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The Wire Trivia Quiz
The Wire is HBO's sprawling Baltimore crime drama that examines the city one institution at a time — the drug trade, the police, the docks, City Hall, the schools, and the newspaper. Across five seasons it follows detective Jimmy McNulty and a struggling police unit as they chase the Barksdale and Stanfield organisations, while showing how the same broken systems trap cops and corner kids alike.
Q1. In which city is The Wire set and filmed?
Answer: Baltimore. David Simon chose Baltimore because he knew it intimately from his years as a police reporter at The Baltimore Sun. He told the mayor in advance that the portrayal would be bleak and was still welcomed back to film there. Many real Baltimore figures, from a former governor to radio hosts, appear in small roles.
Q2. Which network aired The Wire?
Answer: HBO. Simon had clashed with NBC executives over the pessimism of Homicide: Life on the Street, which was based on his book. He took The Wire to HBO because of their good working relationship on the miniseries The Corner. HBO was doubtful about a police drama but agreed to make the pilot.
Q3. Which institution does season two focus on?
Answer: The port and its dockworkers. Each season adds an institution: the drug trade, the port, city government, schools and the print media. Season two follows union leader Frank Sobotka, who turns to smuggling to raise money to save his union, and the thirteen women found dead in a container at the docks.
Q4. What is the opening theme song?
Answer: "Way Down in the Hole". Tom Waits wrote it for his 1987 album Franks Wild Years, and each season uses a different recording: The Blind Boys of Alabama, Waits himself, The Neville Brothers, DoMaJe (five Baltimore teenagers) and Steve Earle. The closing theme, "The Fall", was composed by music supervisor Blake Leyh.
Q5. What does Major Colvin call the zone where drug dealing is tolerated?
Answer: Hamsterdam. Near retirement, Bunny Colvin quietly lets the drug trade operate in a few empty blocks in season three while cracking down on violence elsewhere. Crime in his district drops for weeks, but when his superiors, the press and politicians find out, he is demoted and forced to retire on a lower pension.
Q6. Which actor was the first to be cast?
Answer: Wendell Pierce. Pierce plays Detective Bunk Moreland. Dominic West won the role of McNulty with a tape of himself acting out a scene alone, recorded the night before the deadline, and Michael K. Williams got Omar after a single audition. The show avoided big names in favour of natural-looking character actors.
Q7. What does McNulty fake in season five to get money back for the police?
Answer: A serial killer targeting homeless men. After Mayor Carcetti's budget cuts shut down the Marlo Stanfield case, McNulty doctors evidence to invent a serial killer. Lester Freamon joins in and uses the money for an illegal wiretap on Marlo, while a Baltimore Sun reporter, Scott Templeton, falsely claims the killer contacted him.
Q8. Who recommended Felicia Pearson for the role of Snoop?
Answer: Michael K. Williams. Williams met Pearson at a Baltimore bar shortly after she had served prison time for a second-degree murder conviction, and recommended her. Snoop and Chris Partlow are Marlo's enforcers in season four, hiding their victims in boarded-up row houses.
Q9. Which institution is the focus of the fifth and final season?
Answer: A newspaper. The season depicts a fictional version of The Baltimore Sun, where Simon had worked, and borrows from real events such as the Jayson Blair scandal. Variety's Brian Lowry called it the most realistic portrayal of the media in film and television. The editor was modelled on the Sun's John Carroll.
Q10. Who finally kills Omar Little?
Answer: Kenard, a young Stanfield dealer. Marlo lures Omar out of retirement by having his mentor Butchie murdered. Omar comes back to Baltimore stealing and destroying money and drugs to force Marlo into the open, but he is shot dead by Kenard, one of the youngest dealers in Marlo's crew.
Q11. Who was the main real-life inspiration for Omar Little?
Answer: Donnie Andrews. Simon said most characters are composites of real Baltimore figures, with Andrews the main inspiration for Omar. Martin O'Malley was "one of the inspirations" for Tommy Carcetti. The show also cast many non-professionals to show the "faces and voices of the real city".
Q12. Lance Reddick was cast as Cedric Daniels after auditioning for which roles?
Answer: Bunk and Bubbles. Reddick tried out for Detective Bunk Moreland and the heroin addict Bubbles before landing the commander of the detail. He was one of more than a dozen cast members who had also appeared in Oz, HBO's first hour-long drama.
Q13. How many Primetime Emmys did The Wire win?
Answer: None. It received only two writing nominations, in 2005 and 2008. Anonymous Emmy voters told Variety the plot was too dense, the subject too grim and the show had no connection to California. It did win a Peabody, Writers Guild and Directors Guild awards, among others.
Q14. Which singer recorded the season five theme and also plays the recovering addict Walon?
Answer: Steve Earle. Earle sings the final season's version of "Way Down in the Hole" and plays Walon, a recovering drug addict. His song "I Feel Alright" also closes season two. Each season finale ends with a montage over a song showing the characters' lives after the story.
Q15. Which crime novelist from Boston was among the show's writers?
