‘Longmire’ season 4: Time is on our side for renewal hopes

We have one more update this weekend in the battle to see if “Longmire” is renewed for a fourth season, and it’s a good one at least from the standpoint of patience.

In the Twitter message belong, the Ferg himself in Adam Bartley confirmed that the contracts for the cast are actually going to run with the studio until February of next year. That’s great news, and it also does separate this show somewhat from some others that we’ve covered over the years. We remember that for “Bunheads” and “Community” in particular, there was some concern over the cast contracts expiring, and it therefore becoming very difficult to round everyone back up again.

This gives the show a little bit more time than we previously expected to find a still hope, though we’d still like to believing that there will be a decision earlier than 2015 on the future of the show. The reality here is that for any suitor willing to pick up “Longmire,” they have to figure out how best to make the show work financially. Sometimes, that means sitting on it for a long time and lots of back-and-forth. Not all networks or streaming providers are known for being particularly quick for their decision-making.

The way we feel like this matters more than anything else is when it comes to cable networks like a USA or a WGN America. While neither party is confirmed to be interested in the show (and USA’s decision to cancel “Rush” may show a lack of interest in externally-produced shows), this gives them an opportunity to further spec out their ratings and some of their upcoming projects, and see if there is room for a great show like “Longmire” in there. Our personal preference and dream scenario still would be to have AMC pick up the show, and for it to be paired with “Hell on Wheels” for new episodes Saturday night. Lately, the network has been bundling the drama with first-season repeats of “Turn: Washington’s Spies.”

You know that we’re going to have more news soon, but for now be sure to just head over here to find out how to purchase Craig Johnson’s latest short story collection. To get some other TV updates in your email, sign up today for our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo via Warner Horizon.)