 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 . Its principal cast consisted of Matthew McConaughey , Woody Harrelson , Michelle Monaghan , Michael Potts , and Tory Kittles . The season had eight episodes ; its initial airing concluded on March 16 , 2014. Unterscheidung zwischen dem US- und dem internationalen Serien-Markt. 12 Jan 2014 - 1 hr 12 min - Uploaded by HBOTrue Detective Season 1 Episode 1 - Episode 