The Closer may be over but many of the characters continue to live on through Major Crimes. Though the new cable TV series isn’t as big in the ratings, it’s certainly still a success for TNT.

It’s no surprise that they’ve now renewed Major Crimes for a second season. TNT has ordered 15 episodes for the sophomore season of the spin-off and they’ll start to air next summer.

Season one of Major Crimes has 10 episodes and is expected to wrap on October 15th.

Here’s the TNT press release:

TNT Books Second Season of Cable’s #1 New Drama, Major Crimes

TNT has renewed its hit original series Major Crimes, the year’s #1 new cable drama. TNT has ordered 15 episodes of the Warner Bros. Television crime drama, which features two-time Oscar® nominee Mary McDonnell leading an outstanding ensemble cast. Major Crimes currently airs Mondays at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on TNT, with the first season finale slated for mid-October and the second season scheduled to roll out in summer 2013.

“With Major Crimes, James Duff and his amazing production team have crafted an incredibly entertaining show that not only honors the spirit of The Closer, but also stands alone with its own voice and spirit,” said Michael Wrig ht, president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “Week after week, Major Crimes has drawn millions of fans with its combination of sharp writing and engaging characters brought to life by what can only be described as one of the best acting ensembles on television. We look forward to another season of this remarkable new drama.”

With an audience of nearly 7 million viewers, Major Crimes ranks as cable’s #1 new series for the year-to-date. It also holds position as one of basic cable’s Top 3 new dramas with key adult demos, averaging 1.6 million adults 18-49 and 2.1 million adults 25-54. Among all original series on cable, Major Crimes ranks third behind TNT’s The Closer and Rizzoli & Isles for the quarter-to-date. In addition, the series’ Aug. 13 premiere audience of 9.5 million viewers set a new record as basic cable’s most-watched series launch ever.

With the renewal of Major Crimes, TNT has now gone three-for-three when it comes to ordering second seasons of its new scripted dramas. The network previously renewed its hit primetime drama Dallas, which brought together iconic stars from the original series with a new generation of cast members. More recently, TNT renewed the crime drama Perception, starring Eric McCormack.

What do you think? Are you glad to hear that Major Crimes will be back for a second season?