NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The HBO cable network has renewed the Baltimore crime drama, "The Wire," for a fifth season despite low ratings for the series' fourth season premier.
HBO renewed the gritty drama for a fifth season Tuesday, two days after the season premiere attracted only 1.53 million viewers, Daily Variety reported.
"'The Wire' isn't the big, muscular show that gets all the attention and the viewers like 'Sopranos.' It's the one that has been slowly plugging along," HBO Entertainment President Carolyn Strauss said. "We have different shows that satisfy different subscribers, and this one punches above its weight class. It does everything we need it to do."
With a primarily African-American cast and a notoriously complex storyline, "The Wire" has failed to catch on with U.S. viewers since premiering in 2002, but Strauss said the series falls exactly in line with HBO's promise to it viewers.
"'The Wire' delivers quality," she told Daily Variety. "We couldn't ask for anything for more."
