HBO The Wire
Created by David Simon · 2002–2008 ·
Is The Wire worth watching?
The Wire (2002–2008) earns a 93% Celluloid Score — Celluloid Pick. Recommended overall. Created by David Simon; stream on HBO Max. See how the score is built.
Four-input score + separate audience snapshot
Also known as Los Vigilantes Bajo escucha Sur écoute A Escuta THE WIRE/ザ・ワイヤー 더 와이어 火线 火線重案組
The Wire season guide
The Wire has 5 seasons and 60 episodes , and it has ended (2008). Season and episode data from TMDB.
| Season | Episodes | Premiered |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 13 | |
| Season 2 | 12 | |
| Season 3 | 12 | |
| Season 4 | 13 | |
| Season 5 | 10 |
Where to watch The Wire
The Wire is available on HBO Max — regional notes: HBO Max in the United States; HBO Max, Sky Cinema in the United Kingdom; HBO Max in Indonesia. Catalog platform tag: HBO Max.
Where to watch The Wire by country
| Country | Streaming on |
|---|---|
| India | Disney+ Hotstar, Vi Movies & TV |
| Indonesia | HBO Max |
| Japan | U-NEXT |
| Malaysia | HBO Max |
| Pakistan | HBO Max |
| Philippines | HBO Max |
| Thailand | HBO Max |
| Turkey | TV+, HBO Max |
| United Kingdom | HBO Max, Sky Cinema |
| United States | HBO Max |
Subscription availability, refreshed from TMDB. Rental and purchase options may differ.
Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
Is The Wire worth watching?
Yes — The Wire earns a 93% Celluloid Score. Celluloid Pick, created by David Simon and streaming on HBO Max.
Celluloid Verdict
Often called the greatest television drama ever made — a sprawling, unsentimental sociological epic that treats a whole city as its protagonist and refuses every easy consolation.
Kaiser Khan, Founder & Editor
What is The Wire about?
Across five seasons, a Baltimore drug investigation widens into a panoramic portrait of an American city — its police, docks, schools, politics and press — dramatizing with novelistic rigour how institutions fail the people inside them.
Watch the Trailer
Critic Reviews
The Wire (2002) Review: How a City Fails Its People
★★★★★
The Wire is David Simon's five-season HBO drama that turns a Baltimore drug case into a portrait of a whole city, and it remains TV's most ambitious crime saga.
Yes, emphatically. It is essential viewing for anyone who takes television seriously, as long as you give its dense, slow-building first episodes the patience they need.
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The Wire: frequently asked questions
Seasons, episodes, where to stream, the cast and whether The Wire is worth your time.
Yes — The Wire scores 93% on Celluloid. Often called the greatest television drama ever made — a sprawling, unsentimental sociological epic that treats a whole city as its protagonist and refuses every easy consolation. Stream on HBO Max.
The Wire is catalogued under HBO Max and commonly streams on HBO Max. Availability varies by country — open the platform app or the Celluloid series page for regional notes.
The Wire stars Dominic West, Idris Elba, Michael K. Williams and Wendell Pierce. Created by David Simon.
The Wire is tied to HBO / Max-style licensing on Celluloid (platform tag: HBO Max). Check Max in your region for current episodes.
The Wire scores 93% from four inputs: Celluloid editorial 94/100, Metacritic 88/100, IMDb 9.3/10 and TMDB fan rating 96%. The separate audience snapshot is 96%. Often called the greatest television drama ever made — a sprawling, unsentimental sociological epic that treats a whole city as its protagonist and refuses every easy consolation. See the full breakdown on the The Wire series page.
Yes. The Wire builds Baltimore institution by institution across five seasons — start at season 1.
No — The Wire is not on Netflix. It streams on HBO Max, and on Celluloid it is catalogued under HBO Max. Streaming rights rotate by country, so confirm in your region before subscribing.
The Wire first aired in 2002 and ran through 2008 (2002–2008). Created by David Simon; it streams on HBO Max today.
The Wire has 5 seasons across 60 episodes (2002–2008). Status: ended / complete.
At roughly 40–50 minutes per episode, The Wire’s 60 episodes take roughly 45 hours of runtime (plus credits). Binge pace depends on season breaks.
The Wire stars Dominic West, Idris Elba, Michael K. Williams, Wendell Pierce, Sonja Sohn. Created by David Simon.
The Wire has 60 episodes across 5 seasons (2002–2008).