True Detective creator accused of plagiarism

True Detective creator has denied claims that dialogue from its main character has been copied from a pre-existing work.

Writer Nic Pizzolatto said “nothing in the show is plagiarized”, adding Rust Cohle’s thoughts “are not unique to any one author”.

A blog post contended that his words are “borrowed” from other authors, particularly Thomas Ligotti.

True Detective creator has denied claims that dialogue from its main character has been copied from a pre-existing work

Broadcaster HBO called True Detective “a work of exceptional originality”.

“The story, plot, characters and dialogue are that of Nic Pizzolatto,” the network’s statement continued.

“Philosophical concepts are free for anyone to use, including writers of fiction, and there have been many such examples in the past.”

“We stand by the show, its writing and Nic Pizzolatto entirely,” HBO concluded.

Nic Pizzolatto maintains that his talented but troubled chief protagonist, played by Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, is an “autodidact pessimist” who “speaks toward that philosophy with erudition and in his own words”.

“The ideas within this philosophy are certainly not exclusive to any writer,” he added.

Blog writer Mike Davis, responding to research carried out by Jon Padgett of the Thomas Ligotti Online website, claimed “exact quotes” by author Thomas Ligotti had been used in scripts for True Detective.

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