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True Detective legends reunite for new comedy portraying 'fictionalised versions of themselves' in new first look as release date confirmed

Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson star in Brothers.

Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey in Brothers, sat next to each other. McConaughey is pointing forward and Harrelson is holding a guitar and smiling.

Apple TV

Published: Thursday, 18 June 2026 at 3:23 pm

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A first-look image has been released for Brothers, the new eight-part Apple TV comedy series reuniting True Detective stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

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It has also been confirmed that the series will debut on Wednesday 23 September with the first two episodes, followed by one new episode dropping every Wednesday until the finale arrives on 4 November.

The synopsis for Brothers says that it "follows McConaughey and Harrelson, who play fictionalised versions of themselves, and whose friendship is thrown into chaos when they uncover a decades-old secret: they might actually be brothers".

The synopsis continues: "After Woody’s daughter’s wedding falls apart, he loads up the family and heads to Austin for an extended stay at Matthew’s ranch. But what begins as a healing getaway quickly spirals when Matthew’s mother, Ma Mac (played by Holland Taylor), accidentally lets slip a long-buried secret that the two friends might actually be brothers.

Woody Harrelson as Martin Hart and Matthew McConaughey as Rustin Cohle in True Detective.

Woody Harrelson as Martin Hart and Matthew McConaughey as Rustin Cohle in True Detective. HBO

"As Woody turns the ranch upside down in pursuit of the truth, Matthew finds himself juggling an entirely different identity crisis: a potential run for Governor of Texas. The result is a heartfelt, chaotic, and wildly funny story about friendship, family, fame, and the messy line between myth and reality."

The series is showrun and executive produced by Lee Eisenberg, who co-created Hello Ladies with Stephen Merchant and Gene Stupnitsky, and created more recent series including Little America, WeCrashed, Jury Duty and Lessons in Chemistry.

Along with Harrelson and McConaughey, the cast for the series includes Natalie Martinez, Brittany Ishibashi, Nolan Almeida, Ella Grace Helton, Noah Carganilla, Highdee Kuan, Oona Yaffe and Holland Taylor.

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The series has been inspired by a real-life joke that the central duo might be brothers, which was brought on by a conversation with McConaughey's mother, Kay.

Speaking on Access Daily in 2023, McConaughey said that while his and Harrelson's families were on holiday together in the Mediterranean, Kay said: "Oh, I knew your dad, Woody...".

McConaughey said on the show: "And we all went, 'What was the ellipsis about? And what was the knew about?' And she goes, 'Just saying, we might have frequented the same similar place out in West Texas one time when he was on furlough.' And we all went, 'What? What, are you going to leave it there?' Now we gotta go do some DNA tests."

Brothers will stream on Apple TV from Wednesday 23 September. Start your seven day free Apple TV trial.

Add Brothers to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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