True Detective did not air on HBO.
Nic Pizzolatto . He is best known for creating the HBO crime drama series True Detective . Rustin Spencer `` Rust '' Cohle is a fictional character in the first season of the anthology crime drama television series True Detective on HBO . True Detective . The first season , starring Matthew McConaughey , Woody Harrelson , Michelle Monaghan , Michael Potts , and Tory Kittles , takes place in Louisiana and follows a pair of Louisiana State Police homicide detectives , and their pursuit of a serial killer over a 17-year period . The first season received generally excellent reviews from critics and earned high ratings for HBO . The first season of True Detective , an American anthology crime drama television series created by Nic Pizzolatto , premiered on January 12 , 2014 on the premium cable network HBO .