drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

David Simon David Judah Simon (born February 9, 1960) is an American author, journalist, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work on ''The Wire'' (2002–08). He worked for ''The Baltimore Sun'' City Desk for twelve years (1982–95), wrote '' Hom ...

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast t ...

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the ABC comedy series '' Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he received a Golden Globe Award, a ...

Michiel Huisman Michiel Huisman (; born 18 July 1981) is a Dutch actor who has acted in both Dutch and English-language TV series and films. Huisman began his career in the Dutch soap opera '' Goede tijden, slechte tijden'' (1998). He later played in the Dut ...

David Morse David Bowditch Morse (born October 11, 1953) is an American actor, singer, television director, and writer. He first came to national attention as Dr. Jack "Boomer" Morrison in the medical drama series '' St. Elsewhere'' (1982–88). His film c ...

Wendell Pierce Wendell Edward Pierce (born December 8, 1963) is an American actor and businessman. Having trained at Juilliard School, Pierce rose to prominence as a character actor portraying roles both on the stage and screen. He first gained notoriety port ...

Steve Zahn Steven James Zahn (; born November 13, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. His film roles include '' Reality Bites'' (1994), '' That Thing You Do!'' (1996), '' Stuart Little'' (1999), '' Shattered Glass'' (2003), ''Sahara'' (2005), '' Chicken ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Tremé, a neighborhood of New Orleans. It begins three months after Hurricane Katrina as the residents, including musicians, chefs,

Mardi Gras Indians Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indians) are black carnival revelers in New Orleans, Louisiana, who dress up for Mardi Gras in suits influenced by Native American ceremonial apparel. Collectively, their organizations are called ...

, and other New Orleanians, try to rebuild their lives, their homes, and their unique culture in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane and the subsequent severe flooding of the city. It received generally favorable reception, particularly for its performances by the cast and musical performers, as well as for its realistic portrayal of New Orleans culture.

Episodes

Cast and characters

Main

* Khandi Alexander as LaDonna Batiste-Williams — She owns and runs a

tavern A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that h ...

in New Orleans. She was formerly married to Antoine, with whom she has two sons. She commutes between New Orleans and

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of countie ...

, where she lives with her sons and her current husband, Larry Williams (

Lance E. Nichols Lance E. Nichols (born July 13, 1955) is an American actor best known for playing dentist Larry Williams on '' Treme''. Early life and education A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Nichols graduated from McDonogh 35 College Preparatory Charte ...

), a dentist. She is pressured by her husband to move to Baton Rouge, as she has no ties to New Orleans anymore. She previously took care of her elderly mother, who refused to leave the city when they were trying to locate LaDonna's younger brother David Maurice (Daymo), who went missing during the storm. * Rob Brown as Delmond Lambreaux – The son of Albert, an accomplished trumpet player. He finds himself drawn more to the music and atmosphere of New York City than New Orleans. Delmond's character is based on jazz innovator Donald Harrison Jr., whom Simon and Overmyer brought in to consult for the series. * Kim Dickens as Janette Desautel – A struggling chef trying to keep her restaurant open while waiting for insurance to pay for her losses in the storm. Davis and she maintain a casual but tumultuous relationship. *

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the ABC comedy series '' Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he received a Golden Globe Award, a ...

as Creighton Bernette (season 1, guest star season 2) – Toni's husband, an English professor at

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pu ...

. He is working on a novel about the

Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States, with inundated in depths of up to over the course of several months in early 1927. The uninflated cost of the damage has been estimate ...

and is a passionate promoter of the city's culture. His character is drawn from the real-life New Orleans blogger, Ashley Morris. *

Michiel Huisman Michiel Huisman (; born 18 July 1981) is a Dutch actor who has acted in both Dutch and English-language TV series and films. Huisman began his career in the Dutch soap opera '' Goede tijden, slechte tijden'' (1998). He later played in the Dut ...

as Sonny – A street musician from

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, he met Annie while she was backpacking in Europe. His drug use causes problems for both their professional and personal relationships. * Melissa Leo as Antoinette "Toni" Bernette – A civil rights lawyer, she works with LaDonna in trying to locate her missing brother. She defends musicians and people abused by the justice system in the city. She is relentless in her investigation of NOPD corruption, which puts both her and her daughter's life at risk. * Lucia Micarelli as Annie Talarico – A classically trained

