Hell on Wheels: Renewed for Season 2

Fans of Hell on Wheels will not be treated to a new episode this Sunday, but AMC has delivered an early Christmas present to viewers of this period drama: it's been renewed for a second season.

The series broke strong out of the gate, premiering to 4.4 million households, the second-highest-rated opening for any AMC program behind The Walking Dead.

It returns with a new episode on January 1, as Elam and Cullen are assigned a mission of vengeance on "Derailed."

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