As a fan of the wire, will I like this show?

Nope

Depends on what you liked about The Wire. If you were into it for the crime scene, characters like Omar and Stringer, that's not what this show is about. There's crime in it, but just one main character who's a cop, and none who are criminals. The protagonists are all musicians, restaurateurs, impresarios, small business owners--trying to keep the culture of New Orleans alive in the wake of Katrina.

I think at points it actually surpasses The Wire, but Simon obviously doesn't know New Orleans the way he knew Baltimore. The show takes a lot of time showing us the musical subcultures of New Orleans (there seem to be hundreds of them). And of course a LOT of time is spent on the African American community, and I'd watch just to see Wendell Pierce get to strut his stuff as a broke-ass trombone player. Antoine Batiste is every bit as great a character as Bunk Moreland.

I'd say The Wire is the greater show overall, but I think most Wire fans who diss this show only liked The Wire because they identified with the violence. They never really understood what the show was saying, and since none of the characters on this show are kick-ass gangstas, they have no point of reference to cling to.

They are sad sad people, who probably live out their lives playing Grand Theft Auto. And would die about ten seconds into their first trip to an actual ghetto.

I'm a huge fan of The Wire and I found myself really enjoying Treme overall. Mind you, it does occasionally get a bit plodding and dull (Season 3 most noticeably) but it's still a superbly put together production, and one that far exceeded my expectations.

"All in the game..." - Omar Little

To quote Bjork (I can't believe I just said that): Possibly. Maybe. Probably not.

While The Wire was 'all the pieces matter' where something one character did had repercussions in other areas of the show, this is more the opposite. It's a collection of New Orleans archetypes going about 'the day to day', as LaDonna says in Season 1, after Hurricane Katrina, although by season 3 its more about just living, or trying to live, in New Orleans and not about Katrina. Their paths do cross from time to time, and some stories interconnect, but mostly their issues are their own, revealing an aspect of the whole that is New Orleans.

I've seen The Wire about five times now. But never did it really have me googling, and going to the library, or iTunes like Treme has. But while The Wire showed Baltimore more than it told, by Season 3 of Treme its telling more than it's showing (which is bad form when telling a story). The truth is fascinating but it starts to get in the way of a good story by Season 3.

I say watch it anyway. Even in Season 3 (I'm waiting on the DVDs for Season 4) there are moments and storylines that make it worth watching, although they get fewer with every season. Good storylines are Albert's (I can't say why), Toni's, and Sonny's (which is TOO good, like Omar's happy ending in Season 4 before you know what in Season 5). Just beware of the bad storylines; Annie's (Lucia can't sing to be heard and any obstacles or conflicts she has disappear in less than an episode), Desiree's (starts out good but trails off and falls flat), Hidalgo's (even when he's busy he's just sitting on the bench), and, sadly, Davis (the a-hole is back and bigger and more gaping than ever). And one new storyline that goes unresolved and is too strange and sad to believed, except it's completely true and really did happen in New Orleans.

All in all, watch at your own risk. It is David Simon, but a really self-indulgent Simon show about his favourite city outside Baltimore.

Yes, I believe you will. Treme is a great show, with many of the same archetypes we loved in The Wire.

Leave this alone if you only want the wire....watch the wire again...not this....or watch this and expect to be challenged as you were with the wire but in new ways :D

“What we have here is a failure to communicate”, Captain

i've seen quite a lot of the more popular tv-shows ('mad men', 'sopranos', 'the wire', breaking bad', six feet under', 'game of thrones', californication') but i have to say that in the mist of this overwhelming age of the tv-drama… well... gheee-friggin-louie have i never seen anything remotely as good as 'treme'. it's a masterpiece. it's robert altman meets… well… meets david simon. it's pure heart and pure medium. it's life as we know it. it's full of joy but in an honest way. it's also tough to sit through but that's life as well you know. and the music plays! it's the best piece of drama i have read, seen or listened to in a very, very long time. i love it with every inch of my body.

Like one of the other commenters said, if the only thing you liked about The Wire was the crime elements, you won't like Treme. But I will say this: if you think that The Wire was just about 'badass gangstas' and shootouts, you're sadly mistaken.


First of all: The Wire, like Treme, is all about David Simon's political commentary. Anyone who watched The Wire without noticing how it was laden with themes like race/class issues, political bias and corruption, bureaucracy, the inherent flaws of the American judicial system, etc. must have been thoroughly stoned while watching it. Treme is cut from the same cloth, only in a different setting. It takes on the reality of the abysmal response to hurricane Katrina from the Bush administration and FEMA (in John Goodman's character's words, "a federal *beep* of EPIC PROPORTIONS!!!") and shows how the local government took the opportunity that Katrina presented to gentrify New Orleans (gross). Now, if you enjoyed the sociopolitical aspects of The Wire rather than the crime elements, I think you will enjoy Treme.

Secondly, if you like characters that are well-rounded, funny, tragic and *beep* WELL ACTED, you will most certainly like it. Even with having watched only one season, I have already come to love characters like LaDonna, Big Chief, Davis, Cray and Antoine just as much as I loved Bubbles, Omar, Lester, Kima, Prezbo, and the rest. Can't wait to start watching season 2. Also, you will find that quite a few of The Wire's actors are in it (HBO knows good acting when they see it and likes recycling their actors), so that's a bonus!

Thirdly, if you like TV writing that by far outranks any other American shows, Treme is definitely for you. There is as much love and thought put into the dialogue in Treme as there was in The Wire. The stark realism of the characters tumultuous and heartbreaking situations is offset by little moments of humour ("Antoine Baptiste is strictly a COOKED fish eating *beep* just like in The Wire. It's as clever and funny as it is devastating and sad.

Fourth, and last: I see there are a few people on here who say that Treme is "too focused on music" and that you won't like it unless you like jazz music. Now, let it be said that I know precisely *beep* ALL about jazz, and I still enjoyed it very much. Also, I think it's important to remember that like Baltimore was the star of The Wire, New Orleans is the star of Treme. And a large part of that city is the music (as well as delicious food and Mardi Gras). I've always wanted to go to New Orleans, but this show it makes me want to go all the more.


All in all, I think Treme is more like The Wire than any two-bit cop show you'll find on TV these days. I think the only real difference is that there aren't as many cops and drug dealers on Treme.

Hope that was helpful to you :-)