UnREAL [Lifetime]
Prior to Monday’s episode–and on the heels of last week’s impressive ratings gain–Lifetime announced that it has renewed critically acclaimed drama “UnREAL” for a second season.
Set to air next year, the second season will consist of ten episodes.
“We couldn’t be more proud to bring back UnREAL,” said Lifetime’s Liz Gateley. “With authentically flawed characters, sharp storytelling and impeccable performances, this show is propelling our brand in a truly exciting direction – an unexpected and bolder Lifetime. We are thrilled to continue our work with Marti and Sarah and the incredible A+E Studios team, as we together bring a new generation of viewers to Lifetime.”
Thus far a modest performer by conventional live+same-day ratings standards, “UnREAL” has nonetheless shown some promise. Last week’s episode, which was the first to premiere on television (as opposed to Lifetime’s on-demand service), posted a series high number in adults 18-49.
The show also reaches an appealingly young demographic. According to Lifetime, the median viewer’s age is 43. No scripted Lifetime series has ever skewed as young.
Moreover, the combination of live, time-shifted and on-demand viewership is producing healthy overall audience numbers. The episodes that are attracting fewer than 1 million first-run viewers are generating an average of 4.8 million views across all platforms.