HBO has renewed a pair of Sunday night hits.

True Blood will return for a sixth season, an announcement that comes as no surprise. But The Newsroom - despite mixed reviews, many bordering on the abysmal - has also been picked up for season number-two.

The Aaron Sorkin-created drama premiered to 2.1 million viewers, placing it on par with the Game of Thrones debut.

Its been met with criticism by those who believe it too be overly preachy and overly reliant on hindsight, taking real-life events that shook up the news world in 2010 and retelling them from the perspective of how they should have been reported.

Still, it's impossible to argue with the raw numbers and the buzz created by the series. Both shows will air news seasons in the summer of 2013.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.