The Wire, Season 1

On the drug-infested streets of West Baltimore, there are good guys and there are bad guys. Sometimes you need more than a badge to tell them apart. From HBO comes Season 1 of this highly realistic drama series that follows a single sprawling drug and murder investigation in Baltimore — one that culminates in a complex series of dangerous wiretaps and surveillance. Told from the points of view of both the police and their targets, the series captures a universe where easy distinctions between good and evil, and crime and punishment, are challenged at every turn. The ensemble cast includes Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie R. Faison, Larry Gilliard Jr., Wood Harris, Domenick Lombardozzi, Deirdre Lovejoy, Wendell Pierce, Lance Reddick, Andre Royo, and Sonja Sohn.