The Wire, a television drama series created by David Simon, premiered on June 2, 2002 on HBO in the United States and ended on March 9, 2008. 60 episodes aired over the show's five seasons, plus three additional prequel shorts. Each episode has a running time of 55–60 minutes.

The Wire is set in Baltimore, Maryland; each season of the series expands its focus on a different part of the city. The show features a large ensemble cast; many characters are only featured prominently in a single season. A group of characters, mainly in the Baltimore Police Department, appear in every season.

The show is available on DVD in Region 1, 2 and 4.

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
113June 2, 2002 (2002-06-02)September 8, 2002 (2002-09-08)
212June 1, 2003 (2003-06-01)August 24, 2003 (2003-08-24)
312September 19, 2004 (2004-09-19)December 19, 2004 (2004-12-19)
413September 10, 2006 (2006-09-10)December 10, 2006 (2006-12-10)
510January 6, 2008 (2008-01-06)March 9, 2008 (2008-03-09)

Episodes

Season 1 (2002)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
11"The Target"Clark JohnsonStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
June 2, 2002 (2002-06-02)3.70[1]
22"The Detail"Clark JohnsonStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
June 9, 2002 (2002-06-09)2.80[2]
33"The Buys"Peter MedakStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
June 16, 2002 (2002-06-16)N/A
44"Old Cases"Clement VirgoStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
June 23, 2002 (2002-06-23)2.91[3]
55"The Pager"Clark JohnsonStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: Ed Burns
June 30, 2002 (2002-06-30)2.97[4]
66"The Wire"Ed BianchiStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
July 7, 2002 (2002-07-07)2.98[5]
77"One Arrest"Joe ChappelleStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: Rafael Alvarez
July 21, 2002 (2002-07-21)4.12[6]
88"Lessons"Gloria MuzioStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
July 28, 2002 (2002-07-28)3.31[7]
99"Game Day"Milčo MančevskiStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David H. Melnick & Shamit Choksey
August 4, 2002 (2002-08-04)3.42[8]
1010"The Cost"Brad AndersonStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
August 11, 2002 (2002-08-11)4.15[9]
1111"The Hunt"Steve ShillStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: Joy Lusco
August 18, 2002 (2002-08-18)3.43[10]
1212"Cleaning Up"Clement VirgoStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: George Pelecanos
September 1, 2002 (2002-09-01)3.66[11]
1313"Sentencing"Tim Van PattenDavid Simon & Ed BurnsSeptember 8, 2002 (2002-09-08)3.77[12]

Season 2 (2003)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
141"Ebb Tide"Ed BianchiStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
June 1, 2003 (2003-06-01)4.43[13]
152"Collateral Damage"Ed BianchiStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
June 8, 2003 (2003-06-08)3.50[14]
163"Hot Shots"Elodie KeeneStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
June 15, 2003 (2003-06-15)2.64[15]
174"Hard Cases"Elodie KeeneStory by: David Simon & Joy Lusco
Teleplay by: Joy Lusco
June 22, 2003 (2003-06-22)4.33[16]
185"Undertow"Steve ShillStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: Ed Burns
June 29, 2003 (2003-06-29)3.62[17]
196"All Prologue"Steve ShillStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
July 6, 2003 (2003-07-06)4.11[18]
207"Backwash"Thomas J. WrightStory by: David Simon & Rafael Alvarez
Teleplay by: Rafael Alvarez
July 13, 2003 (2003-07-13)N/A
218"Duck and Cover"Dan AttiasStory by: David Simon & George Pelecanos
Teleplay by: George Pelecanos
July 27, 2003 (2003-07-27)3.64[19]
229"Stray Rounds"Tim Van PattenStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
August 3, 2003 (2003-08-03)3.04[20]
2310"Storm Warnings"Rob BaileyStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: Ed Burns
August 10, 2003 (2003-08-10)3.51[21]
2411"Bad Dreams"Ernest DickersonStory by: David Simon & George Pelecanos
Teleplay by: George Pelecanos
August 17, 2003 (2003-08-17)3.70[22]
2512"Port in a Storm"Robert F. ColesberryStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
August 24, 2003 (2003-08-24)4.48[23]

