The time has come for networks to announce which shows have been renewed and which have been cancelled. Now, NBC has finally announced where it stands on the freshman series Taken, and the news is very good for fans. Taken has been renewed for a second season, and it will be longer than the first.
Taken has been ordered for 16 episodes in Season 2, which is a big bump from Season 1, which only produced ten episodes. The increased episode order is a show of faith in the series, which has not been a huge ratings hit. The premiere did decently with 7.45 million viewers and a 1.63 in the key 18-49 demographic, but the numbers dropped throughout the first season. By the end, the average viewership was only 5.13 million and the average rating was 1.00. A renewal based on ratings was far from a sure thing. That said, Variety reports that Taken has done well with international audiences and isn't especially pricy to produce. Unimpressive ratings in the U.S. weren't the only factors.
The series may feel a bit different when it returns for Season 2. Showrunner Alexander Cary is leaving Taken, and his replacement has not yet been announced. Given that the Season 1 finale ended in a way that let leading man Bryan "off the leash" in Mexico, it was clear that a Season 2 would follow a very different Bryan. It's entirely possible that the shift in showrunner won't be especially noticeable, as the show was going to go through changes anyway.
As Taken has functioned as a prequel to the film franchise that starred Liam Neeson, we can expect that the TV version of Bryan will come to more and more resemble the movie version of Bryan. I'm guessing we won't see star Clive Standen busting out his Liam Neeson impression, but it should be interesting to compare his version of the character with Neeson's. I wasn't the biggest fan of the first season, but the finale opened the door for a more exciting second, so I'm glad that NBC is giving Taken another chance.
NBC has not yet announced when Taken will return for Season 2. It debuted as a midseason series back in February 2017, but the extended episode order may mean that it is moved to a fall premiere. We'll have to wait and see. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well. Our TV season finale schedule can give you all you need to know about your shows ending.
