Simon also talks about the way in which each season focused on a specific theme, which allowed the show to remain fresh and vital. For example, tearing away from the projects to the docks in the second season was a controversial decision, but Simon says it ``made a statement that we were not interested in sustaining a universe merely for the sake of continuing to have a show.''

Another featurette on the disc, The Wire: The Last Word, explores the themes of the fifth and final season, which Simon describes as ''the diminishing power of the press.'' A former Baltimore Sun police reporter, Simon returned to his old newsroom to film many scenes in The Wire's last year, and although he says he felt ''a lot of love'' during the making of those segments, he is also more than a little angry about the financial squeeze in which the newspaper industry is struggling.

On a commentary track accompanying the series finale, Simon admits it was sad to bring the show to an end, but that it was time to go. His accomplishment, however, will stand the test of time. As Slate's Jacob Weisberg puts it, people will be watching The Wire in 50 years the way we still read Dickens today.

MONTANA CONCERT

The young concertgoers seen in Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (Disney, $35 DVD and Blu-ray) scream and shout like they were attending a Beatles show, and they appear to know every lyric the 15-year-old performer sings. Watching it can make you feel exceedingly old, but that probably means the DVD is not meant for you.

Replicating the theatrical experience, both the DVD and Blu-ray discs feature the concert film in both 2-D and 3-D glasses, although the four pairs of red-and-blue glasses included in every set are the kind that strain the eyes and result in oddly colored images. The 3-D effect is passable, but it's ultimately more of a distraction than anything else. The regular version of the movie looks fine, and the discs include two bonus songs -- one by Cyrus and one by the Jonas Brothers -- along with a backstage featurette in which the teenage performer gives you a behind-the-scenes tour of the show. Fans will eat up every second of it.

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