A crime drama with a near-perfect score is being called one of the best TV shows ever made. Viewers have been raving about the series, with many saying it is even better than huge hits like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad. The show has been around for years but continues to draw in fans who are either only just discovering it or rewatching it for the fifth time.

It has a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with thousands of viewers sharing their thoughts online. Many say it feels more real than other crime dramas, with storylines that stay consistent from start to finish. Some have even gone as far as calling it the greatest in the genre.

The series in question is The Wire and the reviews are mind-blowing.

One person wrote on IMDb: "The greatest crime show ever made. It's a masterpiece that's by far better than The Sopranos or Breaking Bad or any other crime show you can think of. No competition."

Another added: "Incredible! I don't even know where to begin to explain how much I love The Wire! The writing and acting for this amazing series is down right brilliant.

"The consistency of the greatness of this show throughout all five seasons is ridiculous. The gritty attention to detail makes this series feel so real. It's easily one of the best shows of all-time."

A third wrote: "The Wire absolutely, without a doubt, lives up to all the hype and love it gets. The storytelling is so ridiculously good and that's because this is one of the best written shows in television history. It's one of those rare shows where every season is just as good as the others."

Someone else commented: "Hard to put into words how phenomenal The Wire is. I have seen many brilliant shows, and The Wire is one of them. Even the word brilliant isn't enough to put into words how good this series is.

"The Wire is incredibly well made, with moody lighting, striking location work that also brings atmosphere and great photography, while the music is very haunting."

The Wire is an American crime drama created by David Simon and first aired on HBO in 2002.

The series ran for five seasons until 2008 and is set in Baltimore, Maryland.

Each season focuses on a different part of the city, including the drug trade, the port system, local government, education and the media.

It follows a wide range of characters, including police officers and politicians, as well as drug dealers and members of the community.

Although the series received strong reviews at the time, it did not win any big awards during its original run.

Despite that, it is now widely regarded as one of the greatest TV series ever made.

Creator David Simon previously said that the show is not just about crime, but about how people live within systems and structures.

The Wire can be streamed on NOW.