Treme (TV series)

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Treme
Treme-intertitle.jpg
Genre Drama
Created by David Simon
Eric Overmyer
Starring Khandi Alexander
Rob Brown
Kim Dickens
India Ennenga
John Goodman
Michiel Huisman
Melissa Leo
Lucia Micarelli
David Morse
Clarke Peters
Wendell Pierce
Jon Seda
Steve Zahn
Opening theme "The Treme Song" by John Boutté
Country of origin United States
Language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 21 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) David Simon
Nina Kostroff Noble
Eric Overmyer
Carolyn Strauss
James Yoshimura
Location(s) New Orleans, Louisiana
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 60 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel HBO
Picture format 1080i HDTV
Audio format Dolby Digital 5.1
Original run April 11, 2010 (2010-04-11) – present
External links
Website

Treme (play /trəˈmeɪ/ trə-MAY) is an American television drama series created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer that premiered on April 11, 2010 on HBO. It takes its name from Tremé, a neighborhood of New Orleans.[1] The series begins three months after Hurricane Katrina where the residents of New Orleans, including musicians, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians, and other New Orleanians try to rebuild their lives, their homes and their unique culture in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane.[1][2][3]

The series has completed its second season and has been renewed for a third season,[4] with a fourth planned to be the final season.[5]

Contents

[edit] Production

[edit] Conception

David Simon and Eric Overmyer first worked together as writers on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street and became friends.[6] They collaborated again on Simon's series The Wire when Overmyer joined the crew as a consulting producer and writer in 2006.[6] Treme was put into development by HBO in 2008 shortly after the conclusion of The Wire. The show was envisioned 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.[3][6]

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.[3] Simon has stated that 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.[7] Simon also consulted with New Orleans musicians Donald Harrison Jr., Kermit Ruffins, Davis Rogan, local chef Susan Spicer, and civil-rights attorney Mary Howell while developing the series.[8][9][10]

[edit] Development

In 2008 HBO commissioned a pilot episode for the series but did not "green-light" a complete series at that time.[6] The pilot was announced at the 2008 Television Critics Association summer press tour.[1] Simon initially hoped to film the pilot episode of the series in 2008 and to continue filming in 2009 if the series was commissioned.[7] The series was planned to film on location and was predicted to be a boost to the New Orleans economy.[7]

The pilot did not actually begin filming in New Orleans until March 9, 2009.[11] Award-winning Polish director Agnieszka Holland was hired to direct the pilot.[11] Holland had worked with the creators previously on The Wire, directing three episodes of that series. After the pilot was written HBO commissioned another ten scripts.

[edit] Crew

A scene from the Tremé part of New Orleans

Simon is a veteran of HBO having developed The Corner, The Wire and Generation Kill with them and is the show runner and an executive producer. Overmyer is an experienced playwright and television writer/producer and is an 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,[8] first hiring local writer Tom Piazza, author of the non-fiction 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 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.[8] Novelist George Pelecanos is also on board as part of the writing staff. Pelecanos was a writer on all five seasons of The Wire.[8]

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. On March 30, 2010, David Mills died suddenly in New Orleans, twelve days before the show's premiere.[12]

Blake Leyh 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.

[edit] Casting

The Wire star Wendell Pierce was the first to be attached to star in the series. His involvement was announced shortly after the pilot was commissioned in July 2008.[13] Pierce is a New Orleans native and plays Antoine Batiste, an accomplished trombonist.[8][14] 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.[15] 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.[14]

Film actor Steve Zahn joined the project in February 2009. Treme is his first series commitment in television. Zahn plays Davis, a DJ and band member/leader in a role that showcases his singing and guitar playing talents.[16][17] Zahn's character is based on series consultant Davis Rogan and shares his first name.[18] Kim Dickens previously of Deadwood and Friday Night Lights was also cast in February 2009 as a chef with a tumultuous relationship with Zahn's character.[16][17] 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.[19] 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.[11][20] 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.[21]

The series casting mirrors that of The Wire in using local actors wherever possible.[9] Local casting took place for the first season in January and February 2009 and continued for season 2 through April 2011 via RPM casting.[22] 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 who had worked with her on the HBO Hurricane Katrina documentary When the Levees Broke.[8] Additionally, well-known New Orleans musician Kermit Ruffins appears as himself in the pilot and guests throughout the series.[23] Other musical guests include Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Elvis Costello, Steve Earle, Justin Townes Earle, Sammie "Big Sam" Williams, Donald Harrison, Jr., Galactic, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Deacon John Moore, The Pine Leaf Boys, Paul Sanchez, Rebirth Brass Band, Treme Brass Band,[24] saxophonist Joe Braun, bassist Matt Perrine, The Pfister Sisters (Holley Bendtsen, Debbie Davis and Yvette Voelker), clarinetist Bruce Brachman, bass drummer "Uncle" Lionel Batiste, vocalist John Boutté, singer/guitarist Coco Robicheaux, pianist Tom McDermott, and vocalists Lloyd Price and Irma Thomas. Hundreds more New Orleanians have appeared in background roles throughout the series.

