Need more evidence that television continues to be the place for smart, inventive and wholly exciting drama? Look no further than "True Detective," which is combining two actors who, right now, are at the top of their game, with a rising director who has knocked out two sensational films. Can you tell we're excited?
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are looking to reunite once again (they paired on "EDtv" and "Surfer, Dude") for the brewing cable series "True Detective." While the Deadline report doesn't mention it, the title seems to be a direct riff on the long-running, popular pulp magazine though the material is far more ambitious than those page turning pot boilers. The project is being conceived as an eight-episode season that will follow one investigation right through to the end (take that "The Killing"!). In the case, the story will jump back and forth between 1995 and 2012 to follow the story of detectives Rust Cohle (McConaughey) and Martin Hart (Harrelson) who are on the hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana.
But here's the interesting part. The way the show is set up, a second season would follow new characters and a different story, but use a similar structure (shades of "American Horror Story"). Now, let's not put the cart in front of the horse. The show is currently being pitched to networks (HBO or AMC, pick up the phone) but with a package that includes these stars, a series bible, two episodes already penned and writer Nic Pizzolatto, it will be hard to resist. And oh, one more thing. Cary Fukunaga — the director behind "Sin Nombre" and "Jane Eyre" — will direct all eight episodes… we need to sit down.
This is a pretty flawless lineup as far shows go. McConaughey continues to impress with his latest run of creative and challenging films ("Killer Joe," "Bernie," "Mud," "Magic Mike," "The Paperboy") and what can we say about Harrelson except that with "Rampart" he continues to prove he's one of the best actors out there, period. And the two of them pairing up on something like this? We're in. And while Fukunaga had a couple of pics brewing in the background to followup "Jane Eyre," including a sci-fi pic with Gore Verbinski producing, if that has to go on hold so this can get moving, we don't mind at all.
