Friday, April 5, 2013

History Renews 'Vikings' for a Second Season

        Friday, April 5 - History has picked up Vikings, its first scripted drama series, for a 10-episode second season, it was announced today by Dirk Hoogstra, EVP, Development and Programming for History. Created and written by Michael Hirst, the renewal comes just five episodes into Vikings freshman season. Four new episodes remain in the current season airing Sundays at 10 with the season finale slated for Sunday, April 28.

        Vikings continues to be the #1 new cable series in 2013 and has propelled History to #1 in cable in its Sunday 10-11 pm time period. Over the five weeks, the hit drama series averaged 5.0 million total viewers, 2.2 million Adults 25-54 and 1.9 Adults 18-49. This past Sunday, episode five delivered 4.7 million total viewers, 2.2 million Adults 25-54 and 1.7 million Adults 18-49. This was up 4% among total viewers and up 5% among Adults 25-54 from last week.
        "Vikings is a win win for us. As our first scripted series, Vikings has paid off in a big way with critical acclaim, strong ratings and a passionate, loyal fan base. It came out of the gate strong and has stayed on top, solidifying History as a major player in the scripted genre, just as we are in reality," said Hoogstra. "We could not be more proud of the entire cast and crew and everyone involved in the making of Vikings. Michael Hirst has captured audiences with his complex, compelling characters and brought the unknown, epic world of these warriors to life. Season Two will begin production this summer to air in 2014.
        MGM Television brought the series to the network and brings Vikings to the global audience, serving as the international distributor outside of Ireland, Canada and the U.S.
        "We are very excited that Vikings is generating so much attention worldwide," said Roma Khanna, President, Television Group and Digital, MGM. "MGM is thrilled to have the continued support and enthusiasm of our partners at History and to work with an amazing international team as they bring Michael Hirst's vision to audiences around the globe."