Battle Creek: 10 Things We Already Know About Vince Gilligan's Next Masterpiece

4. It's Kind Of Like True Detective But Not Really

Two cops with two radically different approaches. That's the bare-bones premise of Battle Creek, True Detective and more or less every buddy cop series and movie ever made, so don't let the similarities to other material get you down; police stories are not made great based on the originality of their concept, but on the quality and execution of its storytelling. The Wire is a show about cops and robbers when you boil it down. Anybody doubt that the talent behind this show will be able to make Battle Creek more than just another crime procedural? Yeah, I didn't think so. The comparisons between Battle Creek and True Detective are born purely from their proximity, and as Detectives Rust Cohle and Marty Hart are an odd pair in a very different way to Battle Creek's leads (I hardly expect either will be quite as violent with suspects or as bleak about the future of humanity, for instance) I can't see any reason for either show to have to suffer because of the other's existence. Battle Creek sounds like it'll be a lot lighter for one thing, and that's not a pre-emptive criticism; True Detective is about as serious as it comes, and although Breaking Bad had insane peaks of tension and horror, it was also hilarious on a pretty regular basis. As for me, I'm just fine with a slice of gallows humour with my grim and gritty crime shows.