Hooked by The Wire

Politics, education, urban decay, social injustice, ambition, greed, corruption, redemption and DIY. These are just some of the themes that The Wire has tackled over the past six years with an insight and rigour that’s unparalleled in TV - or any other medium for that matter.

It's strange how it managed to ensnare my rubbish little brain given that, usually, I tend to prefer programmes about dogs

that travel from town to town solving mysteries.

But The Wire's writers were clever enough to lure dingbats like me in with the surface appeal of drugs, guns and car chases - only to subtly change our world-view with their social commentary when we weren't looking. The bastards.

Now I find myself accidentally giving a crap about the above 'issues', when really I should be trying to get onto the next level of Mario Kart on my Nintendo Wii.

Sometimes I look at the