HBO hopeful for more seasons of The Night Of and True Detective

Riz Ahmed (left) and John Turturro may return for a second season of The Night Of. Photo/Supplied

There's some good and bad news for all you HBO fans out there.

The good news: the American TV network is strongly considering a second season of The Night Of.

The bad news, they are also looking into a third season of True Detective.

Speaking at the Television Critics Association last week, head of programming Casey Bloys spoke about his hopes for new seasons of both crime dramas.

Speaking about The Night Of, Bloys said creators "Steve [Zaillian] and Richard [Price] are throwing around ideas. I'm hopeful they will land on something but one thing I know about them - if they're not 100 per cent sure about something, they're going to take their time.

"I told them we'll be here when you're ready. I'm hopeful that they're getting an idea they're excited about."

The Night Of, starring Riz Ahmed and John Turturro, was a critical and commercial hit in the middle of last year. Based on the British anthology series Criminal Justice, the show has the option of carrying on with the established cast or tell a new story like the original.

On True Detective, Bloys had less to say. "I don't have anything on paper yet but I know there are some ideas going back and forth. I don't want to rush it. I don't want to do anything just to get it on the air."

Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams in the much maligned second season of True Detective. Photo/Supplied

True Detective was an instant hit when it first premiered in 2014 with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, but a rushed second season was eviscerated by critics and fans.

HBO is looking for a new hit to keep their drama side alive. The network has had issues in recent years finding successful dramas outside of Game of Thrones. Musical drama Vinyl bombed on arrival, while budgetary issues and behind the scenes conflict saw two David Fincher series cancelled before airing, alongside an expensive Lewis and Clark miniseries.

The network recently hinted that the final season of Game of Thrones could go beyond the previously speculated six episodes, saying the reason there has been no official order for season eight is because they were working out how long it would be.