The Wire comes to BBC2 (Spoiler free, please)
- Thread starter belboid
- Start date
ddraig
kicking against the pricks...
mrsfran
Slightly less bulbous
I'm so jealous of all the people who get to watch it for the first time now.
But I'm also nervous. What if they don't like it? It's on EVERY DAY. That's quite a committment. What if they go out one night and miss an episode, and then they'll be lost and it'll be confusing and they might get cross with it.
But I'm also nervous. What if they don't like it? It's on EVERY DAY. That's quite a committment. What if they go out one night and miss an episode, and then they'll be lost and it'll be confusing and they might get cross with it.
Kid_Eternity
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Watching it. Waiting for it to get good. So far it seems a bit cliched.
Kid_Eternity
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Yeah I gonna because it's been so heavily recommended. That said so was Life on Mars and the the first season was boring as hell...
8den
No I'm pretty sure that was 8ball...
Its a slow burner, it needs an investment in time, and concentration.
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
I've read that so many times, but I think it gets going straight away - I was hooked from the start.
retribution
Jack of Dubs
Haven't read the entire thread, but it looks like they're editing it to keep it within the hour: I'm sure they chase Johnny for a lot longer in the real version.
Controversial!
Controversial!
8den
No I'm pretty sure that was 8ball...
Who invented the McNugget!
Azrael
circling Airstrip One
There's been similar -- Channel 4's little known daytime gem The Courtroom did the court side of Law & Order a few years ago, and I believe the BBC's Criminal Justice was an obese Law & Order episode with added sadism (hence my not watching it) -- but yeah, I guess Law & Order: UK is fresh enough. Since the scripts are mostly recyled from the US version I wasn't keen, but turning the sclerotic CPS into a clone of passionate New York ADAs breaks the forth wall for me.
And they're editing The Wire.
Sacrilege! Oh to have Mr. Omar rip'n'ride White City.
8den
No I'm pretty sure that was 8ball...
And they're editing The Wire.
What are you on about, HBO episodes run to an hour BBC episodes run to an hour, neither has ad breaks.
Threshers_Flail
Well-Known Member
I didn't notice any differences, is the boxset any different to what was on FX?
Azrael
circling Airstrip One
retribution's post above. Can't confirm or deny as I've already seen season one.
The BBC do have form for this though: they snipped the odd scene from season two of Rome (season one was an edit-fest) and Band of Brothers. HBO shows aren't exact: occasionally they under- or over-run the hour mark.
It was good getting a chance to see it again. There's so many little details that you fail to pick up on the first time round, or things that only really make sense when you know what's going to happen in a several seasons time.
Also, the plotting is so dense and economically presented that it's easy to get straight back into it. You might remember broadly what happened but chances are that the majority of the scenes will seem fresh again.
No sign on the iplayer front yet. I really hope that they've got the rights to put it up on there.
And finally, watching it again, it would have been a very brave individual who might have green lighted an earlier broadcast time.
Also, the plotting is so dense and economically presented that it's easy to get straight back into it. You might remember broadly what happened but chances are that the majority of the scenes will seem fresh again.
No sign on the iplayer front yet. I really hope that they've got the rights to put it up on there.
And finally, watching it again, it would have been a very brave individual who might have green lighted an earlier broadcast time.
lostexpectation
New Member
no widescreen how 2002 :/
Voley
🐀
All 5 series? Christ. It'll drive me mental.
DJ Squelch
King Of Insides
First time I've ever watched an episode. I'll definately watch the rest of the series but i'm not hooked on it quite yet.
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
It may not help anyone but in case it does here's some notes I made a while ago - fwiw, I used the show as a learning aid to writing:
S1E1
Of all the 60 hours I think this first one needs to be properly understood else you’re behind the curve before you begin - everything from the kitchen sink to the Low Rise sofa is thrown at the screen. Here’s some of what we get; the hierarchy of the police department: Detectives > Sergeants > Lieutenants > Majors > Deputy Ops – that’s identified and explored though two separate departments Homicide and Narcotics. The personnel in both have been promoted from two Baltimore districts, the Eastern and the Western. The courts influence the police department but have no direct control. There’s the small matter of a ‘Detail’ being set up, whatever that is. You need a Ven diagram.
