Yes, HBO is re-airing 'The Wire' and this time it's in high-definition
Some of us have been waiting for this for years (*cough*, Ben), and now HBO has confirmed it: The Wire is being remastered and will be rebroadcast in high definition. News of the series' return to television popped up in a promo captured by Arthur Gies, and HBOWatch found some listings in the TV Guide for it. We contacted HBO and confirmed the story, however the network says that despite an initial target to air them in September, "we're still reviewing the episodes for quality assurance so the timing has shifted."
[Thanks, bellevegasj]
Possibly complicating the issue is the question of moving the series from the 4x3 aspect ratio it aired in to widescreen 16x9. In a 2007 interview with CreativeCow, the show's DP Dave Insley said the show was framed in 16x9 from the start for future-proofing (like Seinfeld), but that series creator David Simon "thinks that 4x3 feels more like real life and real television and not like a movie." That means issues like the recent The Simpsons marathon -- where zooming and cropping older episodes ruined some old sight gags -- shouldn't be an issue, but no one knows exactly how the show will look yet (there is a widescreen transfer in SD currently available on Amazon Prime). Other shows, like Twilight Zone,Twin Peaks and Star Trek: The Next Generation have been remastered in HD and stayed 4x3, so leaving it as-is could also be an option.
[Image credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS]
