Treme

Tremé takes its name from a neighborhood of New Orleans and portrays life in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane. Beginning three months after Hurricane Katrina, the residents of New Orleans, including musicians, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians, and other New Orleanians struggle to rebuild their lives, their homes and their unique culture.

Treme (2010-2013) is an American HBO prestige drama created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer. Set in the New Orleans neighborhood of Tremé, the four-season series begins three months after Hurricane Katrina and follows a loose ensemble of residents trying to rebuild their lives, homes and unique culture. Wendell Pierce plays Antoine Batiste, a trombone player scraping together gigs while searching for his place in a changed city, and Khandi Alexander plays LaDonna Batiste-Williams, a bar owner fighting to reopen her business and hold her family together. Clarke Peters plays Albert Lambreaux, a Mardi Gras Indian chief whose ceremonial traditions anchor the community, while Kim Dickens plays Janette Desautel, a chef navigating a restaurant scene that has lost much of its clientele. Rob Brown, Melissa Leo and Jon Seda fill out the cast as lawyers, activists and musicians pulled into the same struggle. Rather than building toward a single climax, the show moves at the pace of daily life, with each episode built from street parades, jam sessions, kitchen work, courtroom delays and bureaucratic frustration. The tone is warm, melancholic and deeply rooted in local music, food and speech. Fans of The Wire, with its patient social texture and institutional frustration, and of Nashville, with its music-driven ensemble, will find resonance here.

Critics and audiences broadly admire Treme for its authentic portrayal of New Orleans culture, music and resilience after Hurricane Katrina, though its slow, loosely plotted pace divides viewers.

• The Wireslow burn ensemble social drama, city as character, institutional failure
• Generation Killpost disaster community rebuilding, grounded prestige drama tone
• Nashvillemusic driven cultural drama, rich local identity, ensemble of artists

Created by

David Simon, Eric Overmyer

Release Date

2010-04-11

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

8.3 / 10 (169)

What is Treme about?

In the year after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans musicians, chefs and Mardi Gras Indians struggle to rebuild their homes and their culture in the Tremé neighborhood.

What is Treme like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Treme as slow, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Treme violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Treme as mild.

What did critics think of Treme?

Critics and audiences broadly admire Treme for its authentic portrayal of New Orleans culture, music and resilience after Hurricane Katrina, though its slow, loosely plotted pace divides viewers.

Which shows are like Treme?

Shows with a similar feel include The Wire, Generation Kill, and Nashville.

How long is Treme?

Treme: 4 seasons, 36 episodes.

Is Treme still running?

No, Treme has ended.

Where can I watch Treme?

In United States, Treme streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.