We Own This City

David Simon's swaggering new series might remind you of The Wire, but We Own This City is based on a true case of mass police corruption in Baltimore ...

What Jenkins considers the job to be only becomes plain in slow motion, but by the end of this first episode, it is clear that he isn’t some friendly bobby on the beat. In the controversial podcast The Trojan Horse Affair, the reporters talk jokily about the need for a “murder wall” to keep track of their investigation – that TV-trope pinboard with photographs and notes linked by red string. Or is the line so scuffed and faded it is no longer possible to tell? If this is a spiritual heir to The Wire, then it’s good to be back. Is it the cops or the criminals? It is inevitable that We Own This City (Sky Atlantic) will be compared to The Wire. Developed by David Simon and George Pelecanos, starring several actors who also appeared in The Wire and also set in Baltimore, it is deeply immersed in the same world, and takes a similar stylistic approach.

It is also a drama in which Jon Bernthal (Wayne Jenkins) fits right in, as the morally questionable central protagonist amongst a multitude of possibilities. As ...

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Jon Bernthal gave a force-of-nature turn here as real-life corrupt officer Sgt Wayne Jenkins. He played him as a charismatic anti-hero who had carved out an ...

Between a rock and a hard place, Baltimore was caught in an institutional death grip. The case sparked civil rights protests in Baltimore and brought renewed scrutiny on the police system. But though routinely held up as one of the greatest TV dramas ever, I found it self-important and rather dull.

“This six-parter is a sinewy true story of police corruption that drops you right into the thick of the action. If this is a spiritual heir to The Wire, ...

But We Own This Citywas more measured, leaving it to the viewer to reach their own conclusions as we flashed back and forward across the timeline of Jenkins’ career. It’s TV with a cruel edge.” Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail It’s an endearing coming-of-age portrait, where change is both scary and thrilling.” Anita Singh, The Telegraph The Wire was often referred to as being Dickensian in detail and scope, whereas We Own This City focuses on one story and boils the characters down to their essence. While The Wire had a broad canvas and a carefully controlled anger, here it feels as if David Simon is so furious at how little progress his city has made since that show started 20 years ago that he has climbed the steps of a pulpit. But this horrifying story will more than reward you, once you tune in to its beat.” Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian