Has True Detective Changed How Television Can Tell A Story?

The first season of the HBO series True Detective proved to be a game changer, but just how impactful was it and has it truly changed television as a storytelling medium?

When the first season of the HBO series True Detective aired, it was a revelation to fans of television who wanted to see the game changed up a bit. The limited series — or miniseries — isn’t a new concept to television but there was just something about True Detective that made it stand out as different.

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One director is praising the series for changing up how television can be used to tell a story. Horns director Alexandre Aja is in awe of what True Detective did for television as a storytelling medium and is now intrigued by shooting for TV.

According to an interview with The Film Stage, Aja noted that True Detective has helped change the way television can be used to tell a story as it’s the poster child for the now popular ‘limited series’.

"Yeah, True Detective opened a direction that didn’t exist three years ago. These limited series, where it’s not a full season but it’s like five to eight episodes, it’s a great medium and an amazing opportunity for a filmmaker to just make a theatrical film in five hours instead of two, which is great. I would have thought about that if like three or four years ago we had the choice between the two options. It’s not something I would have rejected."

It’s interesting to hear True Detective talked about like it changed television — and in a way it did. There has been a lot said about its impact and hopefully that will lead to more high quality entertainment from the right people in the business.

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