EW's Inside TV is reporting that HBO has renewed 'Treme' for a third season. Former HBO executive Carolyn Strauss famously said she was "in the David Simon business" when he pitched her 'Treme,' and although she's no longer with the network, it's clear that the game remains the same.

The news is a great sign for fans of the the gritty, post-Katrina New Orleans drama. HBO gave Simon's last show, 'The Wire,' five seasons to grow into a compelling examination of poverty and the drug war in Baltimore, and they appear to be applying that some patience to 'Treme.' Season two has already seen Simon and Eric Overmyer delve further into crime, the police, and reconstruction profiteering in New Orleans; another season will afford them even more opportunity to bring other aspects of the city's machinery to life.


The premium cable channel's decision to renew the show despite less-than-stellar ratings demonstrates how they can afford to operate on a different playing field than the networks, which have spent the day axing dozens of shows. 'Treme's' first few episodes have only drawn in about 1 million viewers per episode, but at HBO quality wins out over quantity.