CBS announced at the Television Critics Association press tour early this morning that Under The Dome has been picked up for a second season following its widely successful start this summer.
Under The Dome premiered last month to a whopping 13.14 million viewers and a 3.2 18-49 rating, the biggest summer premiere for CBS since 2000, notes The Hollywood Reporter. The series, produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, was originally devised as a mini-series, but the show’s ratings continue to impress every week.
“This is the way television should be,” CBS head Les Moonves said, notes Deadline, adding that the show’s success has partly been due to the fact that every episode is posted on Amazon four days after it airs. “It’s been a great new model.”
Under The Dome is based on Stephen King’s novel and King has been recruited to write the season premiere. The show is pricey - THR sources say it costs $3 million-per-episode - but the Amazon deal and the fact that it has already been licensed in 200 foreign markets help pay the bills.
The most recent episode of Under The Dome drew 11.4 million viewers. The show airs on Mondays at 10 p.m.
image: CBS