I am not the biggest fan of The Wire by a long shot, but one of the huge fans here needs to explain to me how the show got better over time.

The whole serial killer subplot in season 5 was so far fetched and ridiculous I found it hard to watch. And Marlo Stanfield's crew was just way less interesting then Barksdale's.

Seasons 1-3 were great. Seasons 4 & 5, not.

I really didn't think this poll would be so wide open. I also picked The Wire.

The Wire was really new territory. There's nothing like it at all. Characters, stories, everything.

I don't mean to belittle The Sopranos but the characters/stories are all very similar to the characters you've seen in Scorsese flicks. Granted the whole Italian mobster world is expanded upon moreso than any movie has done, but, it's not a totally new universe. So much of The Sopranos works because of Gandolfini's charming performance and I think without him I don't think the show would have been as successful.

I disagree. The Sopranos is a character driven show, The Wire is a show that focuses more on society as a whole rather than individuals. I really can't see how the Wire has deeper characters at all, as I never saw it as a show that focused on them. It was more about how different groups in society interacted.


I think every character in The Sopranos is stripped bare for the viewer to see, except maybe Silvio. The same can't be said about The Wire at all. I mean how much is there really to say about a character like Slim Charles?

This is the one I got when it was a steal of a Gold Box special in 2009 - it was a shocking $59.97. Bought sight unseen and consider it one of the best deals I ever got.

Both are the same set just sold by two different vendors.

This. Of course I didn't really SEE that until I'd watched the whole thing. This is why I will return to this show before The Sopranos because NOW I can see everything about this series in a new light.

Season 4 may have been the best season of the show. Definately the season that affected me the most and seemed the most real in the examination of inner city youth and school system.

For me, Seasons 3 and 4 were the best. Season 5 was a bit of a letdown, but only in context. IMO Season 5 of The Wire is still one of the dozen best seaons of any TV series, ever.

The serial killer plot for season 5 was weak but the rest of the series wrap up was great. I agree though, not the best and just for that it's hard to say that the show kept getting better.

Season 4 though, is the consensus best of the series. Most people feel that Marlo's crew was a good replacement for the Barksdale gang and the best part of the series is the ongoing plot with the kids.

Watch Breaking bad if you haven't yet in order to be ready for season 5. Best show on TV....

Then watch The Wire......although the last season is not on par with the rest.

Then watch The Shield......very few complaints from me throughout the whole series.

Then watch The Sopranos........but I was not happy with the show for the last few seasons, too many wasted episodes, and too many dream episodes for my tatse.

Season 5 gets a lot of hate for the plot line and while it is a good portion of the season it's only one aspect of the examination of media and it's effects on inner city life. Outside of that it's still The Wire, it's still the characters I came to love and I thought it wrapped up the lives of the characters very well.

Six Feet Under was good too, if you ever get around to it. It was sometimes a bit of a chore to watch but it was great overall. And if anything, watch for the finale. It'll be worth it.

9 People better not meet Omar walking down the street!

I've only watched the first three seasons of The Wire but honestly I don't think it's the best show of all time or something like a lot of people on here like to proclaim. I get that it's very deep in it's characters and storylines and is probably pretty realistic but meh..it dragged and dragged in some spots for me.

I liked The Sopranos more personally. Some of the later episodes aren't as good but overall I thought the series was really solid. I liked the characters and how even though they were scum you could find yourself rooting for them or others who when they finally got whacked felt satisfied that they got what was deserved. Then again I've always enjoyed Scorsese/mafia films and The Sopranos basically brought that to television for six seasons so I was probably bound to like it.

Watch Breaking Bad though if you haven't at some point. One of the greatest series ever in my opinion. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are amazing actors on that show. Six Feet Under is another I'd throw out there as a great series to check out at some point.

Season 4 is widely considered the best season on The Wire. I haven't seen many say Season 4 wasn't good.

Season 4 depresses the fuck outta me. Them damn kids. Those images in the finale of that season haunts me to this day. Can't believe they went there and so superbly written. 5 gets a bum wrap. I found it more entertaining than season 3. There are no such images like that in The Sopranos but the show is entertaining as hell. Tits, violence, and some of the funniest shit (Barren Pines)you'll see on TV. You're guaranteed a good time watching just about any episode in its run.

That being said, I've never been so tense, in such a prolonged amount of time, as I've had watching The Shield. Once Glen Close (?!?!) joined the cast in season 4 and all the way through to the end (season 7), my stomach was in knots. Seriously, it was so tense. Close and Anthony Anderson lit the fuse in that season and Forest Whitaker blew it up the next. It was an incredible display of cat and mouse and one-upmanship. You really had no idea where it was going.

I can go on and on about Breaking Bad as well but I'm a fairly newcomer to the show but it surely is a contender.

Big Love is in my top 5 as well but many people didn't like the subject matter.

Alright people, I'm not sure if I've been put on your ignore list but you can stop recommending Breaking Bad or The Shield, I've seen all the episodes for both and love them dearly

I am surprised that The Wire is the overwhelming favorite though. It's at the top of my Netflix Queue.

I'm tempted to give The Wire a second shot after reading this thread, but then again it was you guys who got me to watch the first 3 episodes in the first place until I realized I didn't care for it.

My vote would be for The Sopranos, not only because I've seen it but because it's just damn good TV. I'd also recommend Oz at some point for you, too. Seen every episode of that and it doesn't get much grittier than that.

That's the thing with the Wire for some people. It takes a commitment to get into it. There is a lot going on in the first few episodes and it's a turn off for some. But Ive urged many people to stick with it and each one has thanked me for doing so.

Personally, after watching the first scene. I knew I was in for the long haul..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYgKm...e_gdata_player

Sorry Osiris about my Shield rant.

Have fun discovering The Wire and make sure to come back and tell us your thoughts. It's always fun to get peoples first reactions to viewing the classics and, make no mistake, both of the series you asked about are classics.

Oz is also among the best shows I've ever seen, blind bought all 6 seasons and it's easily the best blind buy purchase I've ever made. Awesome show.


I will definitely give my thoughts after watching The Wire and The Sopranos.

You're making the right choice, Osiris. The Sopranos is great (what I've seen sa far; about half the series), but The Wire changed my entire view of what television is capable of. Season Four is the greatest season of any television show I've ever seen. That's not hyperbole.

You have to commit to it, though. Promise yourself to watch the first season, at least. By the end, you'll start to see what many of us have been saying. Early in Season Three, I "got it" and didn't turn back. There is just so much going on-- and so many characters-- but Season Three pulled it all together (like the tagline says: "Everything is Connected"). It just got better and better until the end of Season Four, which was amazing.

Season Five gets a bad rap, but I liked the basic plot about how our media (journalism) is failing us. I also thought the season did an incredible job of closing-out the series. There were A LOT of characters that came and went in five seasons, and we got to see so many of them the last few episodes that if the price for that was a bit of plot, then I'm okay with it.

Just to add, The Wire and Sopranos DVD sets are on sale at Target this week. Just saying.

I think some people confuse verisimilitude with greatness, not all people who voted for The Wire by any means and it is a great show. But I only ever saw a little bit of value in realism in art.

Also The Wire seems to have a lot more Very Important Things To Tell The Viewer while the Sopranos is more subtle with its themes. If you need proof, look no further than David Simon, who insists on shoving his explanations of The Wire down every interviewer's throat, rather than allowing for viewer interpretation.

Damnit! Now I'm tempted to spend money I shouldn't

I have never seen The Wire, but have always heard great things from anyone who followed the series. The first 3 seasons of the Sopranos are about as great as any drama I have seen, but the show lost its luster in Season 4 and never recovered.