TNT prescribes another 'HawthoRNe' season

Michael Vartan and Jada Pinkett Smith of 'HawthoRNe'

Credit: Robert Trachtenberg/TNT

TNT has renewed the medical drama "HawthoRNe" for a second season.

The cable network announced the renewal on Monday (Aug. 10) afternoon, picking up a 10-episode season for the nursing series, which stars Jada Pinkett Smith, Michael Vartan and Suleka Matthew.

"'HawthoRNe' has been a great addition to TNT’s lineup of original series, and Jada Pinkett Smith’s performance has been a tremendous draw with viewers,” states Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM).  “There are powerful episodes remaining, and we’re looking forward to what is certain to be an extraordinary second season.”

"HawthoRNe" premiered on June 16 and has averaged 3.8 million viewers through its initial run. TNT specifies that "HawthoRNe" has ranked as ad-supported cable’s top entertainment program on Tuesdays among adults 25-54 and women 25-54. The drama has been particularly successful in boosting TNT's time period performance, delivering a 69 percent increase in total viewers over the same Tuesday 9 p.m. slot last year.

The series is slated to return to TNT in 2010.

"HawthoRNe" was the second entry in TV's new cycle of nursing shows and it's the second to earn a Season Two pick-up. Amidst strong reviews and reportedly solid ratings, Showtime renewed "Nurse Jackie" very soon after its premiere. Now NBC can only hope for similar luck with "Mercy," which will air this fall.