The initial location for principal photography of True Detective 's first season was Arkansas, but Pizzolatto later opted to film in Louisiana, which was cheaper due to its generous film-tax incentive program. Set up as an anthology series, each season will feature a different cast of characters and self-contained narratives in various time periods and locations. By this time, Pizzolatto secured a development deal with HBO, and by April 2012, the network commissioned True Detective on an order of eight episodes. The final copy, amounting to 500 pages, was written without the aid of writing staff.
He devoted another script for the series shortly after his departure from The Killing 's writing staff in 2011, thanks to the support of Anonymous Content.
Pizzolatto shopped the novel to two TV executives, and, once he secured a deal in May 2010, drafted six screenplays, including the pilot episode (" The Long Bright Dark") script, which ran 90 pages. Intended to be Galveston 's follow-up, Pizzolatto felt True Detective was more suited to film. The author published his debut novel, titled Galveston, four years later and around the same time began preparing to branch out into the television industry (earlier attempts were never realized due to lack of capital). His first published work was the short story collection Between Here and the Yellow Sea, released in 2006. He also delved into fiction writing, having developed a fascination for it as a graduate student at the University of Arkansas. The third season received positive reviews, but saw a drop in viewership.īefore developing True Detective, Nic Pizzolatto worked as a literature professor for the University of Chicago, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and DePauw University. Reception to the second season was more divided, although the show maintained high viewership for HBO. It was nominated for and won numerous awards and other accolades, chiefly for its acting, cinematography, writing, and direction. The first season received acclaim from critics and earned high ratings for HBO. The third season aired in 2019, starring Mahershala Ali, Carmen Ejogo, Stephen Dorff, Scoot McNairy, and Ray Fisher, takes place in the Ozarks over three separate time periods as a pair of Arkansas State Police detectives investigate a macabre crime involving two missing children. The second season aired in 2015, starring Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, Kelly Reilly, and Vince Vaughn, is set in California, and focuses on three detectives from three cooperating police departments and a criminal-turned-businessman as they investigate a series of crimes they believe are linked to the murder of a corrupt politician.
The first season, starring Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Potts, and Tory Kittles, takes place in Louisiana and follows a pair of Louisiana State Police detectives, and their pursuit of a serial killer with occult links over a 17-year period. Each season of the series is structured as a self-contained narrative, employing new cast ensembles, and following various sets of characters and settings. The series, broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States, premiered on January 12, 2014. True Detective is an American anthology crime drama television series created and written by Nic Pizzolatto.