WGN America Renews Underground

LOS ANGELES: WGN America has greenlit a second season of the Underground Railroad thriller Underground, which ranks as the network’s most-watched original program ever.

Created by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, the series has drawn 3 million total viewers on Wednesday nights season-to-date in Live + 7 delivery. Sony Pictures Television and Tribune Studios are set to begin production this summer on the ten-episode second season, which is scheduled for a 2017 debut.

“With enormous pride we are announcing a second season of Underground, a series that has resonated with so many passionate fans across the country,” said Matt Cherniss, the president and general manager of WGN America and Tribune Studios. “We are deeply proud of the work that the talented cast, crew and production team have done to bring this story to life, led by our gifted creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski and our partners at Sony Pictures Television. It is an honor to have Underground on our air and we look forward to how the story will unfold in what is sure to be a stellar sophomore season.”

“When we came together to create Underground, we had one mandate, and that was to be bold. To evoke the spirit of the American heroes who bent the arc of history,” added Green and Pokaski. “To our extraordinary cast and crew who gave blood, sweat and tears to breathe life into this story, thank you for being bold with us. To our supportive partners at WGN America, Sony Pictures Television, Weed Road, Safehouse and Get Lifted, thank you for being bold with us. And to all the Underground fans who tune in every week, tweet and spread the word, thank you for being bold with us. We are beyond thrilled to have the honor and privilege to continue this journey.”

“We’re tremendously proud of this series, from Misha and Joe’s powerful and unflinching storytelling, to John Legend’s heart-pounding soundtrack and creative contributions to the breakout performances of our gifted cast,” said Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, presidents of programming and production at Sony Pictures Television. “It’s been gratifying to see the audience for Underground grow each week, and we are looking forward to continuing our partnership with WGN America to bring viewers more of these thrilling stories of courage, pain and heroism.”