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A very fine 'Wire'

"The Wire," available in its entirety as a five-disc Blu-ray box from HBO, wasn't the beneficiary of many awards, but no show during its run (2002-08) seemed to so often prompt the observation that cable TV had surpassed movies as a popular art form. While "The Sopranos" and "Mad Men" were character-driven, "The Wire" mapped a failing city (Baltimore) with a black majority, seen through the prism of broken social institutions. Revisited seven years after its finale, "The Wire" — whose ambition and scope are matched by its skillful editing, pungent dialogue, deep ensemble and overriding sense of place — feels less timeless than perpetually and disturbingly timely.

New York Times