As expected, Showtime has renewed their low-rated comedy Episodes for a third season. Starring Matt LeBlanc, Stephen Mangan, and Tamsin Greig, season two of the TV series averaged just 380,000 viewers over the course of 10 installments. That was down from the first season which averaged 510,000.

While season two of Episodes had 10 installments and the first season had eight, year three will have nine episodes. Season three is expected to air sometime next year.

Here’s the press release from Showtime:

SHOWTIME(R) RENEWS “EPISODES” FOR THIRD SEASON

Matt LeBlanc Returns in His Golden Globe(R) Award-Winning Role

LOS ANGELES, CA – September 13, 2012 – The Golden Globe-nominated SHOWTIME comedy series EPISODES has been renewed for a third season. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. The critically-acclaimed co-production of SHOWTIME and the BBC will begin production, in both Los Angeles and London, next year on nine, half-hour installments.

EPISODES stars Matt LeBlanc in his Golden Globe Award-winning role as a fictionalized version of himself. “Sean and Beverly Lincoln,” the husband and wife writing/producing duo lured to Hollywood are played by Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig; Kathleen Rose Perkins is “Carol Rance,” the network’s second-in-command programming executive; John Pankow is the recently deposed network head “Merc Lapidus;” and Mircea Monroe plays the age-defying actress “Morning Randolph.” Season-to-date, EPISODES season 2 delivers 1.66 million weekly viewers across platforms (with eight full weeks of complete data). The series attracts a male skewed audience, with 78% of subscribers watching on a time-shifted basis – via replays, DVR, and On Demand.

The series is created and executive produced by award-winning writing partners David Crane (“Friends”) & Jeffrey Klarik (“Mad About You”), and is also executive produced by Jimmy Mulville through his Hat Trick production company. In its first season, EPISODES garnered three Emmy nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music; and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical.

What do you think? Are you glad to hear that Episodes has been renewed for a third season?