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

ist, she plays music on the streets of the

French Quarter The French Quarter, also known as the , is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans (french: La Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the ("Old S ...

with her boyfriend Sonny, working for tips. * Clarke Peters as Albert "Big Chief" Lambreaux – A Mardi Gras Indian chief, he is well respected in his community. Having returned to his home to find it severely damaged, he moves into the neighborhood bar where his tribe practices. He is repairing it while working to bring the other members of his tribe, as well as his son Delmond, back to the city. *

Wendell Pierce Wendell Edward Pierce (born December 8, 1963) is an American actor and businessman. Having trained at Juilliard School, Pierce rose to prominence as a character actor portraying roles both on the stage and screen. He first gained notoriety port ...

as Antoine Batiste – A

trombonist The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

, constantly hunting for his next gig, Antoine lives with the mother of his youngest child. He rarely sees his two sons he shares with his ex-wife LaDonna, in part because he has no car since the storm and must rely on cabs and public transportation. He is the frontman for his band, Antoine Batiste and his Soul Apostles, and has a part-time job as an assistant music instructor at a local middle school. *

Steve Zahn Steven James Zahn (; born November 13, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. His film roles include '' Reality Bites'' (1994), '' That Thing You Do!'' (1996), '' Stuart Little'' (1999), '' Shattered Glass'' (2003), ''Sahara'' (2005), '' Chicken ...

as Davis McAlary – A volunteer DJ on local radio station WWOZ-FM and musician, Davis is from an Uptown family, but now lives in Tremé, he is a passionate lover of New Orleans and its culture. He is constantly seeking to incite social outrage against perceived injustices. * India Ennenga as Sofia Bernette (seasons 2–4, recurring season 1) – Toni and Creighton's teenage daughter. In season three, she is repeatedly targeted by the NOPD in an effort to dissuade her mother from investigating police corruption in New Orleans. *

David Morse David Bowditch Morse (born October 11, 1953) is an American actor, singer, television director, and writer. He first came to national attention as Dr. Jack "Boomer" Morrison in the medical drama series '' St. Elsewhere'' (1982–88). His film c ...

as Terry Colson (seasons 2–4, recurring season 1) – An honest police officer working as a shift lieutenant for the NOPD, he is a friend of Toni Bernette. He secretly works with the FBI in investigating his city's police corruption. * Jon Seda as Nelson Hidalgo (seasons 2–4) – A politically connected developer and venture capitalist from Dallas, he becomes involved in the renewal efforts in post-Katrina New Orleans. * Chris Coy as L.P. Everett (seasons 3–4) – A young reporter for ''

ProPublica ProPublica (), legally Pro Publica, Inc., is a nonprofit organization based in New York City. In 2010, it became the first online news source to win a Pulitzer Prize, for a piece written by one of its journalists''The Guardian'', April 13, 2010 ...

'' new to New Orleans, he is investigating the various crimes that happened during Hurricane Katrina. The character is based on real-life reporter

A. C. Thompson Adam Clay "A.C." Thompson (born c.1972 Robinson, Eugene S."THE PUNK ROCK JOURNALIST MAKING REAL NEWS AT THE SOURCE" ''ozy.com'', OCTOBER 31, 2017) is an investigative journalist and staff reporter with ''ProPublica''. His work has appeared on the ...

.

Recurring

*

Lance E. Nichols Lance E. Nichols (born July 13, 1955) is an American actor best known for playing dentist Larry Williams on '' Treme''. Early life and education A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Nichols graduated from McDonogh 35 College Preparatory Charte ...

as Larry Williams – LaDonna's husband and a dentist based in Baton Rouge. He strongly urges LaDonna to sell her bar and mother's house in New Orleans, so she can live full-time with her sons and him. * Phyllis Montana LeBlanc as Desiree – Antoine's strong-minded girlfriend and mother of his youngest child. She fights against

eminent domain Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...

. * Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine as Jacques Jhoni – Janette's loyal sous chef. He faces some immigration problems and becomes romantically involved with Janette. * Davi Jay as Robinette – A refuse hauler who becomes affiliated with Nelson Hidalgo and assists with his demolition projects. *

Elizabeth Ashley Elizabeth Ann Cole, known professionally as Elizabeth Ashley (born August 30, 1939) is an American actress of theatre, film, and television. She has been nominated for three Tony Awards, winning once in 1962 for ''Take Her, She's Mine''. Ashley ...

as Aunt Mimi – Davis' flamboyant favorite aunt. Though they are close, they begin to quarrel when they start a record company together. * Edwina Findley as Davina Lambreaux – Albert's daughter and Delmond's sister. * Steve Earle as Harley Wyatt (seasons 1–2) – A talented street musician who mentors Annie Tee. *

David Chang David Chang ( Korean: ; born August 5, 1977) is an American restaurateur, author, podcaster, and television personality. He is the founder of the Momofuku restaurant group. In 2009, Momofuku Ko was awarded two Michelin stars, which the resta ...

as himself (seasons 1–3) – A prominent restaurateur in New York City. * Dan Ziskie as C.J. Ligouri (seasons 2–4) – A banker who finances many of New Orleans' reconstruction projects. He acts as Hidalgo's supervisor in season two. In season three, he realizes his ignorance on the sensibilities of New Orleans jazz and poor communities such as Treme. He hires Delmond and Albert to consult with his firm on what kind of projects will please Treme's disenfranchised. * Michael Cerveris as Marvin Frey (seasons 2–4) – Annie's music manager. *

Hong Chau Hong Chau (born June 25, 1979) is an American actress who gained recognition for her supporting role in the 2017 film '' Downsizing'', in which she played the character Ngoc Lan Tran. For her performance, she was nominated for several supporting ...

as Linh (seasons 2–4) – Sonny's Vietnamese girlfriend whom he marries at the end of season three. * Jaron Williams as Robert (seasons 2–4) – A student in Antoine's class. * Sam Robards as Tim Feeny (seasons 3–4) – A

restaurateur A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspec ...

and Janette's partner for her new restaurant. * Jazz Henry as Jennifer (seasons 3–4) – A student in Antoine's class who becomes uninterested in school after the death of a classmate to gun violence. * Taryn Terrell as Cindy (season 3) – a friend of Nelson Hidalgo. * Rio Hackford as Toby.

Production

Conception

David Simon and Eric Overmyer first worked together as writers on the television series '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' and became friends. They collaborated again on Simon's series ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The Wire'' premiered on June 2, ...

'' when Overmyer joined the crew as a consulting producer and writer in 2006. ''Treme'' was put into development by HBO in 2008 shortly after the conclusion of ''The Wire''. The show was to focus on the working-class Tremé neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and is smaller in scope than ''The Wire'', which examined an entire city. Overmyer lived part-time in New Orleans and Simon believed his experience would be valuable in navigating the "ornate oral tradition" of the city's stories. Simon stated the series would explore New Orleans culture including and beyond the music scene to encompass political corruption, the public housing controversy, the criminal-justice system, clashes between police and Mardi Gras Indians, and the struggle to regain the tourism industry after the storm. Simon also consulted with New Orleans musicians Donald Harrison Jr.,

Kermit Ruffins Kermit Ruffins (born December 19, 1964) is an American jazz trumpeter, singer, composer, and actor from New Orleans. He has been influenced by Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan and says that the highest note he can hit on trumpet is a high C. He ...

, and Davis Rogan, local chef Susan Spicer, and civil-rights attorney Mary Howell while developing the series.

Development

In 2008, HBO commissioned a pilot episode for the series, but did not "green-light" a complete series at that time. The pilot was announced at the 2008 Television Critics Association summer press tour. Simon initially hoped to film the pilot episode of the series in 2008 and to continue filming in 2009 if the series was commissioned. The series was planned to film on location and was predicted to be a boost to the New Orleans economy. The pilot did not actually begin filming in New Orleans until March 9, 2009. Award-winning Polish director Agnieszka Holland was hired to direct the pilot. Holland had worked with the creators previously on ''The Wire'', directing three episodes of that series. After the ''Treme'' pilot was written, HBO commissioned another 10 scripts.

