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³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two announced today that it will screen the entire five seasons (60 episodes) of one of television's most critically acclaimed series, The Wire.

It will be the first time it has ever aired on terrestrial television in the UK and the series will be stripped across the week, transmission dates to be announced soon.

HBO's hit series The Wire is a show unlike any other and has won unprecedented praise from critics.

The Washington Post said of the series: "Written and acted to the highest standards of the best drama. It's not just good, it's passionately good." (6.01.08)

The Guardian said: "The best thing on TV. By far. Nothing's close to it." (20.07.08)

Created by David Simon and set in Baltimore, The Wire's first season tells the story of a single drugs-and-murder police investigation from the point of view of both the police and their targets.

As episodes unfold, a probe by Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives results in a complex sprawl of wiretaps and surveillances, revealing a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy, and distinctions between good and evil are routinely obliterated.

Over five seasons Simon is joined by such notable writers as his frequent collaborator Ed Burns, and famed novelists George Pelecanos, Richard Price and Dennis Lehane.

The ensemble cast is led by British actor Dominic West as Officer James "Jimmy" McNulty, and includes Lance Reddick, Idris Elba, Clarke Peters, Wendell Pierce, Domenick Lombardozzi, Andre Royo, Sonya Sohn, Michael K Williams and Wood Harris.

Janice Hadlow, Controller of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two, says: "The Wire is an exceptional series that will complement the range of distinctive and original UK drama available to viewers on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two."

Sue Deeks, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Television's Head of Series, Programme Acquisition, adds: "We are delighted to offer terrestrial viewers the opportunity to watch this ground-breaking series; it's a wonderful chance for everyone to see what the critics have been raving about for so long."

In an interview with The Times Simon said: "The Wire is dystopic because it's about the part of America that got left behind. We are a society with some dramatic schisms and it's a drama wholly set in a part of the country that has been economically, socially and politically isolated for generations now." (12.09.08)

The Wire season one is executive produced by David Simon and Robert F Colesberry, and produced by Nina Kostroff Noble.

Full scheduling details to be announced soon.

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