Fans of HBO's The Wire will enjoy Erlend Lavik's in-depth visual essay, "Style in The Wire." Lavik argues that critics have unfairly dismissed the beloved urban crime drama as visually artless.

Lavik argues that, unlike a lot of prestige TV shows, The Wire is admirably restrained in its visual storytelling and therefore more effective.

Documentary filmmaking is a major influence on the look of The Wire, particularly the work of Frederick Wiseman. Wiseman is famous for his films exploring public institutions like welfare offices, high schools, and a hospital for the criminally insane.