Answer: Dennis Lehane. The writing staff included three acclaimed crime writers from outside Baltimore: George Pelecanos from Washington, Richard Price from the Bronx and Dennis Lehane from Boston. Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and teacher, co-wrote many stories and became a producer in season four.
Q16. Which real Baltimore drug lord had a recurring role as a deacon?
Answer: "Little Melvin" Williams. Williams had been arrested in the 1980s by an investigation that Ed Burns worked on, and from season three he plays the deacon. Jay Landsman, the officer who inspired the character of the same name, plays Lieutenant Mello, and commander Gary D'Addario plays a prosecutor.
Q17. The series finale opens with an epigraph from which writer?
Answer: H. L. Mencken. Each episode's opening ends with a line spoken by a character later in the episode. The finale is one of only three exceptions: its Mencken quote is on a wall at The Baltimore Sun. Season one's finale uses "All in the game", credited to "Traditional West Baltimore".
Q18. Why was the show originally shown in 4:3 rather than widescreen?
Answer: Simon wanted to limit costs and make it look like TV, not a film. Other networks were already moving to HD. Because it was shot with a 16:9-safe area, HBO remastered it in widescreen HD in 2014, and Simon worked with the network to remove crew and equipment that became visible in the wider frame.
Q19. Which British newspaper made the first episode free to stream online, a world first?
Answer: The Guardian. In the UK the show ran on FX until the BBC bought terrestrial rights, broadcasting it on BBC Two controversially late at night at 11:20 pm without iPlayer catch-up. In Ireland, TG4 aired every episode about six months after HBO.
Q20. Which producer, credited with the show's realistic look, also played Detective Ray Cole?
Answer: Robert F. Colesberry. Colesberry, a veteran of The Corner, was executive producer for the first two seasons and directed the season two finale before he died after heart surgery in 2004. Nina Kostroff Noble then became the second executive producer alongside Simon.
The Wire quiz answers and explanations
Every question from the quiz above with its correct answer, the story behind it, and where the fact comes from.
-
In which city is The Wire set and filmed?
Answer: Baltimore. David Simon chose Baltimore because he knew it intimately from his years as a police reporter at The Baltimore Sun. He told the mayor in advance that the portrayal would be bleak and was still welcomed back to film there. Many real Baltimore figures, from a former governor to radio hosts, appear in small roles.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Which network aired The Wire?
Answer: HBO. Simon had clashed with NBC executives over the pessimism of Homicide: Life on the Street, which was based on his book. He took The Wire to HBO because of their good working relationship on the miniseries The Corner. HBO was doubtful about a police drama but agreed to make the pilot.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Which institution does season two focus on?
Answer: The port and its dockworkers. Each season adds an institution: the drug trade, the port, city government, schools and the print media. Season two follows union leader Frank Sobotka, who turns to smuggling to raise money to save his union, and the thirteen women found dead in a container at the docks.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
What is the opening theme song?
Answer: "Way Down in the Hole". Tom Waits wrote it for his 1987 album Franks Wild Years, and each season uses a different recording: The Blind Boys of Alabama, Waits himself, The Neville Brothers, DoMaJe (five Baltimore teenagers) and Steve Earle. The closing theme, "The Fall", was composed by music supervisor Blake Leyh.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
What does Major Colvin call the zone where drug dealing is tolerated?
Answer: Hamsterdam. Near retirement, Bunny Colvin quietly lets the drug trade operate in a few empty blocks in season three while cracking down on violence elsewhere. Crime in his district drops for weeks, but when his superiors, the press and politicians find out, he is demoted and forced to retire on a lower pension.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Which actor was the first to be cast?
Answer: Wendell Pierce. Pierce plays Detective Bunk Moreland. Dominic West won the role of McNulty with a tape of himself acting out a scene alone, recorded the night before the deadline, and Michael K. Williams got Omar after a single audition. The show avoided big names in favour of natural-looking character actors.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
What does McNulty fake in season five to get money back for the police?
Answer: A serial killer targeting homeless men. After Mayor Carcetti's budget cuts shut down the Marlo Stanfield case, McNulty doctors evidence to invent a serial killer. Lester Freamon joins in and uses the money for an illegal wiretap on Marlo, while a Baltimore Sun reporter, Scott Templeton, falsely claims the killer contacted him.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Who recommended Felicia Pearson for the role of Snoop?
Answer: Michael K. Williams. Williams met Pearson at a Baltimore bar shortly after she had served prison time for a second-degree murder conviction, and recommended her. Snoop and Chris Partlow are Marlo's enforcers in season four, hiding their victims in boarded-up row houses.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Which institution is the focus of the fifth and final season?
Answer: A newspaper. The season depicts a fictional version of The Baltimore Sun, where Simon had worked, and borrows from real events such as the Jayson Blair scandal. Variety's Brian Lowry called it the most realistic portrayal of the media in film and television. The editor was modelled on the Sun's John Carroll.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Who finally kills Omar Little?
Answer: Kenard, a young Stanfield dealer. Marlo lures Omar out of retirement by having his mentor Butchie murdered. Omar comes back to Baltimore stealing and destroying money and drugs to force Marlo into the open, but he is shot dead by Kenard, one of the youngest dealers in Marlo's crew.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Who was the main real-life inspiration for Omar Little?
