Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

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FYSE1015A-F22

Watching the Wire

Watching the Wire: Urban America and Serial Television
Frequently hailed as one of television’s great masterpieces, The Wire shines a light on urban decay in 21st-century America, creating a dramatic portrait of Baltimore’s police, drug trade, and other institutions over five serialized seasons. In this course we will watch and discuss this remarkable—and remarkably entertaining—series twenty years after its debut, placing it within the dual contexts of urban American society and television storytelling. This is a time-intensive course (60 hours of TV!), focused on close viewing, critical analysis of race and policing, and research into The Wire’s social contexts, aesthetic practices, and politics of representation.
Course Reference Number (CRN):
93017
Subject Code:
FYSE
Course Number:
1015
Section Identifier:
A

Course

FYSE 1015

All Sections in Fall 2022

Fall 2022

FYSE1015A-F22 Seminar (Mittell)