What Does a Summer Premiere Mean for True Detective?

By Reuben Levine | Jan 22, 2015

The filming of True Detective’s second season is well underway, but we’ve been in the dark about a release date since well before production began. The date — never specific — has jumped around between summer and January 2015, but as we’ve now reached the end of January that one isn’t looking very likely.

And so we officially cast our gaze to this summer, which already has at least one major drama move: Hannibal. NBC’s Hannibal will be moving the summer, making it bedfellows of sorts with True Detective. Summer could prove to be a powerful season for dark dramas, a month that at least broadcast usually believes to be dead.

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The reasons for True Detective moving to the summer are not all that difficult to figure out, and they’re not necessarily related to ratings. As the sole writer, creator Nic Pizzolatto arguably needs longer to work on a season than an average show.

Take into account casting hiccups and schedules with A-list actors and you’re looking at some time to get everything together.

In the case of Hannibal, the move to summer makes the most sense. Hannibal doesn’t perform very well for the network even though it’s critically acclaimed, and a move to summer would take some of the pressure off. Similarly, a move to summer for True Detective could put it even more in the spotlight.

A summer premiere for True Detective places it in the running with The Leftovers, another dark drama that HBO would probably like to shine some light on. Pairing the two of them together could make for quite an evening and potentially raise viewership for both.

Summer is often not thought of as the season of good television. It’s a safe move for True Detective because people will tune in, at least just to see Vince Vaughn take a turn at serious drama. All HBO has to do is finally settle on a date and get the word out.

So, fans of True Detective, would you mind watching in the summer?

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