Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Final 'Treme' season to feature five episodes

Production to begin on November 5th

By Alan Sepinwall Friday, Oct 26, 2012 4:56 PM

Clarke Peters and Rob Brown in "Tremé."

Credit: HBO

Last month, HBO ordered a fourth and final season of "Tremé," giving creators David Simon and Eric Overmyer a lump sum of money to stretch as far as they could. At the time, Simon told me they would likely be able to make somewhere between 4 and 6 episodes, and today it was announced that the creative team had split the difference and settled on 5.

A post on the show's Facebook page (which I confirmed with HBO) says "Strike up the band. Production on the 5-episode final season of Treme begins November 5th."

The current season still has 5 episodes to go, starting with one this Sunday at 10.

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Related Searches: Treme, David Simon, Wendell Pierce, Melissa Leo, Steve Zahn, Clarke Peters, David Morse, Khandi Alexander, Eric Overmyer

tim_masterson

It's better than nothing. I hope it's enough to tell whatever story they wanted to tell.
October 26, 2012 at 5:09PM EST Reply to Comment
- Omagus Yeah, this is my thinking too. But I trust a David Simon project to be able to tell the story that it wants once he knows exactly how much time he has.
  October 26, 2012 at 5:11PM EST
MotionPicturesComics

Good news! (Though am I being ungrateful to HBO to be a little disappointed they couldn't give Treme a full 10-episode final season?) If my count is correct this means we have ten total episodes remaining of the best show currently on television.
October 26, 2012 at 5:10PM EST Reply to Comment
- Omagus I'm grateful that we got what we did. HBO probably would have been fully justified in canceling the series at any point after its first season.
  October 26, 2012 at 5:12PM EST
- rugman11 I think it's a little ungrateful considering that, by all rights, HBO probably should have just canceled it outright. But they want to be in the David Simon business, so they're shelling out money they probably won't get back to give him the opportunity to craft an ending. I think that's reasonable.
  October 26, 2012 at 5:27PM EST
- Matt Of course it's his opinion; he's the one saying it.
  October 26, 2012 at 8:59PM EST
- TVShowFan Good show? Yes. "The best show currently on television"...? Um...no lolololol
  October 27, 2012 at 1:25AM EST
scottduncanh

It's not going to be easy letting go of Treme, I've really come to love this show over the course of its slow burn. It goes beyond the characters and the culture of New Orleans that make the Treme so compelling. As with The Wire, Simon is shedding light on corruption and decay in the modern American urban landscape. I now consider Treme essential viewing.

The question is: after Baltimore and New Orleans, where next?

Anyways, wanted to show some support for Treme here, couldn't leave the troll kicking a good show when it's down, IMO.
October 26, 2012 at 8:19PM EST Reply to Comment
alynch

You know, considering that they begin filming in little more than a week and that it won't be a particularly lengthy production, HBO could theoretically use those five episodes to fill in some of that January-March gap they've got coming up.
October 26, 2012 at 10:12PM EST Reply to Comment
- Weez I wouldn't really say they've got a gap, but they are missing an hour-long drama during that time period. However season two for both Girls and Enlightened will be airing, and their new documentary series/show, Vice, will also premiere during that time. Then it's time for some Game of Thrones action (which could be airing alongside Veep again, and maybe even the fourth season of Eastbound & Down if they're planning on pairing up Veep and The Newsroom).
  
  Either way, glad to hear that HBO has learned from canceling some of their series too early (Deadwood, Carnivàle, Rome), and is giving Simon a chance to finish off this incredible story. Slowly but surely, Treme has become one of my favorite shows (and one of the best, at that) currently airing.
  October 26, 2012 at 11:59PM EST
belinda

Awwww *tear* I didn't realize that was the arrangement, but I guess it's better than what I expected, which is cancellation after this season. 5 more episodes is 5 more episodes, and I trust Simon to do a good job ending the series in some manner (not that it really matters, in some way, given how the show flows. It's not like it'll end in some cliffhanger or anything.)

