We've been watching closely as little tidbits have been floating to the surface on season three of BBQ Pitmasters on TLC.

Posse pitmaster Marshall Cooper and I were over visiting Jambo BBQ pit builder Jamie Geer in Burelson last month when we first caught wind of the new season. Jamie casually mentioned that a producer from Pitmasters had just called him that morning and TLC was proceeding with another season.

Besides building world-class BBQ pits, Jamie has been cooking at BBQ competitions for years. He was a winner on season one of the show. I'm not sure if he'll be on the new season, they were gauging his interest at the time.

Since then, I've been scouring the web for details. Here's a good thread from today from The BBQ Brethren. (You may need to sign up to the site to see the thread, but it's an interesting group.)

It's titled, "Oh no, not again..........BBQ Pitmasters 2012 (Myron will be judging again)."

Which leads up to the number one question I've seen out in the blogosphere.

Will season three be more like the first season, where they actually traveled to BBQ competitions and competed against the nation's best cooks? This was can't-miss TV for BBQ hardcores. I even took cooking notes during some of the shows.

Or will it be a silly-ass version from last year, where judges Myron Mixon, Warren Sapp and Art Smith might challenge the teams, without warning, to cook an alligator or a rattlesnake, and other goofy stuff like that. They lost me (and a bunch of other folks) midway through the season.

It was a stunningly bad reality TV show, like the Kardashians do BBQ, but without all the cleavage.

Here's what we know so far:

• All teams had to submit videos be be considered for BBQ Pitmasters season three. A number of these have been showing up online as folks make their case to be included on the show.
• The show will begin filming in mid-March and the series will begin on TLC around Memorial Day.
• Myron Mixon will be a judge again, though the names of the other judges have not leaked out yet. Please, please, not Warren Sapp again! Here's a video where Mixon talks about the season, starting around the 16:30 point of the piece.
• Most of the contestants for season three will be new, though two or three of the big names from the past will be back, according to Mixon.
• There is no word yet on the format, though I'm worried it might be more of the same silliness from last season. Keep your your fingers crossed my friends & we'll let you know what else we hear.....