Craig Johnson, author of the Longmire books, is thrilled that the television show based on his popular series will get a new life on Netflix next year.

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"Netflix was one of the rumors, but there were different rumors every day," noted the writer in a recent interview with Wyoming News. For months none of the rumors proved to be true, until last week when Warner Horizon signed the deal with Netflix.

The new season of Longmire will run 55 minutes per episode on Netflix, which Johnson observes is nearly 15 minutes longer than they were back on A&E. Supposedly Netflix has offered the program more creative freedom as well, which could open the series up a little. It will also reach a wider audience with over 53 million members currently paying for the subscription service.

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A&E shocked fans when it elected to cancel the popular crime drama after three seasons and according to Johnson, those outraged fans played a big role in getting the show picked up somewhere else.

"A lot of times these executives in Hollywood hand this stuff down from on high, and that is the end of it," he explained. "Only it wasn't this time, and the viewers and readers got ferocious with their attacks."

Longmire was A&E's most popular series behind Duck Dynasty, and those viewers did not let their show slip away quietly. They began campaigning online through social media, fighting to keep the spirit of the series alive.

"I think that showed people there is a following for it," declared Johnson, "And maybe changed the industry a little bit."

With production beginning in March, Longmire will likely return on Netflix for its fourth season during the second half of 2015.

Tags
Longmire, Netflix, Television