This book offers the only examination of the television writing of David Milch and David Simon as significant contributions to American culture, literature, and social realism.

David Milch and David Simon are two of the most prolific and successful television drama writers in the last 30 years. These talented writers have combined real-world knowledge with wild imaginations and understandings of the human psyche to create riveting shows with realistic environments and storylines. Minch and Simon’s writing have resulted in television series that have earned both critical acclaim and millions of viewers.

The Wire, Deadwood, Homicide, and NYPD Blue: Violence is Power is the most comprehensive text yet written about Milch and Simon, and documents how television dramas of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s mirrored American culture with unprecedented sociological accuracy. The author explains how both individuals are not only capable dramatists, but also insightful cultural critics. This book also examines the full range of Milch’s and Simon’s authorial careers, including Milch’s books True Blue: The Real Stories behind NYPD Blue and Deadwood: Tales of the Black Hills and Simon’s Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood.

Contains six chapters, each addressing a different television series or miniseries written by David Milch or David Simon, as well as an introduction and conclusion

Presents a chronological perspective on nearly 30 years of American realistic drama television history

Includes a standard bibliography of cited books and articles, as well as a listing of all programs and movies mentioned within the book