[edit] Cast and characters

  • Antoine Batiste (Wendell Pierce): A trombonist, constantly hunting for his next gig, Antoine lives with the mother of his infant daughter. He rarely sees his two sons 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 currently 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.
  • LaDonna Batiste-Williams (Khandi Alexander): LaDonna owns and runs a tavern in New Orleans. She commutes between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, where her sons are living with her husband, 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.
  • Antoinette "Toni" Bernette (Melissa Leo): A civil rights lawyer who worked with LaDonna in trying to locate her missing brother. She defends musicians and people abused by the justice system in the city.
  • Sofia Bernette (India Ennenga): Toni and Creighton's teenage daughter.
  • Janette Desautel (Kim Dickens): A struggling chef trying to keep her restaurant open while waiting for insurance to pay for her losses in the storm. She and Davis maintained a casual but tumultuous relationship.
  • Albert "Big Chief" Lambreaux (Clarke Peters): A Mardi Gras Indian chief who 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.
  • Delmond Lambreaux (Rob Brown): The son of Albert, an accomplished trumpet player. He finds himself drawn more to the music and atmosphere of New York 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.
  • Davis McAlary (Steve Zahn): A part-time DJ and musician, Davis is a passionate admirer of New Orleans and its culture. He is constantly seeking to incite social outrage against the injustices inflicted by "The Man".
  • Sonny (Michiel Huisman): A street musician from Amsterdam who met Annie while she was backpacking in Europe. His drug use causes problems for both their professional and personal relationship.
  • Terry Colson (David Morse): An honest police officer working as a shift lieutenant for the NOPD, a friend of Toni Bernette.
  • Nelson Hidalgo (Jon Seda): A politically connected developer and venture capitalist from Dallas, who becomes involved in the renewal efforts in post-Katrina New Orleans.

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Treme episodes

The series premiered on HBO April 11, 2010,[8][25] with an 80-minute pilot episode, the first of a 10 episode season which concluded on June 20, 2010.[2] On April 13, 2010, HBO renewed the series for a second season.[26] The second season premiered April 24, 2011, and concluded on July 3, 2011, consisting of 11 episodes. On May 13, 2011, the series was renewed for a third season[4] to consist of 10 episodes scheduled to premiere in fall 2012.[27]

[edit] Reception

[edit] Critical response

Reception by television critics has been very positive.[28][29] The New York Times critic Alessandra Stanley viewed the series as a sign of the city's inextinguishable joie de vivre.[30] Salon's Heather Havrilesky remarked that Treme "epitomizes the sort of great storytelling we all thirst for on TV but rarely find."[31] 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.[32]

[edit] 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.[33][34] The Times-Picayune 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."[35] Still, not all residents are satisfied with the series. While Simon attempted to recreate post-Katrina New Orleans with precision, subtle anachronisms such as the inclusion of a Hubig's pie in the first episode when such pies were still unavailable riled viewers.[36] Simon prefaced the airing of the first episode with a letter in The Times-Picayune promising not historical accuracy but that it would be "thematically so."[37] Treme includes many location-specific references, as did Simon's The Wire. In response, The Times-Picayune publishes a weekly debriefing of each episode's unexplained New Orleans references called "Treme Explained."[38]

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Primetime Emmy Awards

  • 2010 nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Agnieszka Holland, "Do You Know What It Means (Pilot)")
  • 2010 nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (Steve Earle, "This City")

[edit] Grammy Awards

  • 2010 nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television, or other Visual Media
  • 2010 nomination for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (Steve Earle, "This City")

[edit] Home media releases

[edit] DVD and Blu-ray

The first season of Treme was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 29, 2011. The DVD 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 and Eric Overmyer; "Right Place, Wrong Time" with Wendell Pierce, Khandi Alexander and TV critic Alan Sepinwall; "All on a Mardi Gras Day" with Overmyer and producer/director Anthony Hemingway; "Wish Someone Would Care" with producer/writer George Pelecanos and John Goodman; and "I'll Fly Away" with Simon and executive producer Nina Kostroff Noble. 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.[39]

