TV News: Showtime Renews Freshman Series RAY DONOVAN For Second Season

Showtime is revving up their powerful series lineup with freshman hits like Ray Donovan. They continue to blaze a path for more nuanced series like Masters of Sex coming this fall. Showtime continues to prove they still have quite an arsenal of hits under their belt.

In a press release:

SHOWTIME® ORDERS SECOND SEASON OF RAY DONOVAN THE NETWORK’S HIGHEST- RATED SERIES DEBUT EVER

Following Record-Breaking Premiere Week With Over 6 Million Viewers

LOS ANGELES, CA – (July 16, 2013) – Having made network history as its highest rated original series premiere ever and with continued ratings success in weeks two and three, SHOWTIME has picked up a second season of its critically acclaimed drama series RAY DONOVAN. Created and executive produced by Ann Biderman, the series stars Emmy^® and Golden Globe^® Award nominee Liev Schreiber in his first lead television role. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. RAY DONOVAN airs on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. The second season will debut in 2014.

“RAY DONOVAN is on track to be our biggest season one show ever,” said Nevins. “Ann Biderman and the extraordinarily talented creative team, coupled with the brilliant ensemble cast led by Liev Schreiber, have produced one of the hottest new dramas of the year. We are proud and excited to pick up another season.”

RAY DONOVAN delivered the best debut of any freshman SHOWTIME comedy or drama series with more than 6 million viewers for its premiere across platforms (including replays, On Demand and Live +7). The series is also the first freshman drama in network history to improve on its series premiere in week two, up an impressive 15 percent in its second week on-air. In its third week, the series delivered 2.2 million viewers on Sunday night, on par with its record-setting second week.

Set in the sprawling mecca of the rich and famous, RAY DONOVAN stars Schreiber as LA’s best professional fixer, the man called in to make the city’s celebrities, superstar athletes, and business moguls’ most complicated and combustible situations go away. This powerful drama unfolds when his father, Mickey Donovan, played by Oscar^® winner Jon Voight, is unexpectedly released from prison, setting off a chain of events that shakes the Donovan family to its core. The cast includes Oscar winner and guest star Elliott Gould as Ray’s long-time client and mentor, Paula Malcomson (The Hunger Games) in the role of Ray’s wife, Abby, along with Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes) and Dash Mihok (I Am Legend), who play Ray’s brothers. The series also stars Steven Bauer (Breaking Bad), Katherine Moennig (The L Word), Pooch Hall (The Game), Kerris Dorsey (Moneyball) and Devon Bagby. Johnathon Schaech (That Thing You Do!) and Peter Jacobson (House) guest star. RAY DONOVAN is created and executive produced by Ann Biderman (Southland), who also wrote the pilot episode. The series is also executive produced by Mark Gordon and Bryan Zuriff. RAY DONOVAN is a SHOWTIME production.