'Warehouse 13,' 'Drop Dead Diva' earn renewals

Eddie McClintock of 'Warehouse 13'

Credit: SyFy

Two of the summer's most popular first-year series have been renewed for another season. 

On Thursday (Aug. 20), SyFy announced that it was picking up "Warehouse 13," while Lifetime renewed "Drop Dead Diva" for a second season.

"Warehouse 13" was the show that officially marked the transition from Sci Fi to SyFy and will return with 13 new episodes in the summer of 2010. The quirky drama, which stars Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek and Allison Scagliotti, has averaged 4.02 million viewers per week, which puts it on-track to become the cable network's most-watched first season ever. 

SyFy boasts that "Warehouse 13" has averaged more viewers than summer cable shows including TNT's "Hawthorne," "Raising the Bar," "Dark Blue" and "Saving Grace;" FX's "Rescue Me" and Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva."

Lifetime appears to be perfectly happy, though, with its summer hit. "Drop Dead Diva" has been renewed for a 13 episode second season after becoming the cable network's highest rated original drama series debut since the 2007 launch of "Army Wives."

For the season, "Drop Dead Diva," starring Brooke Elliott and Margaret Cho, has averaged 2.6 million viewers, but its most recent airing averaged more than 3 million, with series highs among women 18-49 and women 25-54.

"'Drop Dead Diva' is one of those rare gems that has charmed both viewers and critics, and I am proud to announce a season two pick-up," states Lifetime Executive Vice President JoAnn Alfano. "Josh Berman, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron and their talented team have delivered an amazing show that is helping us to grow and evolve the Lifetime brand."

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

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A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.