[edit] Soundtrack

Treme: Music From the HBO Original Series, Season 1 was released by Geffen Records 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.[40] The soundtrack received two Grammy nominations, for "Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media" and "This City" by Steve Earle for "Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media".[39]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c "Wire Creator Heads to New Orleans". Zap2it. July 11, 2008. http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-hbopilots-tca,0,3595323.story. Retrieved July 13, 2008. 
  2. ^ a b "New HBO Drama Series Treme, Created and Executive Produced by David Simon and Eric Overmyer, to Debut in April" (Press release). HBO. January 14, 2010. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20100114hbo09. Retrieved January 15, 2010}. 
  3. ^ a b c Talbot, Margaret (October 22, 2007). "Stealing Life". The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/10/22/071022fa_fact_talbot?currentPage=1. Retrieved October 22, 2007. 
  4. ^ a b Hibberd, James (May 13, 2011). "HBO renews 'Treme' for third season". Entertainment Weekly. http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/05/13/hbo-renews-treme-for-third-season/. Retrieved May 13, 2011. 
  5. ^ Walker, Dave (October 31, 2011). "Today in 'Treme:' Season 3 shooting starts; new characters revealed". The Times-Picayune. http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2011/10/today_in_treme_s3_shooting_sta.html. Retrieved November 5, 2011. 
  6. ^ a b c d "Exclusive David Simon Q&A". Borderline Productions. August 16, 2006. http://www.borderline-productions.com/TheWireHBO/exclusive-17.html. Retrieved October 14, 2007. 
  7. ^ a b c Walker, Dave (July 10, 2008). "HBO sets drama series in Treme with focus on city's musicians". The Times-Picayune. http://blog.nola.com/davewalker/2008/07/hbo_sets_drama_series_in_treme.html. Retrieved July 13, 2008. 
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Walker, Dave (March 7, 2009). "HBO planning series set in post-Katrina New Orleans". The Times-Picayune. http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/hbo_planning_series_set_in_pos.html. Retrieved March 12, 2009. 
  9. ^ a b Walker, Dave (July 10, 2008). "More on David Simon's 'Treme'". The Times-Picayune. http://blog.nola.com/davewalker/2008/07/more_on_david_simons_treme.html. Retrieved July 13, 2008. 
  10. ^ Walker, Dave (April 9, 2010). "Meet the real New Orleanians who inspired the characters in HBO's 'Treme'". The Times-Picayune. http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2010/04/meet_the_real_new_orleanians_w.html. Retrieved April 25, 2011. 
  11. ^ a b c Littleton, Cynthia (March 9, 2009). "Melissa Leo joins HBO pilot". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001012?refCatId=14. Retrieved March 12, 2009. 
  12. ^ Trescott, Jacqueline; de Moraes, Lisa (April 1, 2010). "Obituary: David Mills, 48, journalist, Emmy-winning TV writer". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/31/AR2010033101772.html. Retrieved April 4, 2010. 
  13. ^ Walker, Dave (July 11, 2008). "New Orleans native Wendell Pierce set to star in 'Treme'". The Times-Picayune. http://blog.nola.com/davewalker/2008/07/treme_script_wowed_hbo_exec.html. Retrieved July 13, 2008. 
  14. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (August 7, 2008). "Familiar faces in David Simon pilot". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/08/07/us-treme-idUSN0731368420080807. Retrieved March 12, 2009. 
  15. ^ "'Wire' Vets Join HBO's 'Treme'". Zap2it. August 7, 2008. http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-wirecastmembersjointreme,0,4897307.story. Retrieved March 12, 009. 
  16. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (February 2, 2009). "Steve Zahn circles 'Treme'". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-zahn-circles-treme-78704. Retrieved March 12, 2009. 
  17. ^ a b "HBO's 'Treme,' 'Empire' Add to Casts". Zap2it. February 4, 2009. http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-hbocasting-stevezahntreme,0,2802441.story. Retrieved March 12, 2009. 
  18. ^ Walker, Dave (April 9, 2009). "Meet the real New Orleanians who inspired the characters in HBO's 'Treme'". The Times-Picayune. http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2010/04/meet_the_real_new_orleanians_w.html. Retrieved October 16, 2010. 
  19. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 10, 2009). "Slew of castings for HBO drama pilots". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/slew-castings-hbo-drama-pilots-79138. Retrieved March 24, 2009. 
