The Wire: Season 5 coming to DVD

Make the deal. Run the story. Close the case. Finishing what has been heralded as the best television show ever made, the fifth and final season of The Wire comes to DVD from HBO Video on 22nd September 2008.

Experience ‘the best TV show ever made’ in ten final episodes – nine at sixty-minutes and a final ninety-minute season finale. This is the street, the hall, the newsroom, THE WIRE.

Pre-order the boxset now.

Until recently, THE WIRE has been the best kept secret on television and has astounded critics and viewers alike. For those new to the show, THE WIRE is the brainchild of American screenwriter, novelist, journalist and director David Simon (Homicide: Life on the Street, The Corner) and is a study of urban life in one of America’s toughest cities; Baltimore. Each season of THE WIRE has focused on a different aspect of Baltimore, starting with the police force and the drug trade, then moving on to City Hall and the education system. Over the course of five seasons, Simon has endeavoured to build a city.

Whilst continuing and resolving the complex, multifaceted stories woven in earlier seasons of THE WIRE, Season Five shines the spotlight on Baltimore’s newspaper media – namely The Baltimore Sun and its efforts to expose the fundamental political, economic and social realities depicted throughout the series. The fifth season is based, in part, on David Simon’s thirteen year experience as a police reporter for The Baltimore Sun. Much of what is depicted on screen is true to life. As well as covering the Baltimore drug war, the continuing police drama and the political deception inherent in City Hall, Simon has concentrated on portraying a conflict in newsroom culture – shock-tactic headlines and stories versus well-researched, balanced journalism.

As ever with a new season of THE WIRE, a multitude of new characters are introduced, however centre stage is given to Baltimore Sun editor Augustus "Gus" Haynes (Clarke Johnson, Homicide: Life on the Street) and returning favourite Det. Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce, Malcolm X). Of course, the action in Season Five covers more than the news-media. As the Baltimore drug war is raging, the Major Crimes Unit develop a new strategy to capture Marlow Standfield’s (Jamie Hector) crew. We spend time on the streets with popular characters such as Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), Kima Greggs (Sonja Sohn), Bubbles (Andre Royo), and Lt. Daniels (Lance Reddick). In this season, more than a few parallels are drawn between the investigative journalism of the Baltimore press and the detective activities the city’s police department.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Six episode audio commentaries by cast and crew
The Wire – The Last Word
The Wire Odyssey