Homicide: A Life on the Killing Streets

[RV]

If you enjoyed The Wire, or even if you haven't seen it, read this book. It's top-notch stuff by David Simon, one of the co-creators of the show. He followed around the Baltimore Homicide unit for a year, and much like The Wire, he paints a great picture of all aspects of a murder, from the crime itself to its investigation to its resolution in court. A lot of great anecdotes, characters, and stories used in the show came from this book.

[JD]

Is this the book based on the TV show starring the black guy from "Duets" and Kyle Secor of "Veronica Mars"?

[RV]

Is this the book based on the TV show starring the black guy from "Duets" and Kyle Secor of "Veronica Mars"?

Yup but you've got it backwards. The dude wrote the book in 1988, and the book was then used as the basis for the TV show, which I think aired in the 90s. Then he re-used a lot of stuff from the book for the homicide department material in The Wire.

[JD]

Is this the book based on the TV show starring the black guy from "Duets" and Kyle Secor of "Veronica Mars"?

Yup but you've got it backwards. The dude wrote the book in 1988, and the book was then used as the basis for the TV show, which I think aired in the 90s. Then he re-used a lot of stuff from the book for the homicide department material in The Wire.

That TV show was on for years, though.  I'm pretty sure it started airing in the 70's.  Remember Belzer?  Do ya?  He was on it.  Still is, in some ways.

[Quality Start Machine]

Best Cop Show Ever.

Feel free to disagree, but you're wrong.

[RV]

Best Cop Show Ever.

Feel free to disagree, but you're wrong.

I always figured you were more of a Cop Rock guy.

[CT II]

Best Cop Show Ever.

Feel free to disagree, but you're wrong.

Wrong, that'd be The Shield. 

[Quality Start Machine]

Best Cop Show Ever.

Feel free to disagree, but you're wrong.

I always figured you were more of a Cop Rock guy.

Didn't like it, but I watched it.

[Tank]

Best Cop Show Ever.

Feel free to disagree, but you're wrong.

I always figured you were more of a Cop Rock guy.

Didn't like it, but I watched it.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE3D61338F935A35752C1A967958260&pagewanted=all

"What did I learn from that experience?" he said in a telephone interview. "Don't put music in a cop show. Don't have characters burst into song." He added: "There are certain kinds of shows where music would not seem jarring. But clearly the juxtaposition of a cop show with music bugged the hell out of people because they were embarrassed about it, they were not able to suspend disbelief."

"If I had done the same show in a Broadway theater there would not have been a problem," he said.

Thus illustrating one problem with Broadway theaters.

[Quality Start Machine]

Best Cop Show Ever.

Feel free to disagree, but you're wrong.

I always figured you were more of a Cop Rock guy.

Didn't like it, but I watched it.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE3D61338F935A35752C1A967958260&pagewanted=all

"What did I learn from that experience?" he said in a telephone interview. "Don't put music in a cop show. Don't have characters burst into song." He added: "There are certain kinds of shows where music would not seem jarring. But clearly the juxtaposition of a cop show with music bugged the hell out of people because they were embarrassed about it, they were not able to suspend disbelief."

"If I had done the same show in a Broadway theater there would not have been a problem," he said.

Thus illustrating one problem with Broadway theaters.

Don't sweat it, they're 75% dark now anyway.

[Tank]

Best Cop Show Ever.

Feel free to disagree, but you're wrong.

I always figured you were more of a Cop Rock guy.

Didn't like it, but I watched it.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE3D61338F935A35752C1A967958260&pagewanted=all

"What did I learn from that experience?" he said in a telephone interview. "Don't put music in a cop show. Don't have characters burst into song." He added: "There are certain kinds of shows where music would not seem jarring. But clearly the juxtaposition of a cop show with music bugged the hell out of people because they were embarrassed about it, they were not able to suspend disbelief."

"If I had done the same show in a Broadway theater there would not have been a problem," he said.

Thus illustrating one problem with Broadway theaters.

Don't sweat it, they're 75% dark now anyway.

Is the Obama administration mandating productions of The Wiz or something?

[5laky]

Best Cop Show Ever.

Feel free to disagree, but you're wrong.

I always figured you were more of a Cop Rock guy.

Didn't like it, but I watched it.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE3D61338F935A35752C1A967958260&pagewanted=all

"What did I learn from that experience?" he said in a telephone interview. "Don't put music in a cop show. Don't have characters burst into song." He added: "There are certain kinds of shows where music would not seem jarring. But clearly the juxtaposition of a cop show with music bugged the hell out of people because they were embarrassed about it, they were not able to suspend disbelief."

"If I had done the same show in a Broadway theater there would not have been a problem," he said.

Thus illustrating one problem with Broadway theaters.

I gotta say - I didn't need to make one of the dumbest shows of all time to learn that lesson.

[R-V]

If you like Wire-related stuff, check out Clockers by Richard Price. He wrote for the TV show and this book has a similar style/subject matter. Solid crime fiction.

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

If you like Wire-related stuff, check out Clockers by Richard Price. He wrote for the TV show and this book has a similar style/subject matter. Solid crime fiction.

I assume this was the basis of the Spike Lee joint of the same name.

[R-V]

Another book recommendation from a Wire writer: Drama City by George Pelecanos. It's a slightly different, more fleshed out version of Cutty's story from the show. Good, quick read.