The Wire is my favorite show on TV and is coming back for its 5th and final season this fall (on HBO). I've heard it is the most realistic police drama on TV but I wanted to know if that is the case? Do any officers watch the show, and if so, is it true to life?

Shows like The Wire and The Closer are far more realistic than they used to be, but they are still drama above all else; they are not designed to cater to a police audience, but the general population.