What to make of The Wire, then?

One week into The Wire and it's not clear how it's meant to the TV opus that many a boxed-set-loving, mainly lads-mag reading male bore claims it is. It is incredibly watchable and I'm glad I've finally tuned in, but it doesn't seem that far removed from other US cop dramas. So far, it's pretty linear with only the potty-mouthed language and the inclusion of black and gay characters making it any different to some of grittier episodes of The Bill. It's had great PR though, with anyone watching it made to feel clever for having the ability to follow it.

The Wire seems to be the sort of programme that people who don't watch much TV think is brilliant TV. It has been held up as an example of well-written, gritty, cinematic telly - and indeed it is. However, great TV is not a rarity. Having grown up with Oz, The Sopranos, Buffy, Six Feet Under, Battlestar and many more brilliant shows, I'm used to great dialogue, involving plots and expert acting. If you can follow Oz, then The Wire holds no problem. In fact, I expect TV to be insanely great, which is probably why The Wire isn't impressing as much as I hoped.

And lead actor Dominic West is right - The Wire would never get made in Britain. TV execs here are too influenced by ratings and advertising revenue to take a gamble on daring TV. Not enough people would watch a British equivilent to make it commerically viable (though the Beeb should be far less concerned by that than they are). So the problems with us, the public, not the TV industry. ITV1's attempts to educate their ageing viewers into watching more Lost in Austens than Midsomer Murders has fallen flat, and C4's attempts at producing classy drama (ie Red Riding) only budgeted for the cast and flashy directing, neglecting to get a decent script.

Thank Joss, then, that networks in America are still willing to take the odd gamble, then.