The Wire: If You Haven't Watched it, Watch it; if You Have, Watch it Again

Admittedly, there are some gaps in my television watching, I haven't seen Lost or Mad Men, but for my money the third and forth seasons of The Wire are some of the greatest television ever made.  The series stands alone as a critique of society.  At every level the failure of institutions is examined whether it's drug gangs, the police department, city government, schools, the white working class, or newspapers.  It is because of this biting criticism that The Wire is more relevant than ever as a social commentary.

Part of what makes a great television series is the development of characters and The Wire has plenty.  Bubbles, Greggs, Carver, McNulty, Carcetti, and the corner boys all change dramatically over the course of the show for better and for worse. As a whole, there are almost too many great characters to mention Bode, Clay Davis, Cutty, Bunny Colvin, and of course Omar just to name a few.

The Wire is far more than entertainment, it is art, and it is an indictment of society.  Just as books like To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men are required reading, The Wire should be required viewing.