The Wire
A Cultural History
Seiten
2025
Rowman & Littlefield (Verlag)
978-1-5381-8120-1 (ISBN)
Rowman & Littlefield (Verlag)
978-1-5381-8120-1 (ISBN)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Producing a Television Classic
Chapter 2: Casting the Characters
Chapter 3: Season 1. A Classic Cop Show
Chapter 4: Season 2. The Port of Baltimore
Chapter 5: Season 3. The War on Drugs
Chapter 6: Season 4. Education
Chapter 7: Season 5. Populism
Conclusion: The lasting impact of The Wire
The Episodes: An Opinionated Compendium
Bibliography
Notes
Index
About the Author
| Erscheinungsdatum | 20.02.2025 |
|---|---|
| Reihe/Serie | The Cultural History of Television |
| Zusatzinfo | 16 b/w photos |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 152 x 229 mm |
| Themenwelt | Kunst / Musik / Theater ► Film / TV |
| Sozialwissenschaften | |
| ISBN-10 | 1-5381-8120-7 / 1538181207 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1-5381-8120-1 / 9781538181201 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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