Since its trifecta of groundbreaking television series—The Sopranos, Deadwood, and The Wire—have run their course, HBO hasn’t exactly floundered, but let’s say the semi-agreeable likes of Hung or Bored To Death are still several inches short of the high bar. But now, the artisans behind the earlier shows are starting to come back with new series, and judging by the trailers posted below, the results are promising to say the least.
First up is Treme, the new series by The Wire creator David Simon, debuting on April 11th. Set in New Orleans three months after Katrina, the jazz-inflected show follows various NOLA resident as they attempt to rebuild their lives, and features a cast that includes Wire vets Wendell Pierce and Clarke Peters as well as first-rate character actors Steve Zahn, Melissa Leo, Khandi Alexander, Kim Dickens, and John Goodman. The trailer doesn’t offer any dialogue, but it’s rich in New Orleans flavor:
Though it isn’t due to premiere until September 1st, the marketing campaign for Boardwalk Empire, based on Nelson Johnson’s novel and created by Sopranos veteran Terence Winter, is already in full force. Set in a mobbed-up Atlantic City during the Prohibition era, the show’s pilot was directed by Martin Scorsese, and the sprawling cast includes one more Wire favorite (Michael K. Williams, a.k.a. “Omar”) and many other familiar faces like Steve Buscemi, Kelly MacDonald, Michael Pitt, Michael Shannon, Paz de la Huerta, Dabney Coleman, and A Serious Man’s Michael Stuhlbarg. Here’s a taste: