Why The Wire is the greatest TV series of the 21st Century

David Simon and Ed Burns' Baltimore epic came top in BBC Culture's critics' poll to find the greatest shows of the century. Eric Deggans explains why.

One of the most significant scenes in The Wire is its first. Detective Jimmy McNulty, played by British actor Dominic West, is sitting on a stoop in a rundown part of Baltimore, quizzing a young black man about a local kid who has been murdered.

The pair are looking over at the body of the boy, whose nickname was Snot Boogie. He had a history of playing in a neighbourhood dice game until there was lots of money on the ground, grabbing it and trying to run. Normally, the young man tells McNulty, other players would just catch him and "beat his ass". But somebody – we don't see who – finally had enough this time and shot him.

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