Season 3 (2004)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
261"Time After Time"Ed BianchiStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
September 19, 2004 (2004-09-19)1.83[24]
272"All Due Respect"Steve ShillStory by: David Simon & Richard Price
Teleplay by: Richard Price
September 26, 2004 (2004-09-26)N/A
283"Dead Soldiers"Rob BaileyStory by: David Simon & Dennis Lehane
Teleplay by: Dennis Lehane
October 3, 2004 (2004-10-03)1.54[25]
294"Hamsterdam"Ernest DickersonStory by: David Simon & George Pelecanos
Teleplay by: George Pelecanos
October 10, 2004 (2004-10-10)1.45[26]
305"Straight and True"Dan AttiasStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: Ed Burns
October 17, 2004 (2004-10-17)1.34[27]
316"Homecoming"Leslie LibmanStory by: David Simon & Rafael Alvarez
Teleplay by: Rafael Alvarez
October 31, 2004 (2004-10-31)1.42[28]
327"Back Burners"Tim Van PattenStory by: David Simon & Joy Lusco
Teleplay by: Joy Lusco
November 7, 2004 (2004-11-07)N/A
338"Moral Midgetry"Agnieszka HollandStory by: David Simon & Richard Price
Teleplay by: Richard Price
November 14, 2004 (2004-11-14)1.47[29]
349"Slapstick"Alex ZakrzewskiStory by: David Simon & George Pelecanos
Teleplay by: David Simon
November 21, 2004 (2004-11-21)N/A
3510"Reformation"Christine MooreStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: Ed Burns
November 28, 2004 (2004-11-28)1.67[30]
3611"Middle Ground"Joe ChappelleStory by: David Simon & George Pelecanos
Teleplay by: George Pelecanos
December 12, 2004 (2004-12-12)2.04[31]
3712"Mission Accomplished"Ernest DickersonStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
December 19, 2004 (2004-12-19)2.04[32]

Season 4 (2006)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
381"Boys of Summer"Joe ChappelleStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
September 10, 2006 (2006-09-10)
392"Soft Eyes"Christine MooreStory by: Ed Burns & David Mills
Teleplay by: David Mills
September 17, 2006 (2006-09-17)
403"Home Rooms"Seith MannStory by: Ed Burns & Richard Price
Teleplay by: Richard Price
September 24, 2006 (2006-09-24)
414"Refugees"Jim McKayStory by: Ed Burns & Dennis Lehane
Teleplay by: Dennis Lehane
October 1, 2006 (2006-10-01)
425"Alliances"David PlattStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: Ed Burns
October 8, 2006 (2006-10-08)
436"Margin of Error"Dan AttiasStory by: Ed Burns & Eric Overmyer
Teleplay by: Eric Overmyer
October 15, 2006 (2006-10-15)
447"Unto Others"Anthony HemingwayStory by: Ed Burns & William F. Zorzi
Teleplay by: William F. Zorzi
October 29, 2006 (2006-10-29)
458"Corner Boys"Agnieszka HollandStory by: Ed Burns & Richard Price
Teleplay by: Richard Price
November 5, 2006 (2006-11-05)
469"Know Your Place"Alex ZakrzewskiStory by: Ed Burns & Kia Corthron
Teleplay by: Kia Corthron
November 12, 2006 (2006-11-12)
4710"Misgivings"Ernest DickersonStory by: Ed Burns & Eric Overmyer
Teleplay by: Eric Overmyer
November 19, 2006 (2006-11-19)
4811"A New Day"Brad AndersonStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: Ed Burns
November 26, 2006 (2006-11-26)
4912"That's Got His Own"Joe ChappelleStory by: Ed Burns & George Pelecanos
Teleplay by: George Pelecanos
December 3, 2006 (2006-12-03)
5013"Final Grades"Ernest DickersonStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
December 10, 2006 (2006-12-10)

Season 5 (2008)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
511"More with Less"Joe ChappelleStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
January 6, 2008 (2008-01-06)1.23[33]
522"Unconfirmed Reports"Ernest DickersonStory by: David Simon & William F. Zorzi
Teleplay by: William F. Zorzi
January 13, 2008 (2008-01-13)1.19[34]
533"Not for Attribution"Scott Kecken & Joy KeckenStory by: David Simon & Chris Collins
Teleplay by: Chris Collins
January 20, 2008 (2008-01-20)0.85[35]
544"Transitions"Dan AttiasStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: Ed Burns
January 27, 2008 (2008-01-27)1.28[36]
555"React Quotes"Agnieszka HollandStory by: David Simon & David Mills
Teleplay by: David Mills
February 3, 2008 (2008-02-03)0.53[37]
566"The Dickensian Aspect"Seith MannStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: Ed Burns
February 10, 2008 (2008-02-10)0.74[38]
577"Took"Dominic WestStory by: David Simon & Richard Price
Teleplay by: Richard Price
February 17, 2008 (2008-02-17)0.57[39]
588"Clarifications"Anthony HemingwayStory by: David Simon & Dennis Lehane
Teleplay by: Dennis Lehane
February 24, 2008 (2008-02-24)N/A
599"Late Editions"Joe ChappelleStory by: David Simon & George Pelecanos
Teleplay by: George Pelecanos
March 2, 2008 (2008-03-02)0.71[40]
6010"-30-"Clark JohnsonStory by: David Simon & Ed Burns
Teleplay by: David Simon
March 9, 2008 (2008-03-09)1.10[41]

Prequel shorts

Three short film vignettes set prior to the series events were filmed during the fifth season's production. They were made available via HBO On Demand during broadcast of the final season, and included as extras on the complete series DVD box set.

  • "When Bunk Met McNulty"
  • "Young Omar"
  • "Young Prop Joe"

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