Breaking: FX renews 'Justified'

Image Credit: FXTHIS JUST IN: I’m happy to report that FX has renewed Justified for a 13-episode second season.

Since premiering in March, the acclaimed Timothy Olyphant drama has averaged a strong 3.4 million viewers. It ranks as this this year’s No. 1 new series on basic cable among men 18-49 (1.1 million).

The season 1 finale airs June 6.

The fancy press release is below…

Justice has been served, as FX has ordered another season of its newest critically acclaimed hit drama series Justified, picking up a 13-episode second season, today announced John Landgraf, President and General Manager of FX Networks.  Six all new episodes remain in season one, airing Tuesdays at 10 PM ET/PT, with the first season finale airing on June 8^th.

“We are very excited about the tremendous, widespread acclaim that Justified has received from both audiences and television critics,” said Landgraf.  “Graham Yost, Tim Olyphant, Elmore Leonard and their talented partners have crafted a uniquely ambitious and entertaining series which is everything we aspired to when we developed the show.”

Developed for television by Graham Yost and starring Timothy Olyphant, Justified (TV-MA) is based on the popular Elmore Leonard character “Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens” from his short story Fire in the Hole and some of his other novels.

“I’m just thrilled, and I’m looking forward to chronicling the future adventures of Raylan Givens,” said Yost.  “To work with an actor like Tim, who was born to play this role, has been a wonderful experience.”

Through seven weeks, first-run episodes of Justified are averaging 3.4 million viewers and 1.7 million  Adults 18-49.  The weekly multi-run average viewership for the series is 7.5 million total viewers and 3.9 million Adults 18-49 (six episodes).   Justified is this year’s number-one rated new series on basic cable in delivery of Men 18-49 (1.1 million).  Justified was the most-watched series premiere in FX history, with 4.9 million total viewers, surpassing The Shield’s 4.8 million total viewers (3/12/02).

“This pick-up speaks volumes to the quality and collaboration on the series, and our unparalleled partnership with FX,” said Jamie Erlicht, President, Programming for Sony Pictures Television. “The viewer response to Justified has been as enthusiastic as ours was when we first heard the pitch.”