Re: The Wire-Season 5
The show wasnt popular for a couple of reasons:
1) This isnt a pickup and go type show like a CSI or Law and Order that you can watch one episode and learn all you need to know. Its difficult to jump in midseason and understand this show.
2) HBO did not promote this show as much as it did the Sopranos, SATC or even Rome and Deadwood (all great shows imo).
3) I think the biggest thing was something that David Simon stated at the beginning of this season. He quoted a study that shows that once a show's cast goes over 30% black the ratings drop immediately. For some reason large groups of white people are not interested in watching a show that is primarily black. I can understand that for a number of reasons.
First, the slang and accents in the show are primarily urban and black and are difficult to pick up (I'm black and from Bmore and I sometimes struggle w/ Snoop's dialogue). I had several white friends who told me flat out that they have to watch the drug scenes with subtitles to pick up the slang and understand some of the dialogue.
Also, with the exception of the Cosby Show there has never been a show that has captured the attention of America with an all or majority black cast.
Eh, I think the show's lack of popularity is due to the fact that it's on a premium network and starts off SSSSSOOOOOOOOOOO SSSLLLOOWWWWWW.
It's easily my favorite show of ever, and I love it to death, but I can't imagine watching the first season week by week. I had to force myself to watch the first three episodes (until Omar appears). Until Omar shows up, there's 0 action, no explanations for anything, no introductions, you hardly no anyone aside from McNulty's name, and the big thing (to me at least) is there's not a single likable character (again, at the start).
While it ends up working great for repeat viewers, the fact that there are no voiceovers, no introductions, and other such puts the viewer at a huge disadvantage, especially when picking the characters one needs to know.
That said, I saw this on IMDB and it's great. I never picked up on it.
It's easily my favorite show of ever, and I love it to death, but I can't imagine watching the first season week by week. I had to force myself to watch the first three episodes (until Omar appears). Until Omar shows up, there's 0 action, no explanations for anything, no introductions, you hardly no anyone aside from McNulty's name, and the big thing (to me at least) is there's not a single likable character (again, at the start).
While it ends up working great for repeat viewers, the fact that there are no voiceovers, no introductions, and other such puts the viewer at a huge disadvantage, especially when picking the characters one needs to know.
That said, I saw this on IMDB and it's great. I never picked up on it.
1) This isnt a pickup and go type show like a CSI or Law and Order that you can watch one episode and learn all you need to know. Its difficult to jump in midseason and understand this show.
2) HBO did not promote this show as much as it did the Sopranos, SATC or even Rome and Deadwood (all great shows imo).
3) I think the biggest thing was something that David Simon stated at the beginning of this season. He quoted a study that shows that once a show's cast goes over 30% black the ratings drop immediately. For some reason large groups of white people are not interested in watching a show that is primarily black. I can understand that for a number of reasons.
First, the slang and accents in the show are primarily urban and black and are difficult to pick up (I'm black and from Bmore and I sometimes struggle w/ Snoop's dialogue). I had several white friends who told me flat out that they have to watch the drug scenes with subtitles to pick up the slang and understand some of the dialogue.
Also, with the exception of the Cosby Show there has never been a show that has captured the attention of America with an all or majority black cast.
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