Beyond that core police hierarchy we learn a little about the State’s Attorney’s Office – we meet two women and a third is mentioned; we learn Assistant (State’s Attorney) Eileen Nathan is Violent Crimes, Rhonda Pearlman is Narcotics. We access the FBI at Special Agent level and learn it’s a separate and distinct entity and pulling out of the Drugs War to fight the War on Terrah. As an aside, we’re introduced to the technology gap – fibre optics surveillance vs. typewriters.
Alongside that we get a sketch of the Barksdale hierarchy; the other institution: Avon at the top, we know this because Stringer Bell withdraws when Avon wants to speak to D’Angelo. The goons are mentioned but remain in the background in the court scenes and outside the High Rise. Lower down, the wannabee youngsters are working the Low Rises.
In storytelling terms, McNulty and DeAngelo Barksdale tie everything together for us as they move around their organisations. They’re both in the dog house and the reaction of their co-workers and bosses is the mechanism by which we are introduced to, and begin to understand, those institutions – the writers nudge us twice: “chain of command”. They both reflect with a late night drink.
All in all we meet at least 20 central characters, maybe 25. There’s other stuff – the first glimpse of McNulty, Bunk and Kima’s after work life, the two addicts trying to shake down a deal, humour and stress in the car drug bust; it’s a frantic hour but the whole series/season is set up.
Fwiw, the flash back in the final scene of a dead William Gant (at HBO’s insistence) is the only concession in the 60 hours to helping the viewer - from here on we have to do all the work ourselves.
S1E1
Of all the 60 hours I think this first one needs to be properly understood else you’re behind the curve before you begin - everything from the kitchen sink to the Low Rise sofa is thrown at the screen. Here’s some of what we get; the hierarchy of the police department: Detectives > Sergeants > Lieutenants > Majors > Deputy Ops – that’s identified and explored though two separate departments Homicide and Narcotics. The personnel in both have been promoted from two Baltimore districts, the Eastern and the Western. The courts influence the police department but have no direct control. There’s the small matter of a ‘Detail’ being set up, whatever that is. You need a Ven diagram.
Beyond that core police hierarchy we learn a little about the State’s Attorney’s Office – we meet two women and a third is mentioned; we learn Assistant (State’s Attorney) Eileen Nathan is Violent Crimes, Rhonda Pearlman is Narcotics. We access the FBI at Special Agent level and learn it’s a separate and distinct entity and pulling out of the Drugs War to fight the War on Terrah. As an aside, we’re introduced to the technology gap – fibre optics surveillance vs. typewriters.
Alongside that we get a sketch of the Barksdale hierarchy; the other institution: Avon at the top, we know this because Stringer Bell withdraws when Avon wants to speak to D’Angelo. The goons are mentioned but remain in the background in the court scenes and outside the High Rise. Lower down, the wannabee youngsters are working the Low Rises.
In storytelling terms, McNulty and DeAngelo Barksdale tie everything together for us as they move around their organisations. They’re both in the dog house and the reaction of their co-workers and bosses is the mechanism by which we are introduced to, and begin to understand, those institutions – the writers nudge us twice: “chain of command”. They both reflect with a late night drink.
All in all we meet at least 20 central characters, maybe 25. There’s other stuff – the first glimpse of McNulty, Bunk and Kima’s after work life, the two addicts trying to shake down a deal, humour and stress in the car drug bust; it’s a frantic hour but the whole series/season is set up.
Fwiw, the flash back in the final scene of a dead William Gant (at HBO’s insistence) is the only concession in the 60 hours to helping the viewer - from here on we have to do all the work ourselves.
rollinder
Dont walk away in silence
8den
No I'm pretty sure that was 8ball...
I'd really like to check that I know the assistant editor from Rome.
Riklet
procrastinación
Come onnn, you can always stream it online if you miss an episode, and with any luck it'll get put on iplayer! Hopefully people will get sucked in and gripped though, cos tbh they deserve to sell a few more boxsets! 
I'm watching it all again, on the second season at the moment and just... phwoahhh
I'm watching it all again, on the second season at the moment and just... phwoahhh
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
I think you'll like it. It can be a bit heavy on the slang, but it's not impenetrable.
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