Answer: Donnie Andrews. Simon said most characters are composites of real Baltimore figures, with Andrews the main inspiration for Omar. Martin O'Malley was "one of the inspirations" for Tommy Carcetti. The show also cast many non-professionals to show the "faces and voices of the real city".
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Lance Reddick was cast as Cedric Daniels after auditioning for which roles?
Answer: Bunk and Bubbles. Reddick tried out for Detective Bunk Moreland and the heroin addict Bubbles before landing the commander of the detail. He was one of more than a dozen cast members who had also appeared in Oz, HBO's first hour-long drama.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
How many Primetime Emmys did The Wire win?
Answer: None. It received only two writing nominations, in 2005 and 2008. Anonymous Emmy voters told Variety the plot was too dense, the subject too grim and the show had no connection to California. It did win a Peabody, Writers Guild and Directors Guild awards, among others.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Which singer recorded the season five theme and also plays the recovering addict Walon?
Answer: Steve Earle. Earle sings the final season's version of "Way Down in the Hole" and plays Walon, a recovering drug addict. His song "I Feel Alright" also closes season two. Each season finale ends with a montage over a song showing the characters' lives after the story.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Which crime novelist from Boston was among the show's writers?
Answer: Dennis Lehane. The writing staff included three acclaimed crime writers from outside Baltimore: George Pelecanos from Washington, Richard Price from the Bronx and Dennis Lehane from Boston. Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and teacher, co-wrote many stories and became a producer in season four.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Which real Baltimore drug lord had a recurring role as a deacon?
Answer: "Little Melvin" Williams. Williams had been arrested in the 1980s by an investigation that Ed Burns worked on, and from season three he plays the deacon. Jay Landsman, the officer who inspired the character of the same name, plays Lieutenant Mello, and commander Gary D'Addario plays a prosecutor.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
The series finale opens with an epigraph from which writer?
Answer: H. L. Mencken. Each episode's opening ends with a line spoken by a character later in the episode. The finale is one of only three exceptions: its Mencken quote is on a wall at The Baltimore Sun. Season one's finale uses "All in the game", credited to "Traditional West Baltimore".
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Why was the show originally shown in 4:3 rather than widescreen?
Answer: Simon wanted to limit costs and make it look like TV, not a film. Other networks were already moving to HD. Because it was shot with a 16:9-safe area, HBO remastered it in widescreen HD in 2014, and Simon worked with the network to remove crew and equipment that became visible in the wider frame.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Which British newspaper made the first episode free to stream online, a world first?
Answer: The Guardian. In the UK the show ran on FX until the BBC bought terrestrial rights, broadcasting it on BBC Two controversially late at night at 11:20 pm without iPlayer catch-up. In Ireland, TG4 aired every episode about six months after HBO.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
-
Which producer, credited with the show's realistic look, also played Detective Ray Cole?
Answer: Robert F. Colesberry. Colesberry, a veteran of The Corner, was executive producer for the first two seasons and directed the season two finale before he died after heart surgery in 2004. Nina Kostroff Noble then became the second executive producer alongside Simon.
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
The Wire by the numbers
- Seasons
- 5
- Episodes
- 60
- First aired
- 2 June 2002
- Last aired
- 9 March 2008
- Created by
- David Simon
- Primetime Emmy wins
- 0 (2 nominations)
- Institutions covered
- Drugs, port, politics, schools, newspaper
- Original format
- 4:3, remastered in HD in 2014
Source: Wikipedia: The Wire
About the The Wire quiz
The Wire looks at a different Baltimore institution each season, and much of it is drawn from real people and real cases, so its trivia is unusually close to real history. Characters were based on real figures, a real drug lord played a deacon, crime novelists wrote episodes, and the show was later ranked among the greatest ever without winning an Emmy. The quiz tests the story and the background together.
Questions span all five seasons — McNulty, Bunk and the detail, Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell, Omar Little, Marlo Stanfield, the dockworkers, the Hamsterdam experiment, the schools, and the Baltimore Sun — covering the characters, the catchphrases, and the moments that made the show.
What this The Wire quiz covers
The quiz walks through all five seasons and the institution each one examines, from the Barksdale case to Hamsterdam and the newsroom, and then turns to how the show was made: the real people behind the characters, the casting, the crime novelists in the writers' room, the five versions of the theme and why a show now ranked among the greatest ever never won an Emmy. Each answer below explains the story behind it and links to the source.
How to play
Tap an answer to see the right one straight away, with the story behind it, and check your score at the end. Play Again resets the quiz.
The Wire quiz — frequently asked questions
Do I need to have watched every season?
It helps, since questions cover all five institutions the show looks at. Production questions do not need story knowledge.
Will it spoil the ending?
A few answers mention major deaths and the season five storyline. Stop before the answer key if you are still watching.
Is it mostly about the police or the streets?
Both, plus the docks, City Hall and the newspaper. Several questions are about the real people behind the characters.