‘Longmire’ season 4: What we know right now about renewal hopes

While there has not been a plethora of breaking news about “Longmire” over the past week or so, we have started to feel like this could be the time for some sort of roundup article on some of the information that we’ve accumulated over the past few weeks, just to give you a greater sense of where we stand right now.

The facts – Obviously, the show was canceled by A&E after three seasons, and while there may be individual theories about how the average viewing audience was too old, or that A&E wants to own most of their programming, it comes down to this: The network just wasn’t making the money that they wanted to off the series, despite whatever success it had. It’s a cold way to look at it, but that is where we are.

The suitors – We’ve said that networks like USA, WGN America, and AMC could and should be contenders for the show, but somewhere on other outlets that has turned into us saying that these networks are in contention. Not necessarily. The only suitor who has 100% met over the show is Netflix, at least that publicly. There are most likely other networks and services that have met over it, and it could include the networks mentioned above. It’s just not a certainty.

The tipping point – If “Longmire” is like other programs, there will eventually be a date when contracts for the cast expire, and it will become much more difficult to get everyone back together for another season. This is something to keep watch on, but the cast and producers have not made this date public.

Do fan campaigns work? – The easy answer is yes. While the producers and the studio still have to go out there and pitch the show (which is ultimately going to be the deciding factor), the social-media stampedes and #LongLiveLongmire hashtags are at least a sign that the fans are not giving up on the show, and they will go directly to a new network or service that picks it up. These campaigns have helped other shows, including “Jericho,” “Chuck,” and “Community” survive. They could here.

When we will know more – Our guess is soon. While the past month has been frustrating, there is really so long that we can wait on a decision. Stay hopeful, but also be grateful for the great journey we’ve been on. That is something to hold on to regardless of what some bigwigs say.

You can read some more of our coverage right now over at the link here, and stay tuned for more updates. Also, sign up to get more TV scoop on all we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: Warner Horizon