thing" and people who don't get are just saying they like it and it annoys me.

For example, person in work was talking about how they thought the wire was great and made a statement along the lines of "the gay robin hood black fella". I nearly cried, how can you not know his name, it's OMAR.

Anyway, can someone tell me why The Wire is so popular after the show finished over 2 years ago???

The wire was very hard to follow as a tv show. its easiers on dvd

Spacedog

Cant blame people these days for waiting for a show to end before starting to watch it.

When Lost came out, every was saying it was the rockinest balls ever! I said I would start watching it after it had finished, because any show that popular, will have it's story extended into a never ending soap opera to cash in on it's sucess. (Corranation St. started out as a 3 part mini series about the lives of teapots!). After a while it was clear that this is what happened to lost as so many others before it.

Anyway, no need to look down your nose at anyone for enjoying this show. more people need to see it in my opinion.

Elmo

Spacedog wrote: »

When Lost came out, every was saying it was the rockinest balls ever! I said I would start watching it after it had finished, because any show that popular, will have it's story extended into a never ending soap opera to cash in on it's sucess. (Corranation St. started out as a 3 part mini series about the lives of teapots!). After a while it was clear that this is what happened to lost as so many others before it.

I can't wait for the complete Corronation Street Box Set wonder if how long I will have to wait for it to end.

cedissapointed

The wire was one of the best programmes on tv i used to watch every episode without fail :eek:

Bowlardo

DuckStab wrote: »

.
As smug sounding as this is, there is also a lot more pleasure in being able to say that you stumbled across the show and watched it under your own volition. No one can now watch this show without having some kind of expectation; it's gotten major publicity and has been accepted as one of the greatest shows ever, arguably the greatest, so it's impossible to go into it knowing nothing. .

Excellent point.. hit the nail on the head! Totally agree with you although i have to thank the brother for dexter,breaking bad, six feet under, the wire, entourage etc ..he is a bit of a boxset monster which helps alot.

i think sky atlantic will change everything this side of the water as we will be getting all these new series straight away instead oof having to wait a year(six months) for it to end up on at some god awful time on TG4

Elmo

Bowlardo wrote: »

i think sky atlantic will change everything this side of the water as we will be getting all these new series straight away instead oof having to wait a year(six months) for it to end up on at some god awful time on TG4

So its better to have it on a channel that few receive and even less watch.

TG4 may have F'ed up on season 5 but they did show all season during prime time (6pm - 11pm), indeed they made a reprieve by re-showing Season 5 as a repeat during prime-time.

I for one will miss True Blood on TG4, less ads the a pay service FX.

PelicanLegend

I'm someone who watched the wire after series 5 wrapped. I'm glad i was able to watch it all from start to finish as I wouldnt have been able to enjoy it as much if had missed even the first episode. Knowing that I'd missed an episode would burn away at me and i'd assume I'm out of the loop on half the story line. (e.g. I'd definately have assumed that Daniels "got dirt" on him in that episode). Its the same with Soprano's. I've never watched an episode because I missed the first series and wasnt prepared to wander in blindly and wonder what i'd missed. I know you can catch up with old episodes but then i'd be watching it thinking "i'd have really enjoyed the new episodes if i'd have known that".

As for the popularity of the wire i think its down to the rise in popularity of the DVD boxset. It seems that they exploded in the last few years but people were buying Friends, Sex and the City etc, basically things they had already seen. Others shows like Lost, Dexter etc were still in production so you are probably better off waiting for it to wrap so you can buy all the boxsets. But then there was The Wire, a show by now you would have heard good reviews of but had never seen. Basically i think it was in the right place at the right time.

I also think that maybe the complex story line is more suited to DVD boxset too as the dual plots can be tricky to follow.

The fact that its awesome probably played a part too.

jesus_thats_gre

Came across it on boards just as the third series was ending.

Elmo

I suppose we should highlight the fact that Sky Atlantic will be repeating the series soon. A channel only available to sky customers.

Penn

Recently bought a new 42" television for my bedroom. As soon as I get my new surround sound system in a few weeks, going to watch it all again in all its full bigscreen surround sound glory

orourkeda

word of mouth I suppose.

I'm not a huge TV watcher and only bought the boxset following a recommendation by my brother who did watch it when it was aired originally.

Elmo

The Wire a repeat of Season Five starting now on TG4. (Sky have since mopped up the rights for HBO shows, TG4 have perhaps one more repeat showing of the final series).

atilladehun

You could say OP is elitest but I think that would inflate such an ego.

I don't watch anything on tv, it's a terrible medium for shows. Being available week after week, suffering repeated ads, waiting half a year to finish a season, waiting 5 years to see something like the wire through. Not to mention the fact that if you want to be in at the start you have to watch a terrible amount of dross to figure out what you like and don't like.

If you go through all that then maybe all you have to cling onto is 'I was there first.'

Go live your life and watch the good shows on box sets.

Elmo

atilladehun wrote: »

I don't watch anything on tv, it's a terrible medium for shows. Being available week after week, suffering repeated ads, waiting half a year to finish a season, waiting 5 years to see something like the wire through. Not to mention the fact that if you want to be in at the start you have to watch a terrible amount of dross to figure out what you like and don't like.

Don't we do that with Film? You will always have to watch a certain amount of dross to get to what you like.

And even in boxset form you have to wait 5 years for a complete series, that is allot of work to appear all of a sudden. People coming to the show now will have that advantage of Boxsets but it still took 5 years for that work to be complete.

It isn't TV, it's HBO