På trods af at serien aldrig blev en kommerciel succes eller vandt store priser, er ''The Wire'' af mange kritikere blevet beskrevet som den bedste [[tv-serie]] nogensinde, og et af de mest gennemførte fiktionsværker i [[2000'erne]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2007/09/15/best_show|title=The best TV show of all time|date=2007-09-15|last=Traister|first=Rebbeca|accessdate=2008-03-07|publisher=[[Salon.com]]|archive-date= 3. september 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903040600/http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2007/09/15/best_show|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="metascore1">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-wire/season-4|title=Wire, The Season 4
|accessdate=2008-03-07|publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-wire/season-5|title=Wire, The Season 5|accessdate=2008-03-07|publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5095500/The-Wire-arguably-the-greatest-television-programme-ever-made.html|title=The Wire: arguably the greatest television programme ever made |date=2009-04-02|work=Telegraph|accessdate=2009-04-02 | location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/tvandradioblog/2007/jul/21/thewireisunmissabletelevis|title=The Wire is unmissable television|date=2007-07-21|accessdate=2009-09-07|publisher=guardian.co.uk | location=London | first=Jon | last=Wilde}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/feb/13/thewire|title=A show of honesty|date=2007-02-13|accessdate=2009-09-07|publisher=guardian.co.uk | location=London | first=Kevin | last=Carey}}</ref> Serien har opnået anerkendelse for dens realistiske skildring af livet i byerne, dens litterære ambitioner og dens ualmindelig dybdegående skildring af [[socialpolitik|socialpolitiske]] temaer.
Kultur Organisationer