The Wire Creators' New Series To Focus On Musicians In Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans

David Simon and Eric Overmyer, creators of the hit The Wire television series, have put their brains together for a new program called Treme, which will examine the lives of musicians and other professionals in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.

The show, which will debut on HBO on April 11, follows New Orleans musicians who are trying to rebuild their lives and the city's culture following Hurricane Katrina, according to a press release. It's entirely fictional, but based on actual events that happened following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"As much as possible, we're trying to show fealty to the post-Katrina history," Overmyer told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Wendell Pierce (Bunk Moreland on The Wire) plays a trombonist in the series, which also stars Steve Zahn (Reality Bites, Saving Silverman) a DJ and musician with anger problems. Zahn will reportedly spend a good part of Treme singing and playing guitar, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans in August 2005, was the largest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Heavy rainfall caused the city's levees to break, leading to severe flooding. About 1,800 people lost their lives due to the hurricane and floods, and the Katrina caused over $100 billion U.S. worth of damage to New Orleans. Thousands of New Orleanians were displaced by the flooding, many of whom are still living in trailers and makeshift homes.

Here's a trailer for Treme: