PBS has renewed its original drama series Mercy Street for a second season, it was announced today. The series is the network's first original drama in well over a decade. It's currently unclear when Season 2 will air and how many episodes it will include.
Mercy Street centers on the doctor and nurse volunteers who work in Mansion House Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia during the Civil War. According to the network, Season 2 will introduce "a number of new elements, taking us closer to the fight and into the halls of Confederate power, all set against the intensifying war, starting with the Seven Days' Battle and culminating with Antietam."
The drama stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Josh Radnor, McKinley Belcher III, Suzanne Bertish, Norbert Leo Butz, L. Scott Caldwell, Gary Cole, Jack Falahee, Peter Gerety, Shalita Grant, Hannah James, Brad Koed, Luke Macfarlane, Cameron Monaghan, Donna Murphy, AnnaSophia Robb, Tara Summers and Wade Williams. It's unclear which cast members will return for the second season.
David Zabel and Lisa Q. Wolfinger co-created the drama, and serve as executive producers with Ridley Scott and David W. Zucker. Scott Free Productions, Remainder Men and Lone Wolf Media produce.
"We are thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response to Mercy Street and the return of high-quality American drama on PBS stations," said Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Officer and General Manager, General Audience Programming, PBS. "We're looking forward to a season season offering more fascinating stories inspired by historical events. The effort from everyone involved, including the producers, directors, historical consultants, actors and PBS stations, resulted in an extraordinary series that exemplifies PBS' world-class programming."
"We are thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response to Mercy Street and the return of high-quality American drama on PBS stations," said Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Officer and General Manager, General Audience Programming, PBS. "We're looking forward to a season season offering more fascinating stories inspired by historical events. The effort from everyone involved, including the producers, directors, historical consultants, actors and PBS stations, resulted in an extraordinary series that exemplifies PBS' world-class programming."
"The success of Season 1 of Mercy Street proves how captivating the series is and how viewers have identified and connected with the characters' lives, even during a much different time in our nation's history," said Zucker. "We are looking forward to continuing to expand on these important themes with the next season.
The network boasts that the drama's first episode has been seen by 5.7 million viewers and was streamed 2 million times online.
