When it premiered in June of 2002, "The Wire" was a refreshing new take on television's crime drama genre. While it wasn't met with an enthusiastic response when it was released, it has since been lauded as one of the best television shows ever made.

Each of the five seasons of "The Wire" -- coming in at 60 episodes in total -- introduced a new perspective of life in Baltimore, Maryland from unique side of different institutions including the illegal drug trade, the seaport system, the city government, the school system, and the print news media.  

The show's creator David Simon has said that while the show might come off as a crime drama, it is really about how an American city operates and how institutions affect individuals. The show was met with positive responses from both critics and audiences and is still among one of the most popular shows on HBO.

This week it was announced that "The Wire" would be re-mastered in HD and could be coming back to HBO in the updated format as early as this Fall... however, the network has officially stated that it does "not have further information regarding the timeline."

Additionally, a promo was released recently claiming that a 'replay marathon' of the series would be taking place starting this week on HBO Signature. However, the promo apparently ran prematurely according to HBO and the marathon will not be taking place this month.

Regardless of when the re-mastered HD versions of "The Wire" will be released, it will come as great news for diehard fans and new viewers alike.  

The show was filmed in standard definition right around the time when HD was being introduced into popular media.  It is one of the last great shows that was filmed just before HD took off as 'the new standard' in television. Due to the show's gritty details and dark visuals, it will make for a great HD viewing experience on modern-day HD televisions.

Currently, the show is available to watch in standard definition on HBO Go (recommended), Amazon Prime and iTunes.