HBO Spreads the Love
Love has long been in the air—now comes word it's staying on it, as well.
HBO has issued an early renewal for the polygamy-friendly drama Big Love, ordering up a third, 12-episode season of the modest hit.
According to Variety, the cable net gave the green-light to get the new season in the can before next June, to avert the possibility of a writer's strike that could conceivably shut down production.
Writers are expected to convene and hash out the new season next month, with filming on the Bill Paxton-led drama set to start in November.
The renewal comes despite some not so big ratings for Big Love. The show's viewership peaked during its first season, when it averaged nearly 4 million viewers in its cushy post-Sopranos slot on Sunday nights. Since the second season premiered, ratings have dipped to just 2 million viewers, though the network blames shifting schedules, not the series' quality, for the Nielsen plunge.
Big Love was shifted to Mondays this season, in turn losing a significant portion of its audience as HBO attempted to launch the new John from Cincinnati on Sundays.
For the forthcoming season, however, HBO will relocate Big Love back to Sunday nights—after John from Cincinnati vacates the time following the end of its inaugural season next month. Big Love will reclaim its Sunday night throne starting with this season's final two episodes, Aug. 19 and 26.
"We were hyper-concerned about moving to Monday night," Big Love exec producer Will Scheffer told Variety. "We got lost in the expectations of The Sopranos. The renewal was a pleasant surprise, though, because we didn't figure to learn our fate until the end of the summer."
There's no word yet on when Big Love's third-season premiere is slated to air.
The Big Picture
Walk This Way Michael J. Fox jams with Steven Tyler at a rockin' Parkinson's charity event in NYC
More PhotosMost Commented
- Twilight Rewind: Hot Dish From the Cast Last Year! (798)
- Bitch-Back! Breaking News—Johnny's a Hottie (759)
- Costars and Suits Give Robsten Their Blessings! (649)
- Blab Blab Blab: Is Twilight Sexist? (552)
- Truth, Lies & Ted: Twilight Special (478)
- Is New Moon Even Good? (449)
- Why Won't Sarah Palin Go Away? (437)
- Bitch-Back! What's Brad Got to Do With It? (426)
- Is Ugly Betty Ending? And Who Gets the Girl? (398)
- Ridiculous Twilight Hookups in an "All Taken" Cast (348)
Top 10 Stories
- New Moon Makes a Lot of Money (But Not Quite Batman Money)
- Jon (Plus Flowers) & Kate Reunite to Put Finishing Touches on Divorce
- New Moon Eclipses Dark Knight!
- Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray & More Continue Singing Oprah's Praises
- Michael Jackson's Doc Shipped Propofol From Vegas to L.A., Records Show
- Unleashed Fangirls Derail Justin Bieber Appearance
- Miley Cyrus' Tour Bus in Deadly Crash
- Good News for Miley: She's Officially Not a Racist
- New Moon's "Absolutely Freakish" Debut
- Snipes Appeals Overly Taxing Prison Sentence
Fashion Police
Green With Envy?Not quite, but we do give Kristen props for this shot of color during her New Moon press tour
More Photos
Latest Movie Reviews
Get Your E! News Now
3 Comments
-
Show the next 1 - 0 of 3 comments
Now loading...