HBO’s Remastered ‘The Wire’ To Be an Alternate Version of Original
Our Take:
On Tuesday HBO announced that it is converting its popular crime drama ‘The Wire’ from 4:3 to a 16:9 aspect ratio and will air all 60 episodes at once on December 26. But as this article from PC World points out, that process included both technical and creative concessions. From a creative standpoint, the show was shot to maximize the storytelling within the constraints of standard definition. That means that the remastered series is an “alternate version” of the original, according to creator David Simon. Purists are likely to object, while others will champion the application of new technology to old material.
HBO will release a remastered, HD version of its gritty and critically lauded crime drama later this month, but purists might think of it more like The Wire: Special Edition. The premium cable channel said Tuesday that it will present all five seasons of the show-60 episodes in total-in marathon fashion on HBO Signature on December 26, and on HBO GO for on-demand streaming.