Following a great premiere and good subsequent ratings, History has decided its freshman scripted drama, Vikings, has performed strongly enough to return for Season 2. The network will bring the series back in 2014, with 10 more episodes slated for the second season.
The renewal order came on Friday, with History Vice President of development and programming, Dirk Hoogstra noting that Vikings has been a “win-win” for the network.
“Vikings is a win-win for us. As our first scripted series, Vikings has paid off in a big way with critical acclaim, strong ratings and a passionate, loyal fan base. It came out of the gate strong and has stayed on top, solidifying History as a major player in the scripted genre, just as we are in reality.”
Since the show first began airing in March, it has been averaging 5 million total viewers, although those numbers may be tested now that the show’s lead-in, The Bible, has ended its big run on the cable network. Still, even if the numbers do drop some, Vikings should still maintain a strong audience in the cable market, and I’m not particularly surprised History would go ahead and sign on for a second season of the series.
Vikings tells the story of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), his family, and his clan. Lothbrok is a man with a bold vision who wants to discover new territories, but who is also a man that is at the mercy of the whims of his leader, Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne). Mysticism and a belief in the gods are prominent themes, as are stories of survival and forging a path as an individual. If you haven’t caught any of Season 1, yet, you aren’t completely out of luck. Vikings is still airing on the History Channel on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. ET. Filming for Season 2 is expected to begin this summer.
