Netflix Saves "Longmire", Season 4 to Premier in 2015

"Longmire", the drama series that A&E had cancelled after three seasons despite strong viewership, is coming back on Netflix.

Several weeks of negotiations by Netflix to save the series have paid off and "Longmire" is set to return in 2015 for a 10-episode run, Deadline reports. It will be available on Netflix only in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

"When Warner Horizon Television came to us with the idea of a new season of Longmire, we were intrigued because the series is so unique, and consistently great. We are thrilled to help continue Walt Longmire's story for his large and passionate following," said Cindy Holland, vice-president of Original Content at Netflix.

Three months ago, A&E had suddenly declared that it was cancelling the show. "Longmire" was the cable network's most-watched original scripted series, with season 3's average viewership being 5.6 million. However, its cost and the declining ratings for "Duck Dynasty" and other shows were responsible for its cancellation, USA Today reports.

It is a contemporary crime-thriller that is based on the best-selling novels by Craig Johnson. Australian actor Robert Taylor plays the role of Walt Longmire who is a long-time sheriff of Absaroka County, and Katee Sackhoff as Victoria "Vic" Moretti, who is the sheriff's deputy and a former homicide detective of Philadelpia Police Department. Others in the show are Lou Diamond Phillips, Cassidy Freeman and Bailey Chase.

Hunt Baldwin, John Coveny, Greer Shephard and Michael M. Robin are the executive producers. The series is from Shephard/Robin Co. in association with Warner Horizon, which hope that production will begin tentatively by March.

After the Season 3 finale ended in a cliffhanger, Netflix described what is to come in a statement that read: "Season four of Longmire picks up moments after season three's exciting finale. Walt Longmire, having found out who was behind the murder of his wife, succumbs to his darker impulses and takes off in pursuit of the killer with murder on his mind. Meanwhile, Branch Connally (Bailey Chase), the deputy who Walt fired for erratic, violent behavior, believes he has already figured out who the real culprit is. But during his confrontation with this suspected killer, a gun goes off. Now the audience will finally learn what happened, and whether Walt can be stopped before he makes a fatal choice."

This is not the first series that Netflix is saving, another drama – "The Killing".