The Wire, to me, had more memorable characters than any show, although Boardwalk Empire is a close second. It also comes down to preference, some people just want a break from their life and to dive into a fun storyline like BB. The Wire is just gritty, realistic, and pretty much a depressing show altogether, considering I'm pretty sure it's an accurate (mostly) representation of Baltimore and probably other cities in America. It's slow moving, like real police work, with politics and red tape slowing down everyone, like real life.