The Sopranos isn’t the only show David Simon was mentioned by name when asked what inspired The Wire

After western cowboy movies and heavy action movies the world had found a new favorite genre to watch. Drug lords or mafia bosses. Some would say that David Simon’s The thread was the best of both worlds.

Idris Elba as Stringer Bell in David Simon's The Wire
Idris Elba as Stringer Bell in The Wire | Credits: HBO

The thread told the story of Detective James McNulty and his team as they investigate drug lords, detective agencies and more in the city of Baltimore. The series received critical acclaim and worldwide acclaim upon its release.

David Simon didn’t watch The Sopranos

Similar to The thread, a series titled The Sopranos was released in 1999 and starred James Gandolfini. The series was about Tony Soprano, an American-Italian mafia leader in New Jersey.

James Gandolfini in the final scene of The Sopranos | HBO Entertainment

The thread And The Sopranos were somewhat similar in nature. The only difference between the two series was the point of view. The Sopranos told the story of a mafia head and The thread was about a detective team that went on the hunt for drug lords.

In an interview with Slate, series creator David Simon was asked about his inspiration and models for creating The Wire. Simon revealed that it wasn’t just The Sopranos whom he admired.

There were no models for us on TV. I admire the stories of The Sopranos, although I don’t watch them consistently. And Deadwood; I don’t watch them, but I admire their stories. We certainly didn’t pay attention to network TV.

Dead wood was a 2004 television series that aired two years after The Wire. However, the series managed to make quite a name for itself in 3 seasons The thread did in 5.

Well, the series was so iconic that even veteran director Christopher Nolan was inspired to change one iconic thing in his life after watching the series. The Wire. This change has made him a better writer overall!

Christopher Nolan was inspired by The thread!

It is known worldwide that Basic principle director Christopher Nolan does not own a smartphone. The director has stated several times that using a smartphone is a major distraction for him while making films.

Christopher Nolan and Matthew McConaughey on the set of Interstellar / Paramount Pictures
Christopher Nolan and Matthew McConaughey on the set of Interstellar | Credits: Paramount Pictures

What people don’t know is that in an interview on The Late Show with Stephen ColbertNolan revealed the inspiration for this idea. Nolan got the idea to use older technology for communication after watching The Wire.

I don’t have an email address. I’ve never used email. And I don’t have a smartphone. I’ll bring a prepaid dumb phone thing. I was inspired by The Wire, absolutely.

Well, Nolan’s decision to forgo a smartphone has certainly helped the director create some iconic scripts, screenplays and stories for his magnum opus films.

On the other hand, The thread received a rating of 9.3/10 on IMDB and a whopping 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. With 5 seasons under its belt, the show is available to stream on Max in the US

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