As of this writing most HBO fans are either watching the Emmy Awards to see if their HBO favorites are lucky recipients or perhaps watching football 
before BOARDWALK EMIPRE and/or the Season Three premiere of TREME airs. Me, I’m writing this quick post for HBOWatch. What follows is what I have learned regarding TREME.
At a special viewing party of the Season 3 premiere of the post-Katrina NOLA series co-creators David Simon and Eric Overmyer made the announcement that HBO has awarded them a lump sum of money to wrap up the TREME story in a fourth and final season. Mr. Simon said at the screening that “We are going to be back for a season 3.5.HBO, upon viewing the 10 that we gave them [for Season 3] and what we’ve done, they want to see the end of the story.“
David Simon was more concise when later stated that “HBO has offered us a lump sum to budget a conclusion to TREME and we are trying to figure out how to stretch that amount in the best possible way. Right now, we are tentatively looking at anywhere between four and six hours of programming, depending on a variety of things. We’ll do the best we can with the story arcs and try to conclude TREME in a resonant way.”
It is no surprise to the production company cast and crew of TREME that the show would conclude with a fourth season despite the low ratings the show 
has received. Season One showed 3.2 million viewers that decreased to 2.2 for last season. Simply putting it in perspective Simon said at one time, ““The improbability of making a show about ordinary people in an idiosyncratic place and trusting that it will mean something larger once you’re finished, and that you’ll get a chance to finish? I get that. We knew that going in.”
Simon said the past week was spent securing the participating of all the series’ main cast members, a complicated contractual task given the shorter season. “To a person, they all came back,” he said. “We’re happy for a chance to finish the story on our own terms.”
The exact number of Season 4 is not determined but it will be less than the usual ten episodes; it depends on how well the production company can stretch the funds. Also there is no clear decision when the final season will air. TREME’s first two seasons premiered in the April time frame and just this third season moved to the September slot. And, of course there are no clear plotlines for that final season as the third season just gets underway.
TREME Season Three airs beginning September 23rd with the episode “Knock With Me – Rock With Me” and goes until November 25th with “You’ve Gotta to Be Crazy to Live In The Town.” For more HBOWatch coverage of TREME check out Jason Weaver’s Treme Season 3 Predictions & Preview and upcoming episode reviews.
