Discover the most popular TV show the year you were born

2008: The Wire

The Wire was a crime drama series that ran on HBO from 2002-2008 The show followed the inner-city drug scene of Baltimore, Maryland, shedding a light on issues such as the illegal drug trade, the city bureaucracy, and other problems that plagued the American city. During its run on HBO, the show received good reviews but only average ratings, and never won any major awards.

The Wire was nominated for two Emmy Awards, both for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, but never actually won. Despite never winning any awards, the show is often praised as one of the best in television history. Publications like TIME, Entertainment Weekly, Slate, and The Guardian have all called it one of the best shows on television. The show ended in 2008 with positive reviews and a great legacy left behind.

This show is a perfect example of quality over quantity. The Wire was praised for years, was called one of the best shows on television, and was even a favorite of former President of the United States Barack Obama, and yet it never really got the awards it deserved — but it didn’t need awards. It shed a light on a part of America that is often forgotten, and it was honest and raw, and it got its due from critics and will go down as one of the greatest. Meanwhile, shows like The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family that have been going on for too long and still get nominated for (and win) awards, don’t get half the praise of The Wire.

Awards aren’t everything!