After its historical fantasy series Outlander proved to be a critical and ratings success in its premiere episode last Saturday, Starz isn’t wasting any time. Today, the cable network picked the series up for a second season of at least 13 episodes (the currently airing first season is set to go for 16 installments).
Outlander‘s first episode drew 5 million views in its first week, a very solid number. Additionally, it ranked as No. 1 in Nielsen Twitter Ratings among all television series last Saturday, an indication that those who watched the show enjoyed what they saw. Our reviewer Sam Woolf had positive things to say about the series premiere and tomorrow’s episode, writing:
Two hours of Outlander isn’t enough to clarify what the show is just yet, but that it’s definitely not like anything else on TV is encouraging.
Luckily for the show, it now has at least 29 episodes in which hit its stride. Said Chris Elbrecht, Starz’s CEO, of the renewal:
“The overwhelming Outlander has received from the fans, viewers and critics made the decision for us to go ahead with the second book a very easy one.”
Season 2 will cover the second book in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, called Dragonfly in Amber. Unlike HBO’s Game of Thrones, another adult-oriented fantasy series adapted from bestselling novels, there’s little danger of Outlander suring its source material. Gabaldon’s series currently spans eight books, and the author is currently working on a ninth.
It’s not uncommon for cable networks to pick shows up for additional seasons very early in their freshman runs. Recent Starz’s series Power and Da Vinci’s Demons both received renewals soon after their premieres, while other Starz series Boss, Spartacus, Magic City and Black Sails were all given second seasons before a single episode had aired.
Outlander airs Saturdays on Starz.
Published: Aug 15, 2014 10:05 am