New from The Word: The Wirecast
Here as promised is The Wirecast, featuring the show's writer/producer David Simon talking about how he went from his original book Homicide to the show widely acclaimed as a watershed in the history of television. Here he talks to David Hepworth about spending time with murder police, the importance of a strong stomach, what it was like working with British actors, the things that were borrowed from real life and the things that were made up and what he's planning to do next. This is as near spoiler-free as we can make it.
The Wirecast was produced with loving care by Matt Hall and features fragments from "And All The Pieces Matter", the excellent soundtrack album that's available on Warners. You can stream the podcast below or, even better, subscribe directly or via iTunes for free so that future podcasts from our "Backstage" stream wing their way to your desktop.
Huh...?
itunes still does not have the podcast as of 4.04 pm
iTunes does have it
I've downloaded it - but that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to. Quite often access to new podcasts appears to be staggered.
I'm downloading from iTunes now
Try hitting the 'refresh' button.
And after that, would you like an egg to suck, Gran?
Egg duly sucked...
Not sure what is up in cyberspace but the itunes page does not feature the podcast but it did download when I hit the "subscribe" button. Problem located between screen and chair, as my brother-in-law used to say....
The Wire
Is this week's podcast entirely about 'The Wire', then? Or is it worth trawling through for anything else...?
Regular Podcast Coming Later
Which is why this one is on the 'Backstage' feed. Usual freewheeling blah blah up around the middle of the week.
It's not a regular podcast
It's part of the 'Backstage' series - i.e. it's devoted to one subject.
Ah, I see. Hadn't heard of
Ah, I see. Hadn't heard of the 'Backstage' feed before, I was getting a little confused. Thanks for clearing that one up.
and just to be sure to be sure
ìt's safe to listen to if you're not up to date with episodes currently airing?
I'm one episode into season 3...
Real life & fiction
In Homicide: Life On The Street the lines about remembering your first murder forever and forgetting about innumerable others were given to Yaphet Kotto's character Lt. Al Giardello (a very rare example of a Black Sicilian in fiction).
It's strange how those lines have stuck in my memory. There's very few other lines that I recall. I'd guess that the lines when one of the guys in Homicide complained about witnesses, when asked to describe a gun used in a crime, always saying it was "big" came from real life too.
Another retread
See also Bunk's "BNBG" in The Wire.
Best swearing ever?
A few months ago on a regular Word podcast there was mention of a scene where the swearing was taken to another level (and this was not the f*ck,f*ck,f*ck etc at the crime scene scene!). Any pointers as to what series and episode this was in?I am up to Series 4 episode 7 and have not identified it yet. Thanking you in advance, hoping all you motherf**kers "feel me" on this one as Avon might say.
jimmy/bunk crime scene
Its in season one.. not sure how you could have missed it ;)
It's not that one
Jonny mentions that scene in his post - he's referring to something David Hepworth talks about in the podcast, which comes much later.
All I can think of. . .
is the scene early in season 4 where Bunny Colvin takes the sociology professor into an interrogation room to prove to him why corner boys in their late teens really wouldn't be manageable "clients" for their new project. Was that what Mr H was referring to?
I'll ask
I can remember the line, but not the scene.
@#&%$!
I direct anyone with an interest in copious and inventive swearing to HBO's splendid Deadwood.
oops
yep. my bad. didn't read Jonny's post properly. oh well. good excuse to watch that 3 mins again anyway.
You aksed for it
It's at 1.03.
Cheers Mr.H....
not a statement i will be using at Parent's evening...it makes the point well though :-)
Well, some teachers *are* difficult to pin down
Perfect icebreaker at parents evening.
Never before have I read or listened to so much...
about something I have never seen. Honestly, if and when I finally see 'The Wire', it better be BLOODY MARVELLOUS, otherwise there will be trouble (!)...
Careful
It is good - indeed, very good - but as a half way through season 2 man IMHO it is not as good as the Sopranos. By a fair distance. But maybe it lifts its game in later seasons.
It's called "the Ziggy's Duck test"
Mid-Season 2 is the hump you have to get over, where everyone starts to worry. Then stuff happens (and, just as important, doesn't happen) and your worries are over.
it all comes good
The ending is really thought provoking and as ever with the wire it has some seemingly quiet episodes which only show their significance later in the piece.
Why the endless Sopranos references?
It is, of course, infinitely superior to The Sopranos... in the same way that The Beatles are infinitely superior to The Rolling Stones. The two programmes are too different to be compared. I saw the last ever episode of The Wire last night and I've been feeling a genuine sense of loss ever since.
Fully agree
I almost shed a tear whern I watched the last episode (and I am from Yorkshire!) Sopranos a very different and ultimately inferior program. Series two of the wire is a complete change really as it covers the docks, i feel it is equally strong though. I think the Sopranos went down hill pretty quickly to be honest and it just seemed to endlessly repeat itself after a while. Still there is no accounting for taste.
You only really appreciate Season Two. . .
when you're somewhere in the middle of Season Four. True dat.
I found the Ziggy character
a bit of a turn off to be honest, but I warmed to Series 2 the longer it went on. The long walk by Frank to meet the Greeks was classic.
Big comedown on Tuesday morning following the end of Series 5, feels like I used to after the end of a World Cup.
But we always have the DVD's..
An article in Friday's Independent
I've had a quick skim of the last few day's posts. I don't think anyone posted this. I've been away a few days with no access to a computer so sorry if it is repeating a post.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/is-...
I would ask who are the nobs who would boo and hiss at someone simply because they are a newcomer? Strange to start at Season 5, no doubt, but show a bit of dignity.