It's one of the most acclaimed crime shows of the 2000s and here's where to watch the complete series of The Wire and what services it's on.

Here's where to find the complete series of The Wire online, including whether it's on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime. The Sopranos is often credited with kicking off a new wave of quality drama on television, including series such as Breaking Bad and The Shield. The Wire definitely belongs in that category, with this David Simon-created crime series taking place in Baltimore. The Wire focused on not only police chasing drug dealers, but on the media and politicians too, with each season introducing a new institution to the overarching narrative.

HBO's The Wire was compulsively gripping television from the moment it debuted in 2002, and while it was never a ratings smash, its received regular critical praise. It was also fronted by an exceptional cast, including Idris Elba, Dominic West, Lance Reddick and the late, great Michael K. Williams as Omar Little. The Wire came to an end after five seasons in 2008, but despite the acclaim the show still receives its doubtful creator Simon - who is behind the 2022 miniseries We Own This City - would ever consider a revival or sequel series.

The Wire is such a dense, involving show that it merits more than one viewing, however. For those who wish to revisit the series - or watch it for the first time - the complete series of The Wire isn't hard to find online. While it's not available on services like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime, the full show is available on HBO Now, HBO Max or DirecTV. Given that series was produced by HBO, it's little surprise to find it on their services.

The complete series of The Wire - which is very quotable - is also available to purchase from platforms like iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu or Google Play. Outside of being an important series, The Wire often ranks high on lists of greatest TV shows of all time, and its cast has rarely been out of work since it ended. Even its supporting players like Michael B. Jordan or Pablo Schreiber - who plays Master Chef in the Halo TV series - went on to bigger roles.

In the years since The Wire, Simon has gone on to other acclaimed shows and miniseries like Generation Kill, Show Me A Hero - starring Oscar Isaac - and Treme. While another season of The Wire is doubtful, Simon did reunite with writers Ed Burns - whose experiences as a former police officer and teacher partly informed the show - and George Pelecanos for We Own This City. For this reason, some consider We Own This City a Wire spiritual sequel.

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