LOS ANGELES – HBO's “Treme” was nominated for Outstanding Miniseries for the first time ever at this year's Emmys – and as the cast tells it, the Academy's recognition of the New Orleans-set drama (which concluded its four-season run last December) was long overdue.
“You know, this is our first time here,” said Wendell Pierce (a.k.a. trombonist Antoine Batiste) while stopping to chat with us at the awards show on Sunday. “I think the writing, the music, the sound, the actors really put something together that was very special and unique. And I think we shoulda been here a long time ago.”
Luckily they've had some pretty good champions along the way, and Pierce credits those individuals – including HitFix's own Alan Sepinwall – for giving the show the boost it needed to finally score a Miniseries nomination.
“Thanks to folks like Alan on your site who have trumpeted the show for years, it's stayed on people's minds,” said Pierce. “So now that we've come to the end, they realize it's time to honor the show.”
To hear more from Pierce and co-stars Lucia Micarelli and Clarke Peters – including the reactions they've gotten from grateful New Orleans residents for “telling the true story” of their city – click on the video above for the full interview.