'The Wire' survivors

With TV writers on the picket line and the scripted pickings slim, some of you may finally be finding time for "The Wire" as it enters its fifth season on HBO Sunday.

We can't tell you where all the bodies are buried - a bunch of them turned up last season in boarded-up rowhouses - but here's a look at some of the characters who've made it this far:

THE POLICE

Officer Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West): Renegade cops don't get much more renegade than McNulty, but underneath that alcoholic, womanizing exterior, there's an even more damaged guy who's determined to do the right thing, even if it means doing just about everything else wrong.

Detective Shakima Greggs (Sonja Sohn): Time (and maybe too much overtime) has thrust the once-grounded Kima into McNulty territory, as she faces up to the realities of absentee parenthood.

Detective Lester Freamon (Clarke Peters): The brains behind the original wiretap investigation that gave "The Wire" its name, he's continually evolving to meet the technical challenges posed by a new generation of drug dealers. Happily, his McNulty-like streak of self-destructive stubbornness remains.

Detective William "Bunk" Moreland (Wendell Pierce): A homicide detective with a heart of gold (and a liver of cast iron), Bunk's been on board for plenty of McNulty's adventures, but may finally have had enough.

THE DEALERS

Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector): In a show that's managed to create relatable, and occasionally even sympathetic, characters who do terrible things, this up-and-coming dealer stands out for being, well, evil. Not to mention very, very disciplined.

Michael Lee (Tristan Wilds): The most heartbreaking of the schoolboys featured in Season 4, which saw him evolve from the smart, principled son of an addict to a killer, Michael's still playing responsible father to a younger brother while working the streets for Marlo.

Felicia "Snoop" Pearson (Felicia Pearson): Television's most matter-of-fact hitwoman - played by a woman who shares her character's name - is ready to keep killing for Marlo.

Omar Little (Michael Kenneth Williams): One of "The Wire's" more memorable characters, Omar's a stickup man who's had a target on his back since robbing a poker game run by Marlo Stanfield.

THE BRASS

Police Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell (Frankie R. Faison): Burrell's a survivor, a longtime No. 2 who moved up on the strength of the favors he did, not the people he put away. But how much longer can he survive?

Major Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick): One of McNulty's better former bosses, Daniels has repeatedly jeopardized his own ambitions, yet remains a contender for Burrell's job.

Deputy Police Commissioner William Rawls (John Doman): Another careerist, Rawls has been largely loyal to Burrell, while making life difficult for Daniels.

THE POLITICIANS

Mayor Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillen): You could say that being mayor's getting in the way of Carcetti's running for governor, but there's still a little bit of Carcetti that wants to do the right thing - if only the right thing didn't cost money or cause controversy.

State Sen. Clayton Davis (Isiah Whitlock Jr.): Corrupt politicians don't get much more corrupt than Clay Davis - or more engaging. He may have more lives - politically and literally - than a cat.

Norman Wilson (Reg E. Cathey): The man responsible for getting Carcetti elected mayor of Baltimore may not worship his boss, but he does get him to do what he needs to.