The second season of Mr. Selfridge will stick with PBS. The broadcaster announced Monday that it has secured the rights to the sophomore run of the period drama, renewed by the U.K.'s ITV in February.
Starring Jeremy Piven in the title role of the doomed department-store tycoon, the first run from earlier in the year was a ratings success for PBS -- reaching nearly 15 million viewers over the course of the run. Mr. Selfridge will continue to air as part of the Masterpiece franchise.
“I’m absolutely delighted that Masterpiece viewers welcomed Mr. Selfridge into their homes,” said Piven. “Mr. Selfridge is a true ensemble piece, and audiences can look forward to seeing the return of their favorite characters and some intriguing new faces.”
An average 4 million viewers tuned in to each of the episodes, with PBS extending its online footprint with more than 1.1 million streams of the series clocking in since its premiere.
“We are very excited to bring a second season of Mr. Selfridge to PBS stations nationwide,” said PBS chief programming executive and GM of audience programming Beth Hoppe. “This department-store drama has charmed audiences with wonderful performances, intriguing plots and beautiful costumes -- bringing a sparkle of glamour to our Sunday night lineup.”
The second season is already filming in the U.K., with the story picking up on the eve of World War I.
