HBO has released the first teaser trailer for their new serial killer drama True Detective, starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. In case you need a refresher, this show sounds awesome. And in case you need a slightly more detailed refresher, here’s the blockquote from our post from last year.
True Detective, which sparked heated bidding after it was taken out to the top cable networks earlier this month, is descried as an elevated serial narrative with multiple perspectives and time frames. It centers on two detectives, Rust Cohle (McConaughey) and Martin Hart (Harrelson), whose lives collide and entwine during a 17-year hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana. The investigation of a bizarre murder in 1995 is framed and interlaced with testimony from the detectives in 2012, when the case has been reopened. The concept is for the 8-episode first season to resolve the mystery at hand, with subsequent seasons using same structure but new characters and story. [Deadline]
You know how Hollywood big shots like Steven Spielberg are telling anyone who will listen that TV (specifically cable TV) is the place to be right now? This is what they mean. Networks like AMC, FX, and HBO are putting considerable resources into compelling storytelling (and shelling out for name actors like McConaughey and Harrelson), whereas the film industry continues to dump hundreds of millions of dollars into movies where The Rock makes things go boom. Yes, I love The Rock dearly, and if you literally titled a film The Rock Makes Things Go Boom I would probably be the first person in line at the theater, but sometimes you don’t want candy, you know? Sometimes you want steak. And increasingly, TV is the only place that serves it.
p.s. This show had me at “starring Matthew McConaughey as Detective Rust Cohle.”