This book examinesThe Wire'sauthenticity and its establishment of the series realism.Along with tracing creator David Simon's onscreen critique of numerous failed American institutions, the book focuses on the connection between authenticity and realism in three distinct areas: language, character, and location. While it is shown thatThe Wireis indeed authentic, the study examines occasions where the language, characters, and even the location are 'curated'. Yet, while we can witness these moments of curation, it isThe Wire'sunflinching focus on authentic dialogue, authentic characterisation, and an authentic location that makes the series the most realistic, and arguably the best, television show of all time.