Treme ( ) is an American drama television series created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer that aired on HBO. The series premiered on April 11, 2010, and concluded on December 29, 2013, comprising four seasons and 36 episodes. The series features an ensemble cast including Khandi Alexander, Rob Brown, Chris Coy, Kim Dickens, India Ennenga, John Goodman, Michiel Huisman, Melissa Leo, Lucia Micarelli, David Morse, Clarke Peters, Wendell Pierce, Jon Seda, and Steve Zahn, as well as musical performances by a number of New Orleans–based artists.
The series takes its name from Tremé, a neighborhood of New Orleans. It begins three months after Hurricane Katrina as the residents, 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 and the subsequent severe flooding of the city.
It received generally favorable reviews, 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 in New Orleans. She was formerly married to Antoine, with whom she has two sons. She commutes between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, where she lives with her sons and her current husband, Larry Williams (Lance E. Nichols), a dentist. Williams pressures her 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 as Creighton Bernette (season 1, guest star season 2) – Toni's husband, an English professor at Tulane University. He is working on a novel about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 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 as Sonny – A street musician from Amsterdam, 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 violinist, she plays music on the streets of the French Quarter 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 as Antoine Batiste – A trombonist, 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 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 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; 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.
Recurring Lance E. Nichols as Larry Williams – LaDonna's husband and a dentist based in Baton Rouge. He strongly urges LaDonna to move to Baton Rouge, after selling her bar and her 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. 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 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. Rio Hackford as Toby – a record store owner and old high school friend of Davis. Steve Earle as Harley Wyatt (seasons 1–2) – A talented street musician who mentors Annie Tee. David Chang 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 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 and Janette's partner for her new restaurant. Taryn Terrell as Cindy (season 3) – a friend of Nelson Hidalgo.
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 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, 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, and Generation Kill with them, and is the showrunner 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 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 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'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 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.
Casting The Wire star Wendell Pierce 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.