The Wire should be never be made, it's too good

I watch zero network television aside from Boomtown every so often. The Daily Show gets my daily attention. Then Six Feet Under and The Wire round out my TV viewing. Boomtown and Six Feet Under could go away and I’d be fine. As many critics have observed The Wire is more novel like with it’s slow deliberate pace, and large cast of characters (65 if the promo is correct). Dickensian comes up a few times in reviews.

Here are some things others have said: Ten Reasons to watch The Wire, The Wire pulls in annual TV Critics nominations for Program of the Year, Outstanding Achievements in Drama and Outstanding New Program Of the Year, “…provocative, achingly good, high-achieving television”, Return of the Un-Sopranos, “Its density absorbs you, putting you in the middle of things.”, and 4 out of 4 stars - USA Today.

How did this happen? Whether one likes it or not it’s clearly different from other shows. Why would HBO support it instead of spawning American Idol ripoffs or Friends clones? What makes people take a risk, either as viewer or corporate patron? Listening: Take Me Somwhere Nice - Mogwai