As I just finished "Show Me a Hero" (by David Simon, etc.) and really liked it, and because people have been touting this show for a long time, I dug up the pilot for "The Wire" last night.
Kind of amusing to see how many of the actors I now recognize, including Lance Reddick and Idris Alba. And both Seth Gilliam and Lawrence Gilliard Jr. of course ended up doing stints on TWD recently.
It's weird because I don't much like the police procedurals on network TV or USA/similar cable, but I like this. Despite all the detail orientation, it leaves me focused and interested; I think it's because of all the personal stories. Each character feels pretty real to me, an actual human being, regardless of their role in the story. It feels like I'm actually there watching a real scene, eavesdropping.
And yeah, it's cool it's in Baltimore. I can't say I live in the "city proper" although I've been through various parts on and off (I live out near the beltway, west side, pretty close to where I95 exits; I just usually don't have a reason to go deep into the inner areas), but so far the show "looks" right.