A&E likes what it sees from its modern Western series "Longmire," and has decided to bring it back for another season.

The show, which just got its start on the cable channel, attracted 4.1 million total viewers to A&E when it premiered June 3. That made it the largest debut in that channel's history. It followed that up with a 3.8 million-viewer outing, holding on to a large portion of its premiere audience -- something that is not an easy feat for basic cable channels.

The series stars Robert Taylor and Katee Sackhoff as a sheriff and deputy in Absaroka County, Wyo. It's based on a series of mystery novels by author Craig Johnson, and was developed by John Coveny and Hunt Baldwin.

It's produced by Warner Horizon Television, which also got recent renewals for two other cable projects: "Dallas" and "Rizzoli & Isles." Warner Horizon is part of Warner Bros. Television, and is also the production shingle behind series like "The Voice," "The Lying Game" and "Pretty Little Liars."

Unlike "Rizzoli & Isles" and "Dallas," however, "Longmire" did not have to depend on an in-house cable channel to give it renewal. A&E is owned by a partnership involving Hearst Corp., Disney-ABC Television Group and NBC Universal, and does not involve Warner Bros.' parent Time Warner at all.

The renewal is great news for Sackhoff, who has been looking for a solid return to television since the end of "Battlestar Galactica" on Syfy in 2009. She had recurring roles in "Nip/Tuck" and "24," but stumbled in NBC's remake of "Bionic Woman" in 2007.

"Longmire" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on A&E.