The Wire's Reboot Update Is Reassuring 16 Years After HBO's Iconic Crime Show Ended

Summary Rebooting "The Wire" doesn't make sense in today's TV landscape, says Jamie Hector, who played Marlo Stanfield.

HBO should leave "The Wire" alone as it's still considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time.

"We Own This City" serves as a spiritual sequel to "The Wire," further proof that a reboot is unnecessary.

Considered one of television's greatest series of all time, HBO's The Wire is one of the few beloved properties to avoid being rebooted. Created by author and former police reporter David Simon, the iconic crime drama premiered in 2002, and ran for five seasons through 2008. The Peabody Award-winning The Wire chronicles the relationship between Baltimore's various institutions and the city's law enforcement. With 60 episodes to its name, The Wire feels as complete as a show about an ever-changing city can be, but that doesn't mean viewers aren't intrigued by the thought of HBO revisiting the show.

Of course, the network has already fiddled with other HBO original series from the late '90s and early 2000s — And Just Like That..., Sex and the City's divisive sequel series, is a prime example. That said, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the network, or the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Max streaming platform, would try to reboot HBO's former flagship drama. Recently, actor Jamie Hector, who played drug kingpin Marlo Stanfield on The Wire, became the latest series alum to weigh in on the possibility of HBO revisiting the acclaimed show.

Related The Wire Sets Itself Apart From Other Police Procedurals With 1 Clever Detail The Wire is one of HBO's best shows despite its relative obscurity, and one clever detail hidden throughout further cements it as an all-time great.

Jamie Hector Is Right - The Wire Should Be Left Alone

The HBO Series Is Still Considered One Of The Greatest TV Shows Of All Time

Close

Jamie Hector joined The Wire's cast of characters in the third season. Determined and ruthless, Marlo Stanfield led the Stanfield Organization — a key player in the Baltimore, Maryland drug trade. Despite his fondness for working on the series, Hector took a firm stance against the idea of HBO rebooting The Wire. "When something is left on a great note and... you try to recreate it again — the mindset, the timing, the era, the people — everything has changed" (via Daily Mail). For Hector, the current TV landscape is just too different to justify a reboot of The Wire.

Hector [...added] that The Wire would look a lot different in 2024.

The actor's comment wasn't made just in response to the idea of a reboot, but to a spin-off or sequel series as well. Hector, who has played a cop on Amazon Prime Video's hit series Bosch for many years, added that the five-season The Wire would look a lot different in 2024. He pointed out that technology would have a massive impact on the series. Not only would it make crimes harder for those involved, but it would give law enforcement a leg up. Undoubtedly, the ubiquity of technology would drastically reshape a potential reboot of The Wire.

Related 1 Harsh Truth Settles The Breaking Bad Vs. The Wire Debate One of TV's hottest debates pits HBO's The Wire against AMC's Breaking Bad. Both celebrated TV shows made history, but one is the clear winner.

The Wire Already Has A Spiritual Sequel (Sort Of)

We Own This City Proved We Don't Need A Reboot Of The Wire

Close

In 2022, HBO released a six-episode miniseries called We Own This City. Although it isn't set in the world of The Wire, the limited crime drama was co-developed by David Simon and based on a Baltimore Sun reporter's book. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard), We Own This City chronicles the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force, which was plagued by corruption. Some alum from Simon's groundbreaking series, including Jamie Hector, even appeared in the miniseries, making it even more of a spiritual sequel to The Wire.

The Wire and We Own This City are both streaming on Max.

The Wire Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

rent

buy Not available Not available Not available The Wire is an American crime drama starring Dominic West and Lance Reddick. The show follows Detective James ‘Jimmy’ McNulty as he tackles the drug scene in Baltimore, Maryland. The HBO series was praised throughout its run, even winning two Primetime Emmy Awards. The Wire aired on HBO between 2002 and 2008 for a total of 60 episodes. Cast Lance Reddick , Michael B. Jordan Idris Elba , Dominic West , Wood Harris Release Date June 2, 2002 Seasons 5 Network HBO Max , BBC Streaming Service(s) Hulu , HBO Max Writers David Simon Directors David Simon Showrunner David Simon Expand

Source: Daily Mail