TV News: History Channel Picks Up Scripted Drama - Vikings - For Second Season

In a press release today:

HISTORY® ORDERS SECOND SEASON OF

HIT SCRIPTED SERIES

VIKINGS

#1 NEW CABLE SERIES OF THE YEAR

EARNS TEN EPISODE ORDER

Four New Episodes Remain This Season, Airing Sundays at 10 p.m.
Season One Finale Scheduled for Sunday, April 28

Vikings – Ep 103 – Dispossessed
Left to Right – Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) and Rollo (Clive Standen) prepared for battle.
Photo by Jonathan Hession / HISTORY
Copyright 2011

New York, New York, April 5, 2013 – HISTORY has picked up VIKINGS, its first scripted drama series for a 10-episode second season, it was announced today by Dirk Hoogstra, EVP, Development and Programming for HISTORY. Created and written by Michael Hirst, the renewal comes just five episodes into the VIKINGS freshman season. Four new episodes remain in the current season airing Sundays at 10 p.m. with the season finale slated for Sunday, April 28 at 10 p.m.

VIKINGS continues to be the #1 new cable series in 2013 and has propelled HISTORY to #1 in cable in its Sunday 10-11 p.m. time period. Over the five weeks, the hit drama series averaged 5.0 million total viewers, 2.2 million Adults 25-54 and 1.9 Adults 18-49. This past Sunday, episode five delivered 4.7 million total viewers, 2.2 million Adults 25-54 and 1.7 million Adults 18-49. This was up 4% among total viewers and up 5% among Adults 25-54 from last week.

“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,” said Hoogstra. “We could not be more proud of the entire cast and crew and everyone involved in the making of VIKINGS. Michael Hirst has captured audiences with his complex, compelling characters and brought the unknown, epic world of these warriors to life. Season Two will begin production this summer to air in 2014.”

MGM Television brought the series to the network and brings VIKINGS to the global audience, serving as the international distributor outside of Ireland, Canada and the U.S.

“We are very excited that VIKINGS is generating so much attention worldwide,” said Roma Khanna, President, Television Group and Digital, MGM. “MGM is thrilled to have the continued support and enthusiasm of our partners at HISTORY and to work with an amazing international team as they bring Michael Hirst’s vision to audiences around the globe.”

VIKINGS, airing Sundays at 10 p.m. ET, tells the extraordinary tales of the lives and epic adventures of these warriors. The drama portrays the world of these Dark Age raiders, traders, explorers – not from an outsider’s view, but, through the eyes of Viking society.

While VIKINGS is filled with conflict, warfare and bloodshed – for these were extreme times – it is a family saga at heart. It follows the adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel, The Beast, Baytown Outlaws), a curious, compelling man who is always looking to break through barriers and discover new worlds to conquer. Ragnar is deeply frustrated by the unadventurous policies of his local chieftain, Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment, Usual Suspects, Millers Crossing), who continues to send his Vikings raiders east every summer, to the Baltic states and Russia, whose populations are as materially poor as themselves.

Joining Fimmel and Byrne are Katheryn Winnick (Bones, Love and Other Drugs, The Black Marks) as Lagertha, a fierce shield maiden and Ragnar’s wife; Jessalyn Gilsig (Glee, Heroes, Nip/Tuck, Friday Night Lights) as Siggy, Earl Haraldson’s beautiful wife; George Blagden (Les Miserables, Wrath of the Titans) as Athelstan, a young, innocent Christian monk captured by Ragnar on his first raid on England, Clive Standen (Camelot, Robin Hood) as Rollo, Ragnar’s impulsive, wild, care-free brother and Gustaf Skarsgard (The Way Back) a ship builder who designs the new generation of Vikings ships.

Created and written by Michael Hirst – one of the premier historical story-tellers in the industry (Academy-Award winning film Elizabeth; and the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated series The Tudors), Michael serves as Executive Producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan of World 2000 (The Count of Monte Cristo; The Tudors), John Weber of Take 5 Productions (The Tudors; The Borgias), Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer, James Flynn (The Tudors; The Borgias) and Sheila Hockin (The Tudors; The Borgias). Dirk Hoogstra and Julian P. Hobbs are the Executives in Charge of Production for HISTORY.

VIKINGS is an international Irish/Canadian co-production being co-produced by World 2000 and Take 5 Productions. HISTORY will broadcast domestically in the U.S. MGM Television will bring VIKINGS to the global audience, serving as the international distributor outside of Ireland, Canada and the U.S. VIKINGS is produced in association with Shaw Media, and the series will air on HISTORY in Canada.

About HISTORY®

HISTORY® is the leading destination for factual entertainment, including award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network’s all-original programming slate, including scripted event programming, features a roster of hits including American Pickers®, American Restoration™, Ax Men™, Ice Road Truckers®, Pawn Stars®, Swamp People® and Top Shot® as well as epic mini-series and specials such as the Emmy® Award-winning Hatfields & McCoys, Gettysburg, Vietnam in HD, America The Story of Us, and 102 Minutes That Changed America. The HISTORY website is the leading online resource for all things history, and in 2011, the United States Library of Congress selected HISTORY’s Civil War 150 site for inclusion in the historic collection of Internet materials related to the American Civil War sesquicentennial. www.history.com