POINT CLEAR, Alabama—The finale of the second season of “Sweet Home Alabama” airs Friday, but filming for the next season has already begun, with the home base of operations another palatial bay front home in Point Clear.

Rumors have swirled the past two weeks that production of the third season for Country Music Television’s hit reality show had started, but speculation was confirmed Saturday when filming was observed in progress at a location south of the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa.

Throughout the day Saturday, a film crew was observed preparing for the evening’s production.

That night’s scene featured the familiar antique truck of the first season, which became standard fare for fans of the show, where male cast members would either wait or be summoned to get the good news of their making it another week or be sent packing by Devin Grissom, the female student from the University of Alabama.

The second season reversed the plot, with 22 girls seeking the affections of former Clemson quarterback Tribble Reese, who finished second in the first season. He has narrowed down that group of country and city girls to one of each, including Tristan Smith, a nursing student from Robertsdale.

The last show of the second season is called “The Finale” and airs this Friday.

“Tribble sent two women home, leaving him with a country girl and city girl,” the SWA Facebook page states. “With each girl going on one last romantic date, Tribble must choose between the two.”

Had SWA fans driven by the non-descript Point Clear location Saturday night and known where to look, they would have seen the trademark tree-lined driveway with twinkling white lights, and one female cast member sitting with her legs crossed on the tailgate of the antique truck.

It could not be confirmed by deadline whether she was there waiting to give or get the news about her romantic future with another cast member during the remaining shows of the third season, reportedly scheduled to begin airing in January.

But from an interview with Reese on the SWA Facebook page, it sound likes like he will not be among that cast.

“None in the near future,” Reese said of any immediate plans for another reality show. “I want to take this more into something on camera — hosting or correspondence or something. I love people, I love talking to people and I love entertaining, so it's just about interacting and being on camera — on the camera side.”

The top-rated show has been a runaway success for CMT, with the September finale of the first season drawing more than 700,000 viewers, according to the company. And yesterday, SWA’s Facebook page had more than 75,000 “likes,” with many Baldwin County residents among those giving a thumbs-up to the show.

Although some have wondered whether filming for the new season was under way at Dorgan’s Inn—a popular Point Clear wedding and event location that served as base of operations during the first two seasons—that appears unlikely given a recent determination of the Baldwin County Planning Department. Last month, that department’s planning director ruled that the owners of Dorgan’s Inn were violating county zoning law by operating a commercial business in a residential neighborhood and ordered them to stop all activities related to that business by the middle of this month.

An attorney for the Dorgans has said they will appeal that determination, possibly to a county zoning board in January, but until then any further business activities at the Point Clear location would apparently be in violation of the county’s order.

Speculation that filming for the third season was already under way ramped up last week following an impromptu fireworks display at the Fairhope pier early in the week.

That colorful but unexpected and unscheduled event had local people wondering why it happened, and served as the backdrop for a date between cast members, according to city staff, where a permit for the fireworks display was obtained on a rush basis.

Seen from the boardwalk on the bay front side in Point Clear this past weekend, the sprawling home of the new location of the third season has several towering live oaks, many strung with a network of swinging white lanterns and lights.