Crew

Simon is a veteran of HBO having developed '' The Corner'', ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The Wire'' premiered on June 2, ...

'', and '' Generation Kill'' with them, and is the

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also the ...

and an executive producer. Overmyer is an experienced playwright, television writer/producer, executive producer, and writer. Simon and Overmyer previously collaborated on ''Homicide: Life on the Street'' and ''The Wire''. Simon and Overmyer began to assemble a writing staff for the full series, first hiring local writer Tom Piazza, author of the nonfiction book ''Why New Orleans Matters''. Piazza and Overmyer had known one another for years and Simon had read and enjoyed Piazza's work. They also hired ''

Times-Picayune ''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, since January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of ''The Times-Picayune'' (itself a result of th ...

'' reporter Lolis Eric Elie. Simon, himself a reporter before working in television, has been impressed with his expansive knowledge of local people and background. Elie was the writer of the documentary '' Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans''. Novelist

George Pelecanos George P. Pelecanos (born February 18, 1957) is an American author. Many of his 20 books are in the genre of detective fiction and set primarily in his hometown of Washington, D.C. He is also a film and television producer and a television writ ...

is also on board as part of the writing staff. Pelecanos was a writer on all five seasons of ''The Wire''. Simon also brought fellow reporter-turned-television-collaborator David Mills in for the project as co-executive producer and writer. Mills was a music enthusiast who had worked with Overmyer and Simon on both ''Homicide: Life on the Street'' and ''The Wire'', as well as co-writing ''The Corner'', the award-winning HBO miniseries, with Simon. The collaboration between Simon and Mills first began when both were journalists for the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the Flagship un ...

's student newspaper, '' The Diamondback''. On March 30, 2010, David Mills died suddenly in New Orleans, 12 days before the show's premiere.

Blake Leyh Blake Leyh (born in Syracuse, New York in 1962) is a composer, sound designer, and music supervisor. Leyh's prominent credits include music supervising HBO's television show ''The Wire'', most notably the end theme called "The Fall" written by Ley ...

is the music supervisor for the show. He has worked on numerous other projects including HBO's ''The Wire.'' Skip Bolen is the unit stills photographer for the pilot episode. He has worked on projects including HBO's season finale of ''

True Blood ''True Blood'' is an American fantasy Horror fiction, horror Drama (film and television), drama television show, television series produced and created by Alan Ball (screenwriter), Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a ...

''.

Casting

''The Wire'' star

Wendell Pierce Wendell Edward Pierce (born December 8, 1963) is an American actor and businessman. Having trained at Juilliard School, Pierce rose to prominence as a character actor portraying roles both on the stage and screen. He first gained notoriety port ...

was the first acclaimed star to join the series. His involvement was announced shortly after the pilot was commissioned in July 2008. Pierce is a New Orleans native and plays Antoine Batiste, an accomplished trombonist. Fellow ''The Wire'' alumnus Clarke Peters was also attached to star in the project early in its development. Peters plays Albert Lambreaux, the leader of a Mardi Gras Indian tribe who is trying to bring his scattered people home and revitalize the neighborhood. Khandi Alexander, who previously worked with Simon on ''The Corner'', joined the project in August 2008 and was cast as Ladonna Batiste-Williams, the ex-wife of Pierce's character and a bar owner. Film actor

Steve Zahn Steven James Zahn (; born November 13, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. His film roles include '' Reality Bites'' (1994), '' That Thing You Do!'' (1996), '' Stuart Little'' (1999), '' Shattered Glass'' (2003), ''Sahara'' (2005), '' Chicken ...

joined the project in February 2009. ''Treme'' is his first series commitment in television. Zahn plays Davis McAlary, a radio disc jockey and band member/leader in a role that showcases his singing and guitar-playing talents. Zahn's character is based on series consultant Davis Rogan and shares his first name. Kim Dickens, previously of ''

Deadwood Deadwood may refer to: Places Canada * Deadwood, Alberta * Deadwood, British Columbia * Deadwood River, a tributary of the Dease River in northern British Columbia United States * Deadwood, California (disambiguation), several communiti ...

