Critical support has weakened–and ratings have not escalated to blockbuster territory–but Emmy-winning drama “Homeland” is still a flagship part of Showtime’s lineup.
It will remain that way for at least another season. The network confirmed Tuesday that its terrorism-themed drama has been renewed for a fourth season to air in 2014.
And it will not be venturing into the new year alone. The premium cable station also announced that freshman series “Masters of Sex,” which currently airs out of “Homeland” on Sunday nights, will receive a second season.
According to Showtime, “Homeland” is averaging 6.5 million weekly viewers in its young third season; with 5.4 million of its own weekly viewers, “Sex” is performing better than “Homeland” did in its inaugural year.
Certainly successful at reaching eyeballs, the series do not epitomize the concept of appointment viewing. Sunday’s initial “Homeland” episode ranked below a number of cable and broadcast series with a 0.7 adults 18-49 rating and 1.77 million viewers. Specific data for “Sex” was unavailable at press time but certainly lower than that delivered by the Showtime flagship.