Treme

Yes, if you're a fan of David Simon you probably will be disappointed, but hold judgment until you've experienced both episode 1 and episode 2. In the first hour of the pilot there is a sense of the surreal. We feel a disconnect with the city and its characters. We catch glimpses of former New Orleans life but try as we might there is nothing drawing us in. New Orleans and its people are in a catatonic state. The city no longer has a soul. An hour doesn't seem that long but I must admit after sixty dreary minutes I was ready to pack it in, and then in the second hour the magic of Simon began creeping out of the cracks and crevices. It wasn't enough to convince me a compelling story would emerge, but it was enough for me to give it a second chance. A great story requires more of a setup than audiences are willing to give a writer these days. Thank god Simon never lets that influence him.

About a third of the way into episode two Simon had me. If you saw The Wire, that's probably the only criticism I had left. I can still see Bunk and Freamon. They were incredibly powerful characters and it's hard to dissociate Pierce and Peters from those parts. Wendell Pierce fills up a honky tonk stage as Antoine Batiste but aside from his trombone playing, I still expect him to wake up the next morning and head off to investigate another homicide. Same with Clarke Peters as the Indian. He's embraced his new role and already put his stamp on it, but in my mind he's still the recalcitrant Baltimore detective. I guess you could say that's pretty petty stuff. The new ensemble took over in the second episode and I can't wait for more. This is shaping up to be as good as The Wire.

The Wire was a great show. Rather than imitating the backdrop that made The Wire tick....homicide, drugs, corruption, David Simon has created a program with the same reality, different circumstances. I have enjoyed both episodes and am already a fan. Treme showcases the people of New Orleans. Not as victims but simply as a community that has taken a very hard hit and are attempting to move forward. As a side story, it also focuses on the musicians that provide the soundtrack for the city and their own ways of balancing life with art and trying to give the impression that, on the outside, they care as much about family as they do about feeding their primary goal, playing. There is a lot going on but there are a lot of characters, back stories and lives interconnecting. Eric and David are doing a very good job at the set up, providing glimpses at personal lives to act as puzzle pieces for the whole picture.

My first impression, from watching episode one, was that the writing did not have the flow of "The Wire" it was trying too hard to register the many characters and to quickly tick off the various "types" that make up New Orleans society. Bunk and Freeman were too firmly placed in my memory for me to make the leap to Antoine and Albert. As for the Steve Zahn character, I instantly took a dislike to him and found him unrealistic in the extreme.

By the time we had reached the scene with the Big Chief emerging from the dark, I had become hooked. The characters started to make sense. The generous helping of musical scenes produced what must be the finest portrayal of live music and musicians I have ever seen. I could not wait to catch episode two.

I have now watched the first two episodes twice and all my first impressions have been blown away. Once you get to know the characters and can watch their introduction again, things start to make sense. Steve Zahn? What a brilliant comic creation. Just watch the intro to episode two, his creeping around Elvis Costello, his first day on the job. Absolutely first rate, The shocking introduction of violence, suddenly alters ones perceptions of a major character. Bunk, still lingers in the memory, but Antoine's blowing is going to change all that. I was not familiar with Khandi Alexander, but am now a major fan. Her performance is charismatic in the extreme.

I know that this series is not going to be to everyone's liking, but then neither is Shakespeare or Dickens. However, for those who enjoy a multi-faceted piece of work that can examine society in minute detail whilst never failing to entertain, this will surely rank as a major piece of American art.

As a local who lived here during Katrina, I find this show particularly moving and powerful.

There have been so many films, documentaries, novels, etc. about New Orleans, and most tend to sensationalize or to give non-locals what they want or expect to see. This is the most real portrait of the city I've seen, and it does justice to the spirit of the city. Living here is a strange experience because it feels like a small town: you run into the same people again and again; people are always eager to show newcomers where to eat or drink or listen to music; people are very friendly; people do tend to cringe when visitors never stray from Bourbon (even though Bourbon is fun); people do have a fierce loyalty to local bars, restaurants, etc. Simon really captures all of this in the show.

I never saw The Wire, but I'm impressed with the style of giving snapshots of the city or characters to build portraits of the people and the atmosphere - particularly the second line parade, John Goodman's character reading the Tulane renewal plan (brought back some painful memories for me personally), the Mardi Gras Indian practice, the reaction of people walking into a house or bar for the first time since the storm and surveying the damage.

My main concern for this show: I have no idea how non-New Orleanians will feel about it. So much of my enjoyment of the show is rooted in seeing people I know and finally seeing a director do justice to some of the most wonderful things about this city. But I'm not sure how I would feel if I weren't so emotionally invested in it.

Treme is an absorbing viewing experience. It is thought provoking and on occasion it works on your deepest emotions. But Treme, first and foremost, is a story of modern-day New Orleans, its incredible music and the magical characters who inhabit that unique town. If you love music – from Cajun to blues to bluegrass to 'bounce' to every kind of imaginable jazz and God only knows what else, then just relax and luxuriate in a wonderfully stimulating and very special TV series.

The makers of 'The Wire' have come up with a TV series that is quite unlike any other drama series you will ever watch. More often than not, the myriad plots and lives of the inhabitants seem to go nowhere – but it just doesn't seem to matter. Because that is the true nature of life, especially in places like New Orleans. A city where most of the folk are dirt poor, where the crime rate is going through the roof; and despite all the earlier promises of aid made to them following the devastation of their city by Hurricane Katrina, they have effectively been deserted by the Federal government. At its core, Treme is about its music and the people who make it and love it. Music is at the heart of this incredible show. If music is in your soul, then seek out 'Treme'.