'' and '' Friday Night Lights'', was also cast in February 2009 as a chef with a tumultuous relationship with Zahn's character. Rob Brown was cast in February 2009 as Delmond Lambreaux, a New York jazz musician and son of Peters' character, who reluctantly returns home after Katrina. Academy Award-winner and former ''Homicide'' star Melissa Leo was cast as a civil rights lawyer just before the pilot began filming in March 2009. John Goodman was cast as her character's college professor husband when the show started filming its season order, and scenes featuring him were added to the pilot. The casting of the series is similar to that of ''The Wire'' in that local actors are used wherever possible. Local casting took place for the first season in January and February 2009 and continued for season two through April 2011 via RPM Casting. New Orleans native Phyllis Montana LeBlanc was cast as the girlfriend of Pierce's character. LeBlanc was recommended for the project by director

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

, who had worked with her on the HBO Hurricane Katrina documentary '' When the Levees Broke''. Additionally, well-known New Orleans musician

Kermit Ruffins Kermit Ruffins (born December 19, 1964) is an American jazz trumpeter, singer, composer, and actor from New Orleans. He has been influenced by Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan and says that the highest note he can hit on trumpet is a high C. He ...

appears as himself in the pilot and guests throughout the series. Other musical guests include Soul Rebels Brass Band,

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, describ ...

, Dr. John,

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...

, Steve Earle, Donald Harrison Jr., Galactic, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews,

Deacon John Moore Deacon John Moore (born June 23, 1941, New Orleans, Louisiana) better known as Deacon John, is a blues, rhythm and blues and rock and roll musician, singer, actor, and bandleader. John Moore was given the name "Deacon" by one of his band member ...

, Rebirth Brass Band, Treme Brass Band, Shawn Colvin, Spider Stacy, Eyehategod,

Justin Townes Earle Justin Townes Earle (January 4, 1982August 20, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. After his debut, EP ''Yuma'' (2007), he released eight full-length albums. He was recognized with an Americana Music Award for Emerging Artist o ...

, Sammie "Big Sam" Williams,

Jon Batiste Jonathan Michael Batiste (born November 11, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and television personality. He has recorded and performed with artists in various genres of music (Stevie Wonder, Prince, Willie Nelson, ...

, The Pine Leaf Boys, Paul Sanchez,

Jon Cleary Jon Stephen Cleary (22 November 191719 July 2010) was an Australian writer and novelist. He wrote numerous books, including '' The Sundowners'' (1951), a portrait of a rural family in the 1920s as they move from one job to the next, and '' The ...

,

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

, Red Stick Ramblers, saxophonist Joe Braun, bassist Matt Perrine, bassist

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy awards, and is also a cellist who has recorded n ...

, The Pfister Sisters (Holley Bendtsen, Debbie Davis and Yvette Voelker), clarinetist Bruce Brachman, bass drummer "Uncle" Lionel Batiste, percussionist Alfred "Uganda" Roberts, vocalist

John Boutté John Boutté (born November 3, 1958) Boutté studied business at Xavier University of Louisiana where he was in ROTC. After he graduated, he was commissioned in the U.S. Army where he served for the next four years. When he returned, he start ...

, singer/guitarist Coco Robicheaux, pianist Tom McDermott, vocalists

Lloyd Price Lloyd Price (March 9, 1933May 3, 2021) was an American singer-songwriter, record executive and bandleader, known as "Mr. Personality", after his 1959 million-selling hit, "Personality". His first recording, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", was a hit for S ...

and

Irma Thomas Irma Thomas ( Lee; born February 18, 1941) is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans". Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial succ ...

and fiddler/accordionist Cedric Watson. Hundreds more New Orleanians have appeared in background roles throughout the series.

