In the 20 years since its debut, HBO's series The Wire has grown to become one of the most celebrated television series in the history of the medium, even counting former president Barrack Obama as one of its biggest fans.
Over the course of its five seasons, creator David Simon explored the many institutional failings faced by the US city of Baltimore, and their impact on the ongoing War On Drugs campaign.
Speaking from his own experience as a crime reporter for the Baltimore Sun newspaper, Simon was able to explore the city's various institutions, including law enforcement, the government, the school system and the media, and how each one of them was impeded by the need to chase statistical results at the expense of real progress.
Now, Simon is returning to the city of Baltimore for the brand-new HBO Max police drama We Own This City, alongside his regular writing and producing collaborator George Pelecanos (Treme, The Deuce). You can check out its first full-length trailer below.
All the pieces matter
Despite its status as a one-off limited series, We Own This City totally feels like a successor of sorts to The Wire, thanks to its familiar setting and War On Drugs subject matter.
Where it differs from The Wire, however, is that this story is based entirely on true events, with its exploration of the Baltimore Police Department's failed Gun Trace Task Force, which was brought down by corruption and police brutality.
HBO's We Own This City is based on the book of the same name by Justin Fenton who, like Simon, writes from his experience as a crime reporter for the Baltimore Sun.
All six episodes of We Own This City are directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard), who dealt with similar themes in his 2018 film Monsters And Men, which also explored police brutality.
We Own This City stars Jon Bernthal (The Punisher, The Walking Dead), Wunmi Mosaku (Loki, Lovecraft Country) and Treat Williams (Blue Bloods), along with a host of familiar faces from The Wire, including Jamie Hector (who played Marlo Stanfield), Domenick Lombardozzi (who played Herc), Delaney Williams (who played Sgt. Jay Landsman) and Tray Chaney (who played Poot).
You can catch We Own The City on HBO Max from April 25.
