TNT Renews Leverage

ATLANTA: TNT has given a second-season order to its new drama Leverage, which has averaged 3.2 million viewers since its launch in December.

TNT has ordered 15 episodes for the second season of the show, starring Timothy Hutton as well as Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf and Aldis Hodge, for launch later this year. Produced by Electric Entertainment, the production outfit set up by Independence Day‘s Dean Devlin, Leverage ranks as ad-supported cable’s top entertainment program in its Tuesday 10 p.m. slot among viewers, households and adults 25-54. International rights for the series, about a team of thieves, hackers and grifters, are being handled by Voltage Pictures.

"We’re thrilled that audiences and critics have responded so positively to Leverage and made the show a solid hit," said Michael Wright, the executive VP and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). "We look forward to another great season of fun and exciting story lines brought to life by the outstanding cast, led by Timothy Hutton, and the incredible production team, headed up by executive producers Dean Devlin and John Rogers."

TNT previously worked with Devlin on The Librarian action-adventure movies. The Leverage renewal marks a continued expansion of TNT’s original programming efforts and follows the greenlighting of two new series: Time Heals, a medical drama with Jada Pinkett Smith, and the undercover police drama The Line, starring Dylan McDermott. The cable network has already fared well with The Closer, Saving Grace and Raising the Bar and recently launched Trust Me with Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh.