TV Series Finale

Network: HBO
Episodes: 60 (hour), five seasons

Show dates:
June 2, 2002 — March 9, 2008

Performers include: Tray Chaney, Idris Elba, Seth Gilliam, Larry Gilliard Jr., Wood Harris, Hassan Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Domenick Lombardozzi, Clarke Peters, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Jim True-Frost, Dominic West, and J.D. Williams.

Series Description: This gritty inner-city drama initially focuses on the war between the Baltimore police and a drug cartel and then expands to encompass the impact of drugs on various parts of the community.
On the side of the law are Lieutenant Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick) and detectives like troubled Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), lesbian Kima Greggs (Sonja Sohn), brutal Thomas “Herc” Hauk (Domenick Lombardozzi), loyal Ellis Carver (Seth Gilliam), older Lester Freamon (Clarke Peters), and inept Roland “Prez” Pryzbylewski (Jim True-Frost).
On the drug dealer side are Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) and members of his empire like business-minded Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), nephew D’Angelo Barksdale (Larry Gilliard Jr.), loyal killer Wee-Bey Brice (Hassan Johnson), and street dealers like Poot (Tray Chaney), Bodie (J.D. Williams), and Wallace (Michael B. Jordan).
As the series goes on, many characters are eliminated and the large cast is expanded even further. The Wire was created by writer/producer and former Baltimore Sun police reporter David Simon.

•	The series finale was completed early in the morning on September 1, 2007.
•	Despite critical acclaim, The Wire has not been a big success in the ratings. Simon attributes this to the complex plots, heavy use of esoteric slang, and to the cast being predominantly African American.
•	Both The Wire and NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street are based on David Simon books. When Homicide ended, Detective John Munch (played by Richard Belzer) went on to become a regular on another NBC series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He has made appearances on several other shows, including the finale season of The Wire.