Wendell Pierce, star of the iconic HBO seriesThe Wire, has commented on why the show has maintained popularity since its premiere over 20 years ago. Pierce, who playedBaltimore homicide detective William “Bunk” Morelandthroughout the show’s five seasons, praised the show’s long-lasting appeal while cautioning against a reboot.
Speaking toColliderduring the Hollywood premiere ofSuperman, in which Pierce plays Perry White, he saidThe Wire’s appeal can be attributed to the way the show “spoke to its audience”, then and now, and that’s why the show should be left as is, without being a part of the rebooting cycle Hollywood is experiencing.
Pierce said that the show was successful because of it being “the cautionary tale that it was” and “the fact that it lets people know there’s an ugly side of human nature.” Pierce commented on the ongoing raids occurring immigration raids being undertaken by the Trump administration across the country, and that the show forces us to grapple with who we are as people and as a nation. Read the rest of his thoughts below:
We’re seeing that demonstrated today. I mean as we stand here on wonderful beautiful Hollywood Boulevard, they have American secret police who raided MacArthur Park today with guns drawn on citizens for no reason That’s a dangerous thing.
That’s whyThe Wireis so poignant. It was a canary in the mine then and it’s a canary in the mine now. What kind of society do we want to be a part of?
What This Means For The Wire
One of the most iconic television properties of all time, andamong the best HBO series ever,The Wirecontinues to be heralded as part of the archetypes of modern television, paving the way for other realistic, gritty drama programs.The Wireholds an esteemed place in pop culture and in television history, and it helpedinspireThe Dark Knight.
There has been no indication or news of HBO looking to revisitThe Wirefor a retool or reboot, or even to produce a prequel in the vein ofThe Sopranos'2021 prequel filmThe Many Saints of Newark. Pierce appears to have no interest in seeing the show retooled or rebooted, and puts any pretense or discourse surrounding a reboot to bed.
Our Take On Wendell Pierce’s Comments About The Wire
With such a perfectly and succinctly told story throughout its five seasons, it feels impossible to imagine a continuation ofThe Wireadding anything more to its brilliant story. HBO currently has a plethora of original programming to work with, and a rehashing of one of its core properties seems less than ideal.
Pierce reaffirms how most fans viewThe Wire: a show perfect for its time and its moments that provides lessons, guidance, and hard truths for our current world, whether we want to see them or not. It continues to speak to us and reflect our current society and stories, and while it’s possible to revisit them in our modern times, sometimes things are better left alone, andThe Wiresits firmly in that category.
