HBO renews 'In Treatment'

By Nellie Andreeva

"In Treatment" will return for a third season.

HBO has renewed the half-hour drama series for another cycle, which will begin production in New York in early 2010 for a premiere later in the year.

Star Gabriel Byrne is set to return as Dr. Paul Weston, with casting on the other roles expected to begin shortly.

Anya Epstein (HBO's "Tell Me You Love Me") and Danny Futterman ("Capote") are joining the therapy-themed drama as executive producers/co-showrunners.

That follows the July departure of Warren Leight, who served as executive producer/showrunner on the second season of "Treatment," which earned three Emmy nominations.

Also complicating the pickup decision was the fact the Israeli series on which the HBO show is based only ran for two seasons, so a third season had to be written from scratch.

But in the end, "This is the kind of show that could only flourish on HBO, and we're proud to bring it back," said HBO's West Coast president Michael Lombardo.

Returning executive producers on are Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg and Hagai Levi. Paris Barclay also is expected to return as an executive producer/director.

Noa Tishby and Gabriel Byrne serve as co-executive producers.