Since Breaking Bad finished most of us have been fumbling around conversations like three-or-more people in a lift, not knowing what to say and endlessly flicking through Netflix to look for something else to watch. Is True Detective about to change that?

It certainly has the hallmarks of a modern classic: the eerie take on a procedural Drama set in the increasingly prevalent locale of America’s southern belt; the leading cast is both renown and talented, and it’s got a big shiny HBO sticker on it.

True Detective

Perhaps the only aspect of the show that might damage its chances of replacing everyone’s favourite meth drama is the fact that it’s an anthology series, changing up the plot, location and cast with each season. This means the character development explored in boxset shows like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad won't be a factor.

The reviews, though, are good, and the moody drama will certainly provide an 8-episode reprieve for those of us looking for that ‘next show’ to get obsessed with. Here are come of the critics’ thoughts:

“The acting--by Matthew Mcconaughey and Woody Harrelson--is off the charts. The writing and the concept, by series creator and novelist Nic Pizzolatto, undulates from effectively brash soliloquies to penetratingly nuanced moments carried by sparse prose. Lastly, director Cary Joji Fukunaga has created a beautiful, sprawling sense of place (the series is shot and set in Louisiana).” – Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter.

“The drama unfolds in a series of flashbacks separated by many years. Hart and Cohle, no longer young, end up reporting on the past in separate interviews—a formula carried off with subtlety and high intelligence, like everything else in this detective story.” – Dorothy Rabinowitz of The Wall Street Journal.

“Each season of this anthology drama tells a new story with a new cast, but McConaughey and Harrelson are so good, you immediately begin grieving the prospect of getting only eight episodes with them.” – Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly

“The dialogue is rich, colorful and provocative, adding to the gothic sensibilities of the series. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga makes great use of the Louisiana location, giving it as much importance to the story as the characters of Cohle and Hart. All the performances are superb, but those of McConaughey and Harrelson are in a class by themselves.” – David Wiegand of The San Fransico Chronicle.

The season premiere of True Detective is on Sunday, January 12th at 9 PM. And now that you've seen why the critics excited, here's 5 reasons why we're excited.