  20. ^ Bierly, Mandi (March 10, 2009). "Melissa Leo signs on to David Simon's HBO pilot, 'Treme'". Entertainment Weekly. http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/03/10/melissa-leo-dav/. Retrieved March 12, 2009. 
  21. ^ Walker, Dave (January 6, 2010). "HBO's Treme adds John Goodman to cast". The Times-Picayune. http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2010/01/hbos_treme_adds_john_goodman_t.html. Retrieved January 11, 2010. 
  22. ^ Walker, Dave (October 26, 2009). "Calling all HBO 'Treme' extras!". The Times-Picayune. http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2009/10/calling_all_hbo_treme_extras.html. Retrieved November 5, 2011. 
  23. ^ Walker, Dave (March 12, 2009). "HBO's 'Treme' christened with an impromptu barbecue by Basin Street Records' own Kermit Ruffins". The Times-Picayune. http://blog.nola.com/davewalker/2009/03/kermit_ruffins_christens_start.html. Retrieved March 29, 2009. 
  24. ^ Williams, Wyatt (January 14, 2010). "HBO releases Treme details". Creative Loafing Atlanta. http://clatl.com/culturesurfing/archives/2010/01/14/hbo-releases-treme-details/. Retrieved January 14, 2010. 
  25. ^ "Shows A-Z - Treme on HBO". The Futon Critic. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/treme/listings/. Retrieved January 14, 2010. 
  26. ^ Tucker, Ken (April 13, 2010). "Treme renewed by HBO for a second season: Start a parade!". Entertainment Weekly. http://watching-tv.ew.com/2010/04/13/treme-renewed-hbo/. Retrieved April 13, 2010. 
  27. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (January 19, 2012). "HBO delays 'Treme' premiere until fall". HitFix. http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/hbo-delays-treme-premiere-until-fall. Retrieved January 20, 2012. 
  28. ^ "Treme: Season 1". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/tv/treme/season-1. Retrieved August 22, 2010. 
  29. ^ "Treme: Season 2". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/tv/treme/season-2. Retrieved December 30, 2011. 
  30. ^ Stanley, Alessandra (April 8, 2010). "After Katrina, Staying Afloat With Music". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/arts/television/09treme.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved August 22, 2010. 
  31. ^ Havrilesky, Heather (April 4, 2010). "David Simon's magnificent, melancholy "Treme"". Salon.com. http://www.salon.com/2010/04/04/david_simon_s_treme/. Retrieved August 22, 2010. 
  32. ^ Reed, Jr., Adolph (July 4, 2011). "Three Tremés". nonsite.org. http://nonsite.org/editorial/three-tremes. Retrieved December 30, 2011. 
  33. ^ Robertson, Campbell (April 12, 2010). "Gathering to Watch Their City’s Star Turn". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/us/13orleans.html?_r=1&hpw. Retrieved August 23, 2010. 
  34. ^ Walker, Dave (June 27, 2010). "A recap of HBO's 'Treme' with TV critic Dave Walker". The Times-Picayune. http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2010/06/a_recap_of_hbos_treme_with_tv.html. Retrieved August 22, 2010. 
  35. ^ Walker, Dave (April 9, 2010). "HBO's Treme finally gets New Orleans right". The Times-Picayune. http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2010/04/treme_is_probably_as_good_as_i.html. Retrieved August 22, 2010. 
  36. ^ Bonisteel, Sara (April 13, 2010). "Food in the New Orleans drama 'Treme'". CNN. http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/13/food-in-the-new-orleans-drama-treme/. Retrieved August 22, 2010. 
  37. ^ "HBO's 'Treme' creator David Simon explains it all for you". The Times-Picayune. April 11, 2010. http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2010/04/hbos_treme_creator_david_simon.html. Retrieved August 22, 2010. 
  38. ^ Walker, Dave (April 11, 2010). "HBO's 'Treme' explained: 'Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?'". The Times-Picayune. http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2010/04/hbos_treme_explained_do_you_kn.html. Retrieved August 22, 2010. 
  39. ^ a b Bailey, Jason (March 29, 2011). "Treme: The Complete First Season (Blu-Ray)". DVD Talk. http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/47405/treme-the-complete-first-season/. Retrieved April 2, 2011. 
  40. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (September 1, 2010). "'Treme' soundtrack gets release date, track listing". HitFix. http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/treme-soundtrack-gets-release-date-track-listing. Retrieved December 8, 2010. 

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