The Wire - (Cultural History of Television) by Ben Lamb (Hardcover)

About the Book

An engaging and timely account of the groundbreaking show The Wire, this book examines the show's realism, representations of race, multifaceted characters, influence on international perceptions of American policing, and role in informing twenty-first-century drug policy.

Book Synopsis

A critical and insightful exploration of arguably the greatest television show of the twenty-first century.

In the two decades since The Wire first aired, the show has only continued to grow in cultural relevance as America has seen domestic terrorism increase, race relations become ever tenser, political populism become increasingly sectarian, health inequalities worsen, incarceration rates for Black Americans skyrocket, and grassroots racial activism grow.

In The Wire: A Cultural History, Ben Lamb explores how the twenty-first century's greatest television show changed international perceptions of American policing, drug laws, and race relations forever, and instigated our obsessive streaming of television series. Starting with David Simon's life story and how he came to devise The Wire, Lamb takes readers through the casting process for the show's iconic characters and uncovers the stories behind their real-life counterparts; journeys through a complete history of the American cop show to deduce which key programs The Wire emulates; traces the economic, social, and racial history of Baltimore from the port to the school system; and outlines how the show's interest in newspapers predicted the rise of populism across world politics.

Filled with fascinating behind-the-scenes anecdotes and critical insights, everyone from die-hard fans to casual viewers will learn something new about how The Wire has impacted university courses, the city of Baltimore itself, the Black Lives Matter movement, worldwide drug trafficking laws, and our modern television landscape. As America faces its biggest socio-economic crossroads in generations, this is a must read for television fans interested in how our favorite shows reflect our shifting cultures and politics.

Review Quotes

"This timely retrospective on inner city reality as a cultural phenomenon will appeal to media scholars and crime show fans." --Library Journal

"Combining incisive detailed analysis with wide-ranging knowledge of the TV industry and the crime show genre, Ben Lamb's study of The Wire makes the case for the series' importance and shows why it became compelling must-see TV." --Jonathan Bignell, professor of television and film, University of Reading

"In The Wire: A Cultural History, Lamb achieves that rare feat of writing a highly readable and accessible study of the show that also has genuine mainstream appeal. Opening with an account of the show's origins and casting of the main characters, Lamb brings an interdisciplinary approach to bear on discussion of the show's debt to classic American cop shows, its roots in Greek mythology, its groundbreaking representation of racial inequality in American society and its lasting social impact. Combining academic rigor with a fan's passion, this book is a must for television scholars, media criminologists, and devotees of The Wire." --Marianne Colbran, staff writer for "The Bill" and "Brookside" (BAFTA nominee)

About the Author

Ben Lamb is the world's leading expert on British television police series. He is a corresponding editor for Critical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies and the author of You're Nicked: Investigating British Television Police Series.