True Detective

*True Detective*
True Detective
	Season 1 title card
Also known as	True Detective: Night Country (season 4)
Genre	Anthology; Crime drama; Detective; Mystery-thriller; Neo-noir; Southern Gothic;
Created by	Nic Pizzolatto;
Showrunners	Nic Pizzolatto (s. 1–3); Issa López (s. 4);
Directed by	Cary Joji Fukunaga (s. 1); Various (s. 2–3); Issa López (s. 4);
Starring	Season 1 Matthew McConaughey; Woody Harrelson; Michelle Monaghan; Michael Potts; Tory Kittles; ; Season 2 Colin Farrell; Rachel McAdams; Taylor Kitsch; Kelly Reilly; Vince Vaughn; ; Season 3 Mahershala Ali; Carmen Ejogo; Stephen Dorff; Scoot McNairy; Ray Fisher; ; Season 4 Jodie Foster; Kali Reis; Fiona Shaw; Finn Bennett; Isabella Star LaBlanc; John Hawkes; Christopher Eccleston; ;
Opening theme	"Far from Any Road" by The Handsome Family (s. 1); "Nevermind" by Leonard Cohen (s. 2); "Death Letter" by Cassandra Wilson (s. 3); "Bury a Friend" by Billie Eilish (s. 4);
Composers	T Bone Burnett (s. 1–3); Vince Pope (s. 4);
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	30 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Nic Pizzolatto; Cary Joji Fukunaga; Scott Stephens (s. 1–3); Matthew McConaughey; Woody Harrelson; Steve Golin (s. 1–3); Richard Brown (s. 1–3); Daniel Sackheim (s. 3); Jeremy Saulnier (s. 3); Bard Dorros (s. 3); Chris Mundy (s. 4); Barry Jenkins (s. 4); Adele Romanski (s. 4); Mark Ceryan (s. 4); Alan Page Arriaga (s. 4); Jodie Foster (s. 4); Mari-Jo Winkler-Ioffreda (s. 4); Issa López (s. 4–5);
Producers	Carol Cuddy (s. 1); Aida Rodgers (s. 2); Peter Feldman (s. 3); Sam Breckman (s. 4); Princess Daazhraii Johnson (s. 4); Cathy Tagnak Rexford (s. 4); Layla Blackman (s. 4);
Production locations	Louisiana (s. 1); California (s. 2); Arkansas (s. 3); Iceland (s. 4); New York (s. 5);
Cinematography	Adam Arkapaw (s. 1); Nigel Bluck (s. 2–3); Germain McMicking (s. 3); Florian Hoffmeister (s. 4);
Editors	Alex Hall (s. 1–2); Affonso Gonçalves (s. 1); Meg Ritcher (s. 1); Chris Fiegler (s. 2); Byron Smith (s. 2); Leo Trombetta (s. 3); Matt Chessé (s. 4);
Running time	54–87 minutes
Production companies	Parliament of Owls; Passenger; Anonymous Content; Neon Black; Lee Caplin / Picture Entertainment (s. 1–3); Peligrosa (s. 4); HBO Entertainment;
Original release
Network	HBO
Release	January 12, 2014 –; present
	Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

True Detective is an American anthology crime drama television series created by Nic Pizzolatto for the premium cable network HBO. The series premiered on January 12, 2014, and 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 first season, starring Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Potts, and Tory Kittles, aired in 2014. It 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.

The second season, starring Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, Kelly Reilly, and Vince Vaughn, aired in 2015. It is set in California, and focuses on three detectives from three cooperating police jurisdictions and a criminal-turned-businessman as they investigate a series of crimes they believe are linked to the murder of a corrupt politician.^[2]^[3]

The third season, starring Mahershala Ali, Carmen Ejogo, Stephen Dorff, Scoot McNairy, and Ray Fisher, aired in 2019. It takes place in the Ozarks over three time periods as a pair of Arkansas State Police detectives investigate a macabre crime involving two missing children.

The fourth season, titled True Detective: Night Country and starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, aired in 2024. It takes place in Alaska and follows the investigation into the sudden disappearance of a team of eight men from a research station. Issa López serves as writer and director, marking Pizzolatto's first time as neither writer nor showrunner.^[4]

The first season received widespread acclaim and earned high ratings for HBO. It received numerous awards, chiefly for its acting, cinematography, writing, and direction. Reception to the second season was more divided, although the show maintained high viewership. The third season received positive reviews, but saw a drop in viewership. Night Country is the most watched of True Detective's four seasons,^[5] and received widespread critical acclaim. It earned the highest number of Emmy Award nominations for the series.

A fifth season, with López returning as the showrunner, is in development. Casting and filming will commence in 2025 with a scheduled air date in 2027.^[6] In August 2025, it was reported that Nicolas Cage was in talks to star in Season 5.^[7]

^ Milazzo, Melissa (October 5, 2014). "True Detective Explores the Roots and Branches of Southern Gothic". Sequart Organization. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
^ Ausiello, Michael (April 9, 2015). "True Detective Season 2 Trailer Is Here!". TVLine. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
^ Kim, Monica (June 17, 2015). "Meet the Troubled Cast of True Detective's Season 2". Vogue. Archived from the original on June 18, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
^ Wigler, Josh (February 21, 2024). "'Night Country' Boss Issa López on Reviving 'True Detective' and Franchise's Future: "We Will Know Very Shortly"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
^ Porter, Rick (February 19, 2024). "TV Ratings: 'True Detective: Night Country' Ends With Season High". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
^ Cite error: The named reference Season5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Otterson, Joe (August 21, 2025). "Nicolas Cage in Talks to Star in 'True Detective' Season 5". Variety. Retrieved September 13, 2025.

[1] Milazzo, Melissa (October 5, 2014). "True Detective Explores the Roots and Branches of Southern Gothic". Sequart Organization. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

[s2_premiere-2] Ausiello, Michael (April 9, 2015). "True Detective Season 2 Trailer Is Here!". TVLine. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.

[s2_cast-3] Kim, Monica (June 17, 2015). "Meet the Troubled Cast of True Detective's Season 2". Vogue. Archived from the original on June 18, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.

[4] Wigler, Josh (February 21, 2024). "'Night Country' Boss Issa López on Reviving 'True Detective' and Franchise's Future: "We Will Know Very Shortly"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 22, 2024.

[5] Porter, Rick (February 19, 2024). "TV Ratings: 'True Detective: Night Country' Ends With Season High". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 9, 2024.

[Season5-6] Cite error: The named reference Season5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[7] Otterson, Joe (August 21, 2025). "Nicolas Cage in Talks to Star in 'True Detective' Season 5". Variety. Retrieved September 13, 2025.

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