The new series of True Detective plus 2019’s most eagerly-awaited TV shows

Created by the award-winning writer, Nic Pizzolatto, True Detective was initially conceived as a novel until the Louisiana author realised it would work better as an anthology TV series. First airing in 2014, season one focused on two Louisiana State Police detectives, played by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, as they reopened their investigation into the 17-year-old murder of a prostitute. An instant hit with critics and audiences alike, the series earned Golden Globe and Emmy nods for its two leads, and a BAFTA for Best International TV Show. In 2015, season two of the series shifted from Louisiana to California for a story involving officers from three co-operating police departments. Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Vince Vaughn headed up the starry cast.

This week, the stylish drama returns for its longawaited third season. Focusing on a child-murder case that plays out over the course of 35 years, this new storyline is set in the Ozarks and stars Oscarwinner Mahershala Ali ( Moonlight), Stephen Dorff, Carmen Ejogo and Ray Fisher. In the opening episode, the disappearance of two Arkansas youngsters in 1980 triggers vivid memories and enduring questions for retired detective Wayne Hays (Ali), who worked the case 35 years ago with his then-partner Roland West (Dorff). As ever in the world of True Detective, what starts out as a routine case becomes a long and harrowing journey to make sense of a life-changing event.