HBO’s True Detective Season 3 Sees Ratings Decline in Premiere

January 15, 2019

HBO’s new season of True Detective got off to a rather lackluster start, snaring 1.4 million total viewers for its first episode and 1.2 million viewers for its second episode (via The Wrap). The numbers are a far cry from the 3.2 million people that tuned in for the season 2 premiere though, and a sizable drop from the 2.3 million that watched the Season 1 premiere.

The news is not all bad, however, as the report states that when counting time-shifted viewing, replays and streaming, the Season 3 premiere starring Mahershala Ali actually reached 2.3 million viewers, while the second hit 1.6 million. The numbers are better than the debuts of Amy Adams’ Sharp Objects (1.3 million), and Big Little Lies (1.1 million).

The third season of the anthology series is set in the heart of the Ozarks wherein a disturbing crime occurs and a mystery that deepens over decades plays out in the three separate time periods. Oscar-winner Ali will portray Wayne Hays, a state police detective from Northwest Arkansas, while Carmen Ejogo will portray Arkansas schoolteacher Amelia Reardon, who shares a connection with two missing children in 1980. Fisher will play Freddy Burns, Wayne’s son, and Rhys Wakefield, Michael Greyeyes and Jon Tenney will play recurring characters Henry Hays, Brett Woodard, and Alan Jones, respectively. Mamie Gummer also stars.

True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto serves as the showrunner and one of the executive producers will be the sole writer of the third season with the exception of episode four, which he co-wrote with David Milch. Jeremy Saulnier, another executive producer, will act as the director alongside Pizzolatto, the latter making his directorial debut. Daniel Sackheim (The Americans, Jack Ryan) will also helm a number of episodes.

Scott Stephens, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson (topliners for True Detective season one), Cary Joki Fukunaga (who directed season one), Steve Golin, Bard Dorros, and Richard Brown are also serving as executive producers.

True Detective Season 3 will premiere on January 13, 2019, on HBO.

True Detective Season 3

True Detective Season 3
True Detective Season 3
True Detective Season 3
True Detective Season 3
True Detective Season 3
True Detective Season 3

Jeff lives and breathes all things sports and entertainment! As a die-hard Seahawks fan and devoted Utah Jazz supporter, you'll often find him cheering his heart out for his favorite teams. Jeff's passion for movies is unrivaled, and he has channeled that enthusiasm into a successful stint at ComingSoon.net. When he's not immersed in the world of media, Jeff loves spending quality time swearing at his favorite sports teams with his family. He also loves hats.