HBO's new show "True Detective," which premieres this Sunday, Jan. 12 at 9:00 pm EST, is one of the most highly anticipated new series in a long time given its two leading stars, Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, and its channel, HBO (which always seems to produce quality entertainment). Even in the golden age of TV, as the current time period has been called, few shows promise two established movie stars in the echelon of Harrelson and McConaughey.

Adding to the show's intrigue isn't just the two stars, but the level they've reached in their careers. One of the actors, who also worked together in "Ed TV" (1999) and "Surfer, Dude" (2008), has re-invented himself; the other has stayed mostly the same.

Everyone always knew Matt McConaughey had talent; they just didn't know if he'd ever use it to its full dramatic potential. (He and Will Smith seem to be going in the opposite directions.) But the 44 year-old McConaughey opted for more serious, complicated roles in 2013's "Dallas Buyers Club" and "Wolf of Wall Street." Some even lauded his performance in "Magic Mike" (2012), which retroactively could be seen as a turning point in his career.

Harrelson's arc has stayed mostly the same, and has bared a striking resemblance to Samuel L. Jackson's. As a younger man, Harrelson was more typically cast as a movie's lead. Like Jackson, however, he's been his most impressive in supporting or co-starring roles since he's gotten older, evidenced by "No Country For Old Men," "Zombieland," "Now You See Me," and, most recently and perhaps one of his best acting jobs ever, "Out of the Furnace" (even if the movie was somewhat of a disappointment). All the while, Harrelson, similar to Jackson, hasn't shied from less than critically acclaimed movies and roles ("2012," "Friends With Benefits," and "Surfer, Dude," to name a few) -- and, again paralleling Jackson, it hasn't hurt his reputation in the slightest.

If the two can channel the greatness that's come recently for McConaughey and every few movies for Harrelson, "True Detective" could become TV's greatest show. Even if they don't quite pull it off, the show, like all of their previous work, will at least be entertaining.