Opening credits

The opening credits, set to

John Boutte John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

's "The Treme Song", were designed by producer Karen L. Thorson, who previously developed the opening credit sequences for ''The Wire''. The opening credits evolve and change with every season, showcasing the events that happened during that time period and themes of that season. All the actors' names are set against molded walls or other imagery associated with their characters, as no one wanted to put their names against real old photographs. Consistent throughout all the credits are images of New Orleans culture, including second line parades, Mardi Gras Indians, music, and food. The first-season opening credits were designed "to show what has been lost", including "the culture, the music, the people". The sequence features more than 80 elements used from film, video, and still photographs, all used from people who lived in New Orleans, including family images from the hurricane. The title card appears against a molded flood-damaged backdrop. The second-season opening credits evolve, showing more contemporary video and updated themes that are present in the season, including public housing residents protesting, crime scenes, and the beginning of rebuilding the city. The title card for season two shows more mold growing over the logo. The third-season opening credits begin showing the revival of the city and the rebuilding, as well as new events from 2007–08, in which the season takes place, including the killing of NOPD officer Nicola Cotton and the NOAH scandal. The title card evolves, evoking the themes of third season, and shows it being replastered over the mold of the previous seasons. The fourth-season opening credits show post-Katrina recovery and imagery of

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

being elected as President. These credits features more footage and images of joyous New Orleans occasions and touchstones, as Thorson did that as a "thank you" to the city. The final title card appears newly painted on a white plastered wall, on which actor Clarke Peters provided the hand-brushed finishing touches.

Reception

Critical response

Reception by television critics has been very positive. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' critic Alessandra Stanley viewed the series as a sign of the city's inextinguishable ''

joie de vivre ( , ; "joy of living") is a French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life, an exultation of spirit. It "can be a joy of conversation, joy of eating, joy of anything one might do… And ''joie de vivre'' may be ...

''. ''

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon ...

s Heather Havrilesky remarked that ''Treme'' "epitomizes the sort of great storytelling we all thirst for on TV but rarely find." Adolph L. Reed Jr. (professor of political science at University of Pennsylvania) has criticized the series for its clichéd portrayal of the city and the issues around Katrina.

Local response

New Orleanians waited cautiously for the series premiere of ''Treme'', but quickly embraced the show as an accurate and honest representation of the city. ''

The Times-Picayune ''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, since January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of ''The Times-Picayune'' (itself a result of th ...

'' writer Dave Walker expressed the city's collective sentiment that ''Treme'' is "the screen depiction that New Orleans deserves, has always desired, but has been denied." While Simon attempted to recreate post-Katrina New Orleans with precision, he did confess a willingness to include subtle anachronisms such as the inclusion of a Hubig's pie in the first episode when such pies were still unavailable. Simon prefaced the airing of the first episode with a letter in ''The Times-Picayune'' promising not perfect historical accuracy but a treatment "respectful of the historical reality." ''Treme'' includes many location-specific references, as did Simon's ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The Wire'' premiered on June 2, ...

''. In response, ''The Times-Picayune'' published a weekly debriefing of each episode's unexplained New Orleans references called "''Treme'' Explained."

Accolades

For the

62nd Primetime Emmy Awards The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, were held on Sunday, August 29, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PDT (00:00 UTC; August 30). Com ...

, Agnieszka Holland was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the pilot episode, "Do You Know What It Means", and Steve Earle was nominated for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the song "This City". For the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, for its shortened fourth and final season, it received nominations for Outstanding Miniseries; Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special; and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special for the series finale episode written by Simon and Overmyer; and won for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie. For the

53rd Annual Grammy Awards The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights pr ...

, the season-one soundtrack was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television, or other Visual Media, and the song "This City" by Steve Earle, was nominated for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. The series was awarded with a 2011

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

.

Home media releases

DVD and Blu-ray

The first season of ''Treme'' was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on March 29, 2011, in region 2 on May 30, 2011, and in region 4 on March 30, 2011. The extras include two documentaries—"The Making of ''Treme''" and "''Treme'': Beyond Bourbon Street", as well as "The Music of ''Treme''", a text-only feature displaying the song information during the episodes. The Blu-ray includes the same extras plus an exclusive featurette, "Down in the Treme: A Look at the Music and Culture of New Orleans", another text-only feature displaying information about the music, slang, locations, and characters. The sets also include five commentary tracks—"Do You Know What It Means" with co-creators/executive producers

David Simon David Judah Simon (born February 9, 1960) is an American author, journalist, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work on ''The Wire'' (2002–08). He worked for ''The Baltimore Sun'' City Desk for twelve years (1982–95), wrote '' Hom ...

and Eric Overmyer; "Right Place, Wrong Time" with Wendell Pierce, Khandi Alexander, and TV critic

Alan Sepinwall Alan Sepinwall (born October 19, 1973) is an American television reviewer and writer. He spent 14 years as a columnist with '' The Star-Ledger'' in Newark until leaving the newspaper in 2010 to work for the entertainment news website HitFix. He ...

