Treme

Reviews are up for Treme, the new David Simon show set in New Orleans, which begins Sunday on HBO.

Hank Stuever's informed review in the Post is very positive. The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan is a bit more critical of the show, but still finds things to like.

With the Wire, Simon was writing about his own town. Now, he's writing about someone else's town. It's cause for skepticism, but still, I'd give him a better chance of coming close to getting things right than just about anyone else. Plus, Bunk is in the show.

New Orleans fell out of U.S. attention a few years ago, but now it's getting more ink, with the Super Bowl win in January and a new mayor taking office next month (not the guy I would have picked, but he just might do some good things). The fifth anniversary of the storm is in August.

I imagine the increased attention helps tourism, which is good for a city who's economy has long relied heavily on vacationers and convention goers.