If you look back at the TV shows that have influenced much of the great shows we’ve seen in recent years and have developed talent that just keeps popping up time and time again, you have to include The Shield in the conversation. There’s always plenty of talk about The Wire, OZ, The Sopranos, and Deadwood, but The Shield just doesn’t seem to get the same treatment. But without it, there probably wouldn’t have been a Sons of Anarchy, Justified, Terriers, and a slew of great actors.
Creator Shawn Ryan took to Twitter to announce that the series is getting remastered into 4K, allowing for a Blu Ray re-release and more accessibility on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon. Better yet, he’s overseeing the production — much like David Simon did with The Wire remaster — and the series was shot with widescreen in mind at the time, so we’ll be seeing shots that are meant to be seen.
1. Thrilled to announce that after months of talking/tests that Sony and Fox are moving forward with a 4K conversion of The Shield.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) August 28, 2015
2. I was dubious going in since the gritty, grainy look of the show is so essential to its impact. But the tests really won me over.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) August 28, 2015
3. Since we filmed on 16mm film and not digitally, Shield is an ideal candidate for this. Plus we always filmed for widescreen safe.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) August 28, 2015
The bad news, at least if you’re desperate to see this remaster or get in touch with the series for the first time, is that it won’t see a release until March of 2017. Seems like a long time, sure, but it’ll be worth it in the end.
4. This will be a big project and will take some time. Current plan is to have all complete by 15th Anniversary of pilot – March, 2017.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) August 28, 2015
5. I will personally oversee and approve the work on each episode and make sure that the quality is what it needs to be.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) August 28, 2015
6. The tests showed that in 4K the gritty look could be maintained while updating it for a 2015 audience. It really looks spectacular.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) August 28, 2015
7. This conversion will allow for the release of Blu-Ray DVDs as well as comply with most streaming sites that will soon be all 4K.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) August 28, 2015
8. I pushed hard for this and want to thank everyone at Sony and Fox, especially Steve Mosko for making this happen.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) August 28, 2015
The coolest part of Ryan’s announcement is the amount of forethought it seems to show in the creation of the show. The idea that they shot for widescreen during a period when it likely seemed wasteful is interesting, along with the idea that they were concerned about the show having legs in the future. The only thing I can hope is that this announcement also means a return to the streaming realm soon, namely on Amazon Prime. It was quite the bummer when the show disappeared from the instant service.
9. I've always viewed The Shield as a legacy show and even when we were making it I obsessed with how it would be viewed in 10-15 years.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) August 28, 2015
10. This 4K conversion of The Shield will allow it to live on in the digital age and I couldn't be more excited.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) August 28, 2015
11. Thanks to all Shield fans who clamored for this. Your voices were a big reason why Sony/Fox decided to move forward with this.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) August 28, 2015
So mark your calendars- and if you’ve never experienced the show, watch it and enjoy it. It’s really a show that carries itself with the big boys and deserves this kind of preservation, ridiculous parts and all.
(Via Shawn Ryan / Slash Film)
