David Simon's American City

David Simon’s American city examines the work of showrunner David Simon, creator of acclaimed television serials The Wire, Treme and The Deuce. Situating these television serials in their real world context of twenty-first-century America, the book explores how Simon’s work responds to dominant discourses about the state of the American city. -- .

---

This book examines the television serials created by influential showrunner David Simon. The book argues that Simon’s main theme is the state of the contemporary American city and that all of his serials (barring one about the Iraq War) explore different facets of the metropolis. Each series offers distinctly different visions of the American city, but taken together they represent a sustained and intricate exploration of urban problems in modern America. From deindustrialisation in The Wire and residential segregation in Show Me a Hero to post-Katrina New Orleans in Treme and the transformation of the urban core in The Deuce, David Simon’s American city traces the urban through-line in Simon’s body of work.

Based on sustained analysis of these serials and their engagement with contemporary politics and culture, David Simon’s American city offers a compelling examination of one of television’s most arresting voices. -- .