TNT has picked up the bulk of its summer original dramas.
The Turner-owned cable network on Thursday announced that it has renewed Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes and Perception for additional seasons.
The dramas join Falling Skies at the network for summer 2014.
"TNT has had a terrific summer with four big hits that have drawn viewers with great storytelling, engaging characters and outstanding performances," said Michael Wright, president and head of programming at TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies. "With the renewals of Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Falling Skies and Perception, TNT has built an incredibly strong arsenal of scripted series. And it's only going to get stronger with the addition of Mob City and the return of Dallas this winter, not to mention the debuts of The Last Ship and Legends next summer."
All four dramas (including previously renewed Falling Skies) rank among basic cable's top 10 series among total viewers this summer, with Rizzoli leading the pack and Major Crimes ranking among the top five. The four series also rank in the top 10 among adults 25-54, with Falling Skies and Rizzoli among cable's top five dramas among the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 metric.
Rizzoli, which will return for its fifth season next year, has averaged 8.4 million viewers this season when factoring in DVR viewing, up 6 percent year-over-year. The season four finale airs Sept. 10 with the second half of its fourth season returning in early 2014. The fifth season will consist of 15 episodes.
Major Crimes which will return for a third season of 15 episodes in summer 2014, has averaged 6.7 million viewers this season when including seven-day returns. The summer run will end Aug. 19 and be back in November for the second half of its run.
Perception will be back for a third season of 15 episodes next summer. This season has averaged 5.6 million total viewers when factoring in Live+7 returns. The summer run will conclude Aug. 27 and be back in early 2014 for the rest of its sophomore frame.
Yet to be determined are the fates of Franklin & Bash and rookie King & Maxwell.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
