Whoa! HBO renews 'Treme' after one episode

HBO has renewed its new critically acclaimed new drama series "Treme" for a second season.

The move is a significant leap of faith for the network -- the show just premiered Sunday night to 1.4 million viewers in its combined airings. By comparison, the final season of modestly rated "The Wire" averaged 890,000 for premiere episodes.

But HBO president Michael Lombardo tells THR that the network loves "Treme" so much that a pickup was inevitable.

"We would have picked up this show last week," Lombardo said. "We've seen the first nine episodes it's as strong as any show we've seen. Much like 'The Wire,' the audience is so passionate and so invested. We're about servicing our subscriber base and I believe that people will become addicted to this show. We have to be a place where this kind of excellence is given space to continue."

The David Simon and Eric Overmeyer series chronicling life in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will resume production this fall, with season two debuting next spring -- about the time another project, "Game of Thrones," will be ready to hit the air.

"They should be ready about the same time," Lombardo said.

Lombardo confirmed that the "Thrones" pilots had some re-shoots, but assured the show's quality is high.

"It looks beautiful, the compelling scripts are just fantastic, we're doing reshoots but nothing major," he said. "The show is there."

Got tips on TV-industry news? Contact Hollywood Reporter TV Editor James Hibberd at james.hibberd@thr.com