Showtime's "Penny Dreadful" finale attracted a total of 1.27 million viewers last June 29, reports The Wrap. It reportedly was just a few thousand viewers shy from its premiere episode last May 11 which had 1.43 million people tuning in.
Its debut episode beat out Emmy-award winning drama "Homeland" and fellow Showtime drama, "Masters Of Sex." Both shows earned only 1.38 million viewers. The show has also attracted an international audience, being the second highest-rated launch by Showtime's production partner, Sky Atlantic.
The Victorian-era horror gothic drama has attracted roughly 4.8 million weekly viewers across all platforms including Showtime on Demand and Showtime Anytime. It features classic literary characters such as Dr. Victor Frankenstein (and his monster) and Dorian Grey, as well as new ones.
In a review for the show, Variety pats the show's back for having the right set of cast members, calling the series a "mashed-up smorgasbord of bawdy delights." It further concludes that the "Penny Dreadful" finale gave the audience its money's worth.
The macabre series' impressive cast includes Timothy Dalton as Sir Malcolm Murray, "300's" Eva Green as the mysterious psychic Vanessa Ives, Josh Hartnett as the mysterious American Ethan Chandler, Harry Treadaway as Dr. Frankenstein, and Reeve Carney as Dorian Gray. Other cast members are Billie Piper, Rory Kinnear, and Danny Sapani.
"Penny Dreadful" was created, written, as well as executive produced by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan. Showtime has already renewed the series even before the "Penny Dreadful" finale aired last Sunday.
"Picking up 'Penny Dreadful' was one of the easiest decisions I've made," David Nevins Showtime Networks' president said, regarding the renewal,"The series has had worldwide impact, drawing big, passionate audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, and more than any other show on our network has hit the bullseye with viewers who want to watch television in all the new ways that are available."
Compared to season one's eight episodes, season two will have ten episodes, which will be shot in Dublin, and will air on 2015.
