The Wire Revival is Nearly Impossible Now, and the Reason is Genuinely Sad
The Wire, which ran on HBO from 2002 to 2008 achieving lasting fame among police dramas, despite its modest five-season length.
Set and produced in Baltimore, it took unusual care to remain authentic – numerous real-life Baltimore and Maryland figures even appeared in guest and recurring roles.
To this day it routinely features on the various "best drama" or "best police show" lists, and some people even go as far as to call it the best TV show ever. There is still lively online discussion about it, its themes and messages.
So, in our age of infinite sequels, it is reasonable to ask the question: why there were no attempts to revive The Wire yet?
Certainly, there is some level of demand for a revival from The Wire's fandom, concerns about whether any such revival might live up to the standard of the old series nonwithstanding.
Alas – and even though The Wire was a relatively recent series – there is a big obstacle in the way of any revival or sequel attempts. Sadly, several of the show's stars have passed away since its finale.
For example, Robert Hogan, who played Lois Sobotka, one of the Sobotka family of longshoremen, which has a significant role during the second season, died in 2021.
Reg E. Cathey, who portrayed Norman Wilson, one of the most important advisers and operatives under the venal and ambitious politician Tommy Carcetti, whose machinations defined much of the series' later seasons, passed away in 2018.
Robert F. Chew, the actor who brought to life one of Baltimore's drug kingpins, Proposition Joe, died from heart failure in 2013.
But all of those were secondary characters, not very difficult to write out of the show, particularly as some of them had their stories more or less definitely concluded. Cedric Daniels wasn't. Though his stint as Deputy Commissioner for Operations was over by the finale, he was one of the main characters of the series, arguably even its backbone. And Cedric's actor, Lance Reddick, passed away from natural causes just this year.
Well, and Michael K. Williams, who played Omar Little, perished in 2021 too, but as his character was dead anyway, that had no bearings on any revival prospects.
This is perhaps not unexpected, for a series with a sprawling cast, but nevertheless, as time goes on, chances for a revival grow ever slimmer.