It's that time of year again when networks large and small are deciding on the futures of many of their shows. Luckily, fans of one show have reason to celebrate. Starz has given the renewal order for a second season of American Gods in what is a huge show of faith from the channel.
American Gods premiered on April 30, and only two episodes have aired so far. Not many freshman shows are lucky enough to score renewals so early into their run. The brass at Starz evidently believe that American Gods has what it takes to hang on to viewers for the rest of Season 1 and all of Season 2. Of course, the support from Starz isn't altogether shocking. Producers Bryan Fuller and Michael Green have been open about the network's enthusiasm for American Gods, with folks at the network encouraging them to slow down on how quickly they were covering the source material. The producers have been planning on multiple seasons; Starz simply made the second official.
I'm sure it didn't hurt that American Gods got off to a pretty killer start in the ratings. The series premiere scored the most viewers in Live+Same day measurements of all current Starz originals with 975,000. The number grew significantly larger when Live+7 day measurements could be tallied. In the Live+7 numbers, 1.57 million viewers tuned in, which marks a record for Starz series premieres. Additionally, the first episode was on top of the Nielsen Social Ratings for all scripted cable and broadcast TV shows on April 30.
The show also has a distinct advantage insofar as there is nothing else like it on television. It tells the stories of the Old Gods and the New Gods, which are moving more and more toward war as mythology clashes with modernity. The first couple of episodes have managed to build a world that is entirely unique and driven largely by deities. We haven't gotten to see too much of the world just yet, so the official renewal for Season 2 should make the rest of Season 1 less stressful. We don't have to worry that we'll never see anything beyond the Season 1 finale. Sure, knowing that the odds were good for renewal was nice, but the official order is pretty reassuring.
New episodes of Season 1 of American Gods air on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news. There are still plenty of shows with futures up in the air. 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.