; "All on a Mardi Gras Day" with Overmyer and producer/director Anthony Hemingway; "Wish Someone Would Care" with producer/writer

George Pelecanos George P. Pelecanos (born February 18, 1957) is an American author. Many of his 20 books are in the genre of detective fiction and set primarily in his hometown of Washington, D.C. He is also a film and television producer and a television writ ...

and

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the ABC comedy series '' Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he received a Golden Globe Award, a ...

; and "I'll Fly Away" with Simon and executive producer

Nina Kostroff Noble Nina Kostroff Noble is an American television producer. Early life and education Noble is the daughter of Pat Curtice, who worked as an assistant director on commercials, and Larry Kostroff, who worked in the film industry in various positions ...

. Scene-specific commentaries for all music sections in each episode are done by WWOZ FM-90.7 alum Josh Jackson and Patrick Jarenwattananon, who wrote analyses of ''Treme''s music on NPR.org. The second season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on April 17, 2012, in region 2 on May 28, 2012, and in region 4 on April 4, 2012. Extras include three featurettes–"The Art of ''Treme''", "Behind ''Treme'': Food for Thought", and "Behind ''Treme'': Clarke Peters and the Mardi Gras Indians, as well as "The Music of ''Treme'', a text-only feature displaying the song information during the episodes. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is "Down in the ''Treme'': A Look at the Music and Culture of New Orleans", another text-only feature displaying information about the music, slang, locations, and characters. The sets also include four commentary tracks–"Accentuate the Positive" with director Anthony Hemingway, and actors Kim Dickens and Lucia Micarelli; "Carnival Time" with director Brad Anderson and music supervisor Blake Leyh; "What Is New Orleans?" with writer George Pelecanos and actors Clarke Peters and Rob Brown; and "Do Whatcha Wanna" with creator David Simon, executive producer Nina Kostroff Noble, and actor Wendell Pierce. Like the previous-season release, scene-specific commentaries for all music sections in each episode are done by WBGO's Josh Jackson and NPR Music's Patrick Jarenwattananon. The third season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on November 19, 2013, in region 2 on September 30, 2013, and in region 4 on October 23, 2013. Extras include three featurettes–"Behind ''Treme'': Chef Dinner", "Behind ''Treme'': Neville Brothers", and "Behind ''Treme'': David Simon". Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is "The Music of ''Treme'', a text-only feature displaying the song information during the episodes and "Down in the ''Treme'': A Look at the Music and Culture of New Orleans", another text-only feature displaying information about the music, slang, locations, and characters. The sets also include five audio commentary tracks and scene-specific commentaries for all music sections in each episode by WBGO's Josh Jackson and NPR Music's Patrick Jarenwattananon. The fourth season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on January 28, 2014. Extras include two audio commentaries, for "Yes We Can Can" with creator David Simon and writer George Pelecanos, and for "To Miss New Orleans" with Simon, executive producer Nina Noble and actor Clarke Peters. A complete series Blu-ray box set was also released on January 28, 2014, containing all the episodes and special features from the individual season releases and a bonus disc containing 71 minutes of musical performances featured in the series.

Soundtrack

''Treme: Music From the HBO Original Series, Season 1'' was released by

Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint. Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and ...

on September 28, 2010. The soundtrack includes 19 songs featured in the first season by several jazz artists who appeared on the show, as well as songs performed by cast members. The soundtrack received two

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nominations, for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and for "This City" by Steve Earle as Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media. A second soundtrack, featuring 18 songs in the second season was released on April 17, 2012.

Note

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Treme (Tv Series) 2010s American drama television series 2010 American television series debuts 2013 American television series endings 2010s American music television series English-language television shows Fictional portrayals of the New Orleans Police Department HBO original programming Peabody Award-winning television programs Serial drama television series Television series created by David Simon Television series set in the 2000s Television series by Home Box Office Television shows filmed in New Orleans Television shows set in New Orleans Television shows set in New York City Tremé Television series about Hurricane Katrina Cultural depictions of cooks Works about chefs