Original programming is where its at for cable providers and streaming video services these days. In terms of delivering exclusive content to its subscribers DirecTV got its feet wet by offering seasons of Friday Night Lights and Damages ahead of their network debuts. And this spring, they made their first venture into scripted original programming with Rogue, a suspense drama starring Thandie Newton, which premiered in April. It looks like DirecTV's game for keeping this series around as they've renewed the drama for a second season.
Created by Matthew Parkhill, first season of Rogue introduced viewers to Grace Travis (Newton), an undercover detective at the San Jose police department who was working to take down a criminal enterprise. The death of her son leads her to become a double agent fro a crime boss named Jimmy Laszio (Marton Csokas), who might be able to lead her to her son's killer. Things get even more complicated and emotional from there as Grace forms a relationship with Jimmy, who might have been involved in her son's death.
Deadline says DirecTV has ordered a 10-episode second season for the series, which will go into production late this summer and is expected to find its way on the air on DirecTV's Audience in 2014.
The premise of the series sounds interesting, but I don't have DirecTV so I can't say whether or not it's any good. That seems like kind of a drawback to original series for cable providers. It's one thing to add $10 (+/-) to the monthly budget to subscribe to a service like Netflix or Hulu Plus, or even to add a premium cable channel to your cable plan just to watch one show. It's another to switch cable providers completely. Of course, if DirecTV adds more enticing original content, maybe people will be willing to switch. In the meantime, we'll have to wait and see if DirecTV releases this to DVD or some other way for non-subscribers to sample Rogue between now and when Season 2 premieres.
