HBO is celebrating 20 years of The Wire with a retrospective podcast hosted by Method Man.
The Wire at 20 presents a behind-the-scenes look at the series through interviews with the cast and crew. Method Man hosts the podcast after portraying Melvin “Cheese” Wagstaff in the critically acclaimed show.
HBO released the first episode of the podcast on Thursday (June 2), which is the 20th anniversary of The Wire’s premiere. Method Man takes listeners back to the early days of the show, exploring its origins with the help of creator David Simon.
“The Wire was far from a surefire hit from day one,” HBO notes in its description of the episode. “Host Method Man walks through The Wire’s long journey to the screen and the initial challenges it faced. Series co-creators David Simon and Ed Burns join to discuss how their backgrounds in journalism and law enforcement shaped their vision for the series. Executive producer Nina Noble and writer/producer George Pelecanos weigh in on how the writer’s room was sometimes a shouting match.”
All five seasons of The Wire are currently available to stream on HBO Max.
Listen to the first episode of The Wire at 20 hosted by Method Man below.