The Wire is an American crime drama television series created by David Simon and broadcast by the cable network HBO. It premiered on June 2, 2002, and ended on March 9, 2008, comprising sixty episodes over five seasons. Set in Baltimore, Maryland, The Wire follows different institutions within the city, such as the illegal drug trade, the education system, and the media, and their relationships to law enforcement. The series features a diverse ensemble cast of both veteran and novice actors; the large number of black actors was considered groundbreaking for the time.
The Wire has been widely hailed as one of the greatest television series of all time.See also: Despite the critical acclaim, however, the show received relatively few awards during its run. It was nominated for only two Primetime Emmy Awards – both for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – and did not win any. Many have called its lack of recognition, especially in the Outstanding Drama Series category, one of the biggest Emmys snubs ever.Examples: Some have argued the lack of recognition was due to the show's dense plots and a disconnect between the setting and Los Angeles–based voters.
Outside of the Emmys, The Wire won a Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Dramatic Series in 2008, as well as a Directors Guild of America Award for the episode "Transitions" in 2009. It was thrice named one of the top television programs of the year by the American Film Institute and received a Peabody Award in 2004. The series was nominated for sixteen NAACP Image Awards but never won one. It was also nominated for ten Television Critics Association Awards, with its only win coming in 2008 for the group's Heritage Award.
Awards and nominations + Award Year Category Nominee(s) Result American Black Film Festival Awards 2020 Classic Television Award The Wire American Cinema Editors Awards 2007 Best Edited One-Hour Series for Non-Commercial Television (for "Boys of Summer") 2009 Best Edited One-Hour Series for Non-Commercial Television (for "More With Less") American Film Institute Awards 2003 Television Programs of the Year The Wire 2006 Television Programs of the Year The Wire 2008 Television Programs of the Year The Wire Artios Awards 2003 Outstanding Achievement in Dramatic Pilot Casting and Pat Moran (for "The Target") ASCAP Awards 2004 Top Television Series Banff Rockie Awards 2007 Best Continuing Series The Wire (for "Boys of Summer") British Academy Television Awards 2009 Best International Show The WireNominees: David Simon, Ed Burns, Nina Kostroff Noble, and Joe Chappelle Crime Thriller Awards 2008 International TV Crime Drama The Wire Best Actor 2009 International TV Dagger The Wire Best Actor Directors Guild of America Awards 2009 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series – Night (for "Transitions")Additional nominees: Nina Noble (unit production manager); Eric Henriquez (first assistant director); Xanthus Valan (second assistant director); Tim Blockburger (second second assistant director) Edgar Awards 2003 Best Television Episode Teleplay and Ed Burns (for "The Target") 2007 Best Television Feature/Mini-Series Teleplay The WireNominees: Ed Burns, Kia Corthron, Dennis Lehane, David Mills, Eric Overmyer, George Pelecanos, Richard Price, David Simon, and William F. Zorzi GLAAD Media Awards 2003 Outstanding Drama Series The Wire 2005 Outstanding Drama Series The Wire Golden Reel Awards 2007 Best Sound Editing in Television: Short Form – Dialogue and Automated Dialogue Replacement , Igor Nikolic, and Matthew Haasch (for "Misgivings")Additional crew: Bruce Litecky (production sound mixer); Fran Boyd (loop group supervisor); Bobby Johnson, Dave Boulton, and Robert Bragg (ADR mixers); Andrew Kris (dialogue re-recording mixer) Humanitas Prizes 2008 60 Minute Category and David Simon (for "Late Editions") Irish Film and Television Awards 2009 Best Actor in a Lead Role – Television NAACP Image Awards 2003 Outstanding Drama Series The Wire 2004 Outstanding Drama Series The Wire Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series 2005 Outstanding Drama Series The Wire Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 2007 Outstanding Drama Series The Wire Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (for "Home Rooms") 2009 Outstanding Drama Series The Wire Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (for "The Dickensian Aspect") NAMIC Vision Awards 2003 Best Drama The Wire (for "Cleaning Up") Best Dramatic Performance (for "The Cost") 2005 Best Drama The Wire (for "Time After Time") Best Dramatic Performance (for "Time After Time") 2007 Best Drama The Wire (for "Boys of Summer") Peabody Awards 2004 — The Wire Primetime Emmy Awards 2005 Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and David Simon (for "Middle Ground") 2008 Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and Ed Burns (for "-30-") Satellite Awards 2006 Best Television Series, Drama The Wire Television Critics Association Awards 2003 Program of the Year The Wire Outstanding Achievement in Drama The Wire Outstanding New Program of the Year The Wire 2004 Outstanding Achievement in Drama The Wire 2007 Program of the Year The Wire Outstanding Achievement in Drama The Wire 2008 Program of the Year The Wire Outstanding Achievement in Drama The Wire Individual Achievement in Drama Heritage Award The Wire Writers Guild of America Awards 2008 Television: Dramatic Series The Wire Television: Episodic Drama and Ed Burns (for "Final Grades") 2009 Television: Dramatic Series The WireNominees: Ed Burns, Chris Collins, Dennis Lehane, David Mills, George Pelecanos, Richard Price, David Simon, and William F. Zorzi
Notes Nominees for awards
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