Cannes Film Festival 2013

HBO renews 'Girls' for season 3

Lena Dunham comedy will get 12 episodes next time around

<p>"Girls" stars Lena Dunham, Zosia Mamet, Jemima Kirke and Allison Williams will be back for a third season.</p>

"Girls" stars Lena Dunham, Zosia Mamet, Jemima Kirke and Allison Williams will be back for a third season.

Credit: HBO

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It's official: HBO has ordered a third season of "Girls."

The comedy's producers have been talking for a while like the third season was already a done deal — earlier this week, star/creator/producer Lena Dunham told Alec Baldwin on a podcast that the third season would film in some of the studio space "30 Rock" was vacating — but the actual announcement didn't come until this afternoon.

By conventional ratings measures, "Girls" doesn't look so spectacular, as the season 2 premiere only drew 866,000 for its first telecast, and only 1.6 million viewers over multiple airings that night. But in total, across many platforms (including HBOGo), more than 3.8 million have watched that episode so far. Besides, HBO doesn't really rely on conventional ratings measures — or on ratings at all — but on things that will drive subscriptions, enhance the company's brand, etc. And "Girls" has been a huge critical success, has won several awards (including a pair of Golden Globes earlier this month) and is a show that people are talking about — whether they like it or hate it.

The third season will consist of 12 episodes, as opposed to the 10 for the first two seasons. The third episode of season 2 airs Sunday night at 9 on HBO.

Alan-sepinwall-sm
Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching
Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

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  • Default-avatar

    Maxwell

    I'm a relatively masculine guy in my mid 20's, and admittedly I've never lived in a major metropolitan area, but I don't understand the hatred for this show. I absolutely love it. I don't take it literally or view it as an accurate representation of life for my generation, but it's hilarious. Elijah especially has been a great addition. I'm thrilled to hear they'll be getting 2 more episodes for the next season.

    January 25, 2013 at 2:26PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Batfink_talkback_profile

      chuchundra I'm a big, manly man who likes the occasional girly entertainment (Bunheads, Carrie Diaries, SATC). I even think Lena Dunham is cute.

      But Girls just rubs me the wrong way. I found the episodes painful to watch. I kept looking at the clock waiting for them to be over.

      January 25, 2013 at 5:59PM EST
    • Default-avatar

      Joe I'm with you Maxwell. My brother & I, both in our early 20s & having never lived anywhere larger than Tucson, love the show. It's fantastic at demonstrating the sense of entitlement & lack of self-awareness that so many young people, my self included, suffer from in a humorous, & not completely condemning, way. Of course humor is subjective but, for my money it's one of the 3 or 4 funniest shows on TV.

      January 27, 2013 at 9:05PM EST
  • Default-avatar

    ronozer

    I heard her mention possibly 12 episodes in her terrific interview with Alec Baldwin on Here's The Thing, and I was pleased! I am a 50 year old man and I love the show. So there.

    January 25, 2013 at 2:31PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    /3rt

    Happy to hear this inevitable news, but, I'm concern for the fate of Enlightened. I don't want them to cancel it before it has a proper final season.

    January 25, 2013 at 2:45PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Girls sucks

    HBO has lost its mind. I've never seen Snooki nor Honey Boo so I can only imagine that they are this bad but Girls realyy is trash tv at its worst.

    January 25, 2013 at 5:54PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Default-avatar

      Madeleine Basset Grow up

      January 26, 2013 at 12:51PM EST
    • Default-avatar

      HoneyBooBooMarksEndOfCivilization Maybe you should go take a weekend and watch nothing but Snooki and Honey Boo Boo, just so your opinion will be fully informed, "Girls Sucks." Wouldn't want folks to think you had prejudged things, y'know?

      January 28, 2013 at 4:53PM EST
  • Default-avatar

    Wally

    This is great news for all true comedy fans. "Girls" makes all sitcoms seem much, much funnier!

    January 26, 2013 at 7:49AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Cartocs_talkback_profile

    ovnio

    Excellent news. One of the best shows in the air right now.

    And I really like the early renewals. Not just because they show faith in a show but also because I imagine it gives the creators more time to plan ahead.

    January 30, 2013 at 7:21AM EST Reply to Comment

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