USA Network has announced that they’ve renewed their popular legal series, Suits, for a third season. They’ve ordered 16 episodes once again.

Over the summer, USA aired 10 installments of season two and they averaged a 1.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 3.78 million viewers. That’s down slightly when compared to the first season’s average.

The remaining episodes of season two are expected to kick off in January. Season three of Suits should kick off sometime later in 2013.

Here’s the press release with some additional details:

USA NETWORK RENEWS SIGNATURE ORIGINAL DRAMA SERIES “SUITS”

Cable’s Top Summer Drama Among Adults 18-49 Picked Up For 16-Episode Third Season

NEW YORK – October 12, 2012 – USA Network co-presidents Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel announced today the renewal of the critically acclaimed and top-rated original drama series SUITS with a 16-episode third season order. The network’s most provocative series, regularly lauded in the press, industry and awards communities, captured this summer’s coveted spot as the top drama on cable for adults 18-49. SUITS stars an ensemble cast featuring Gabriel Macht (“Love and Other Drugs”), Screen Actor’s Guild Awards nominee Patrick J. Adams (“Luck”), Rick Hoffman (“Samantha Who”), Gina Torres (“Firefly”), Sarah Rafferty (“Brothers & Sisters”) and Meghan Markle (“CSI Miami”). The series is produced by Universal Cable Productions.

“Quite simply, SUITS is as good as it gets. Sophisticated storytelling, sharp dialogue, and award-worthy performances make this show a cornerstone of our original programming lineup,” said Wachtel and McCumber.

SUITS delves into the fast-paced, high-stakes world of Manhattan corporate law firm Pearson Hardman, centering on legendary law partner Harvey Specter (Macht) and his brilliant, but not-technically-legal, associate Mike Ross (Adams). Despite his lack of bonafide credentials, Mike’s photographic memory and encyclopedic legal knowledge make him an invaluable asset to Harvey. In season two, tension mounts as founding partner Daniel Hardman (guest star David Costabile), returns to battle the firm’s other namesake Jessica Pearson (Torres) for control. As the mid-season finale concludes, Harvey and Mike are able to make their toughest close yet – Louis Litt (Hoffman) – whose vote puts Jessica back on top. After making a tragic mistake in hopes of protecting Harvey that ultimately costs her job, Harvey’s no-nonsese assistant Donna Paulsen (Rafferty) is reinstalled in her rightful place outside of his office. Still reeling from the devasting loss of his grandmother, Mike makes a rash decision with a girl from his past that puts his relationship with the firm’s savviest paralegal Rachel Zane (Markle) in jeopardy.

The sophomore series – part of the most powerful night on television, which delivered more adults 25-54, 18-49 and 18-34 than any scripted series on cable or broadcast this summer – hit a season ratings high across all demos with its summer finale delivering 6.5 million total viewers. SUITS returns in January with six new episodes to wrap up the highly-anticipated conclusion of season two.

From Universal Cable Productions, SUITS was created and is executive produced by Aaron Korsh (“The Deep End”). Doug Liman (COVERT AFFAIRS, the “Bourne” trilogy, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”) and David Bartis (COVERT AFFAIRS, “The O.C.”) of Hypnotic also serve as executive producers and Gene Klein (COVERT AFFAIRS) and Kevin Bray (“Walking Tall”) serves as co-executive producers. SUITS is shot on location in Toronto, ON.

Universal Cable Productions creates innovative and critically acclaimed original scripted and digital content across multiple media platforms and outlets for domestic and international distribution. UCP produces “Covert Affairs,” “Fairly Legal,” “Psych,” “Royal Pains” and “Suits” for USA; “Alphas,” “Defiance,” and “Warehouse 13” for Syfy. Universal Cable Productions is a division of NBCUniversal.

The #1 network in all of basic cable for six consecutive years and an unprecedented seven straight summers, USA Network is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. USA is a leader in scripted programming with a powerful stable of originals, spectacular live television and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, a broad portfolio of acquired series and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com . Characters Welcome.

What do you think? Are you glad to hear that Suits has been renewed for a third season? How long do you think this show should realistically run?