I sure will miss having it on tv though. There's something comforting about having Treme around to watch, and now there's only 10 eps left.
October 27, 2012 at 12:16AM EST Reply to Comment
Nairdan

I´m sure they´re going to do five 90-minute episodes, like the series finales they used to do.
October 27, 2012 at 4:03AM EST Reply to Comment
EG

Greedmongers. Instead of pushing Boardwalk Empire with a cast full of sociopaths, this uplifting, life-affirming show never got the push it deserved. I'm cancelling cable after Treme wraps- THIS is the excuse I've been looking for to save $100 a month.
October 27, 2012 at 9:12AM EST Reply to Comment
evolution1085

Alan, do you think 2 2.5 hours might be better storytelling vehicles then 5 hour installments?
October 27, 2012 at 10:27AM EST Reply to Comment
Oddly obsessed wih Lance Reddick

In other words, five (5) last chances to bring in musician/actor/Simon-alum-extraordinaire LANCE REDDICK. With Fringe out of the way (not that it was ever eating up much of Reddick's schedule), it's time to make it happen, people!!
October 27, 2012 at 4:10PM EST Reply to Comment
- LJA I've been waiting for them to tap Bryan Batt for a scene (such as, with Davis' Aunt Mimi); but so far, nothing. Batt's family has run in the societal and political circles of New Orleans for a couple of generations, at least.
  October 27, 2012 at 4:51PM EST
- Hank Scorpio Bring back Herc to play that new mayor of NOLA! Also, any cameo by Sonja Sohn (sp?) us always welcome.
  October 29, 2012 at 12:59PM EST
toronto

my husband and I ate up Treme seasons 1 & 2 in about a week, then signed on for TMN so we could catch up with the current season. I thought for sure with the strength of the 3rd season that they'd renew it for a full 4th, so that's pretty disappointing. They finally hit their stride, it's a tight show now and exciting to watch. Gotta wonder about HBO sometimes.
October 29, 2012 at 3:59PM EST Reply to Comment
- Post a comment...
  November 1, 2012 at 1:42AM EST

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Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Final 'Treme' season to feature five episodes

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tim_masterson It's better than nothing. I hope it's enough to tell whatever story they wanted to tell.

Omagus Yeah, this is my thinking too. But I trust a David Simon project to be able to tell the story that it wants once he knows exactly how much time he has.

MotionPicturesComics Good news! (Though am I being ungrateful to HBO to be a little disappointed they couldn't give Treme a full 10-episode final season?) If my count is correct this means we have ten total episodes remaining of the best show currently on television.

Omagus I'm grateful that we got what we did. HBO probably would have been fully justified in canceling the series at any point after its first season.

Matt Of course it's his opinion; he's the one saying it.

TVShowFan Good show? Yes. "The best show currently on television"...? Um...no lolololol

alynch You know, considering that they begin filming in little more than a week and that it won't be a particularly lengthy production, HBO could theoretically use those five episodes to fill in some of that January-March gap they've got coming up.

Nairdan I´m sure they´re going to do five 90-minute episodes, like the series finales they used to do.

EG Greedmongers. Instead of pushing Boardwalk Empire with a cast full of sociopaths, this uplifting, life-affirming show never got the push it deserved. I'm cancelling cable after Treme wraps- THIS is the excuse I've been looking for to save $100 a month.

evolution1085 Alan, do you think 2 2.5 hours might be better storytelling vehicles then 5 hour installments?

Oddly obsessed wih Lance Reddick In other words, five (5) last chances to bring in musician/actor/Simon-alum-extraordinaire LANCE REDDICK. With Fringe out of the way (not that it was ever eating up much of Reddick's schedule), it's time to make it happen, people!!

LJA I've been waiting for them to tap Bryan Batt for a scene (such as, with Davis' Aunt Mimi); but so far, nothing. Batt's family has run in the societal and political circles of New Orleans for a couple of generations, at least.

Hank Scorpio Bring back Herc to play that new mayor of NOLA! Also, any cameo by Sonja Sohn (sp?) us always welcome.

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tim_masterson

It's better than nothing. I hope it's enough to tell whatever story they wanted to tell.

MotionPicturesComics

Good news! (Though am I being ungrateful to HBO to be a little disappointed they couldn't give Treme a full 10-episode final season?) If my count is correct this means we have ten total episodes remaining of the best show currently on television.

alynch

You know, considering that they begin filming in little more than a week and that it won't be a particularly lengthy production, HBO could theoretically use those five episodes to fill in some of that January-March gap they've got coming up.

Nairdan

I´m sure they´re going to do five 90-minute episodes, like the series finales they used to do.

EG

Greedmongers. Instead of pushing Boardwalk Empire with a cast full of sociopaths, this uplifting, life-affirming show never got the push it deserved. I'm cancelling cable after Treme wraps- THIS is the excuse I've been looking for to save $100 a month.

evolution1085

Alan, do you think 2 2.5 hours might be better storytelling vehicles then 5 hour installments?

Oddly obsessed wih Lance Reddick

In other words, five (5) last chances to bring in musician/actor/Simon-alum-extraordinaire LANCE REDDICK. With Fringe out of the way (not that it was ever eating up much of Reddick's schedule), it's time to make it happen, people!!

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