Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are already proving a hard act to follow, with True Detective fans debating whether to watch the new series.

The second outing of the dark detective show returns to Sky Atlantic at 9pm tonight, one day after it aired in the US.

Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams will play the lead crime-cracking duo in the latest instalment, with Vince Vaughn starring as a career criminal and entrepreneur who comes under scrutiny.

Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey (Frank Micelotta/Invision)
Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey starred in the first season of True Detective (Frank Micelotta/Invision)

The first series of the show, created by Nic Pizzolatto, saw Matthew and Woody play former homicide investigator partners in Louisiana, who found themselves under investigation for their handling of a 17-year-old murder case.

The show gripped viewers, wowed critics and won a string of awards, but as the new series begins, fans have begun questioning whether it was the chemistry between Matthew and Woody that made it such a hit, or whether Nic can work his magic again with a new scenario.

The first episode will see a police officer and war veteran played by Taylor Kitsch discover a crime scene, which leads to Colin and Rachel’s characters being called in to investigate.

British actress Kelly Reilly will also star as the wife of Vince’s gangster character.

Some fans are excited about the new series.

Others are a little more dubious it can live up to the success of the first.