HBO has decided to give Vice, its new newsmagazine, a second season. The show airs on Friday nights had has earned surprisingly strong ratings.
The network confirmed the news on Twitter, noting that the half-hour show will get 12 episodes, starting in 2014.
Vice is produced with Vice Media and airs right after another politically-themed show, Real Time with Bill Maher. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Maher is an executive producer on the series, along with host Shane Smith, Eddy Moretti and BJ Levin. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria is a consulting producer.
The series greatly benefitted from the publicity even before it started. Vice’s first season finale will chronicle a trip to North Korea with former Chicago Bulls player Dennis Rodman and members of the Harlem Globetrotters. Because of the trip, Rodman became the first high-profile American to meet with leader Kim Jong-Un.
Vice has averaged 2 million viewers this season from initial airings, repeats, HBO Go and Video On Demand.
“I honestly don’t think there is another network in the world that would have given us the opportunity and support that HBO did over the last year,” Smith commented, notes Variety. “We learned a lot over the course of shooting season one, and are insanely excited over our story selection for season two. Now that our various parasites, hernias and virulent rashes have been treated, we are ready in mind and in body to go out there and get the gold.”