Underground: Renewed for Season 2 by WGN America!
Carissa Pavlica
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Just days after the US Treasury decided to honor the leader of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, with the honor of placement on the $20 bill, WGN America renews it's freshman series, Underground, for a second season.
Matt Cherniss, President and General Manager, WGN America and Tribune Studios made the announcement today.
“With enormous pride we are announcing a second season of Underground, a series that has resonated with so many passionate fans across the country,” said Cherniss.
“We are deeply proud of the work that the talented cast, crew and production team have done to bring this story to life, led by our gifted creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski and our partners at Sony Pictures Television."
"It is an honor to have Underground on our air and we look forward to how the story will unfold in what is sure to be a stellar sophomore season.”
Set in a desperate and dangerous time, WGN America’s Underground tells the story of revolutionaries of the Underground Railroad who use their ingenuity, will and power to attempt the greatest escape in history despite the dire consequences that awaited them on the other side.
The provocative and compelling series focuses on a group of courageous men and women who band together for the fight of their lives—for their families, their future and their freedom.
Executive-produced by Misha Green, Joe Pokaski, John Legend, Akiva Goldsman, Tory Tunnell, Joby Harold, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius and Anthony Hemingway, Underground follows a courageous group of American heroes who attempt a daring flight to freedom in the greatest escape in history.
Produced by Sony Pictures Television and Tribune Studios, the 10-episode second season order is set to begin production this summer for a 2017 debut.
"When we came together to create Underground, we had one mandate, and that was to be bold. To evoke the spirit of the American heroes who bent the arc of history," said Green and Pokaski.
"To our extraordinary cast and crew who gave blood, sweat and tears to breathe life into this story, thank you for being bold with us."
"To our supportive partners at WGN America, Sony Pictures Television, Weed Road, Safehouse and Get Lifted, thank you for being bold with us."
"And to all the 'Underground' fans who tune in every week, tweet and spread the word, thank you for being bold with us. We are beyond thrilled to have the honor and privilege to continue this journey."
Underground is outpacing WGN America’s 2015-2016 primetime average by +508% in Total Viewers, +864% among Adults 25-54 and +1005% among Adults 18-49 in Live +7 viewing.
The celebrated cast of Underground includes Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Rosalee, Aldis Hodge as Noah, Christopher Meloni as August Pullman, Alano Miller as Cato, Jessica de Gouw as Elizabeth Hawkes, Marc Blucas as John Hawkes, Adina Porter as Pearly Mae, Mykelti Williamson as Moses and Amirah Vann as Ernestine.
The series also stars Johnny Ray Gill, Chris Chalk, Reed Diamond, Theodus Crane, James Lafferty, Renwick Scott and Jussie Smollett.
Underground, which was screened at the White House in February, boasts a large and loyal fan base that live tweets the series each week, along with the cast and creative team, making Underground the #1 most social cable drama on Wednesday nights.
The series trended worldwide last week, on the same day the U.S. Department of the Treasury made its historic announcement that abolitionist and humanitarian Harriet Tubman, who led many enslaved people to freedom on the Underground Railroad, will appear on the face of the $20 bill, a decision lauded on social media by the cast and creators.
The season two order for Underground comes on the heels of WGN America renewing Outsiders, another hit series in its growing stable of high-quality original programming. The network's popular original series Salem returns for a third season Halloween week.
Underground airs on WGN America Wednesday nights at 10/9c.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
