The Wire creator David Simon talked about how he admired shows like The Sopranos and Deadwood while filming the iconic HBO show The Wire!
After Western cowboy flicks and heavy action movies, the world had found its new favorite genre to watch. Drug lords or mafia bosses. Some would say that David Simon’s The Wire was the best of both worlds.
The Wire narrated the story of Detective James McNulty and his team as they investigate drug lords, detective agencies, and more, in the city of Baltimore. The series found critical acclaim and worldwide fame upon its release.
David Simon Hasn’t Watched The Sopranos
Similar to The Wire, a series titled The Sopranos was released in 1999 and starred James Gandolfini. The series dealt with Tony Soprano, an American-Italian mafia head in New Jersey.
The Wire and The Sopranos were somewhat similar in nature. The only difference between the two series was the point of view. The Sopranos narrated the tale of a mafia head and The Wire was about a detective team on the case of hunting drug lords.
In an interview with Slate, series creator David Simon was asked about his inspiration and models for making The Wire. Simon revealed that it wasn’t just The Sopranos that he admired.
There were no models for us in TV. I admire the storytelling of The Sopranos, though I don’t watch it consistently. And Deadwood; I don’t watch it, but I admire their storytelling. We certainly weren’t paying attention to network TV.
Deadwood was a 2004 television series that was released two years after The Wire. However, the series managed to make quite the name in 3 seasons that The Wire did in 5.
Well, the series was so iconic that even veteran director Christopher Nolan was inspired to change one iconic thing in his life after watching The Wire. The change is what made him a better writer overall!
Christopher Nolan Was Inspired By The Wire!
It has been known worldwide that Tenet director Christopher Nolan doesn’t have a smartphone. The director has stated on multiple occasions that using a smartphone creates a lot of distractions for him while making movies.
What the people don’t know is that in an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Nolan revealed the inspiration for this idea. Nolan got the idea of using older technology for communication after watching The Wire.
I don’t have an email address. I’ve never used email. And I don’t have a smartphone. I will carry a pay-as-you-go dumb phone thing. I was inspired by The Wire, definitely.
Well, Nolan’s decision of not using a smartphone definitely helped the director in making some iconic scripts, screenplays, and, stories for his magnum opus movies.
On the other hand, The Wire received a rating of 9.3/10 on IMDB and a whopping 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. With 5 seasons to its name, the show is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
