HBO's The Wire

Michelle Norris reports on HBO's highly praised police drama, The Wire (9/7/06 - 8:09), called by critics "the most demanding, intelligent hour on television." The show is set in Baltimore, and after focusing on corruption in the police force, drug wars, and the port, the new, fourth season offers a realistic look at the Baltimore city schools. Perhaps what is most surprising is that chief writer and producer Ed Burns has decided to look, not at high school, but middle school students and their lives in and out of school. Burns says he wanted to "go back to when choices are made" and thus that for this group of students high school was too late.

"This is the tragedy of their school experience," Burns adds. "They spend time in class warring with the teacher. They're suspended. They go to time-out rooms, and then they hit the streets, and within five years, a lot of them are victims of murders or are committing murders." Too often, he feels, better options are closed off to these kids: "It's not from personal choice, but from other doors shutting around them." Learn more about The Wire at Wikipedia.

Classroom thoughts

• Middle school gets much less play in stories, in print, film or television, than high school. Any thoughts as to why?
  
  
• Some studies show that of all age groups the college-age population watches the least amount of television. Indeed, while we often think of TV as popular entertainment, it is much more likely that professors rather than their students will be watching almost any television drama. Find out who is watching The Wire or any other dramatic series in your class.