A&E's "Nightwatch" will be returning for the third season and the documentary series will be following the New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (EMS) units as they respond to various calls during the night shift. The show has received good ratings, but the network will be premiering a new format that will now focus more on EMS units instead of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD).

In the past, "Nightwatch" has tagged along the NOPD until a legal complication arose that discouraged the said collaboration. The NOPD has severed ties with the show and A&E's "First 48" after producers refused to release a footage that could aid a murder suspect case.

New Orleans Criminal District Court Judge Laurie White eventually favored the producers, but still recommended for NOPD to have no dealings with the TV show. White said that NOPD's ties with the network provides legal complications particularly for the prosecution as reported in nola.com.

The show has also been plagued by criticisms with the NOPD's reputation on the line. Police brutality has been evident in many cases and the people of New Orleans are having trust issues on whether the police are still committed to protecting them.

The "Nightwatch'\" season 3 will now continue to follow the EMS units with selected pairs of first responders working on the night shift, from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Viewers can expect to see various medical cases, a majority of which will be drug-related as reported in the official website of A&E.

A&E is featuring a docuseries on New Orleans as the city struggles with bankruptcy. Many people are unemployed, which is connected to the rise of criminality in the city. Moreover, New Orleans is becoming the den of heroin pushers and addicts, posing a huge challenge to NOPD and the New Orleans EMS units.

For the season premiere, the EMS units will be attending a ribbon cutting ceremony as the team gets their first NOLA headquarters. Since hurricane Katrina devastated the city, the EMS units were operating in a trailer for more than ten years. The "Nightwatch" season 3 premieres on Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. ET on A&E.