The goal of this paper is to portray how the genre of quality television is constructed through the workings of the television industry and an audience that perceives it as such. In this spirit, the paper will also focus on the popular television show The Wire as an example of such a process. The first part of the paper will focus on fundamental concepts such as genre and the specific characteristics of television genres. This should serve as an introduction to a more detailed discussion on the development of quality television as a genre. Furthermore, particular developments in the television industry will be addressed, while focusing on the emergence of HBO as a highly successful form of subscription television which allowed the creation of quality television shows such as The Wire, Deadwood, Sopranos, and so on. Apart from this, emphasis will be put on the older forms of media such as the novel, film and older television in order to illustrate their influence on the construction of the idea of quality television. When identifying The Wire’s characteristics such as narrative complexity, style, thematics and format, one should come to an understanding of quality television as an established form that follows certain norms, but encourages innovation as well. The question that arises concerns the circumstances which make The Wire a relevant series even 18 years after its original release. This is exhibited in the continuing interest it generates with the audience, the media, and the academic world. By analyzing the aspects through which this relevance is achieved, the paper should provide an overview of how the genre of quality television is constructed by the audience’s perception as well as through meaning attributed to it by cultural studies.