To no surprise, TNT has renewed their hit crime drama, Rizzoli & Isles, for a third season of 15 episodes. That represents the TV show’s largest order to date.

The mid-season finale of Rizzoli & Isles is scheduled to air on September 12th. The remaining season two installments are expected to start running in November. Season three will debut next summer.

Here’s the press release from TNT:

TNT Renews Mega-Hit “Rizzoli & Isles” for Third Season

TNT has booked its blockbuster series Rizzoli & Islesfor a third season. The record-breaking drama – from Warner Horizon Television and starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander – is in the midst of a terrific second season that has it running neck-and-neck with The Closer as this year’s top basic cable series. TNT has ordered 15 episodes of Rizzoli & Isles for its third season, which is slated to launch in summer 2012. The show’s second season will continue airing Monday nights at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) through Sept. 12. Rizzoli & Isles will return to wrap up its second season with new episodes in November and December.

Rizzoli & Isles launched this summer with 8.6 million viewers, joining The Closer and Falling Skies in giving TNT three premieres with at least 8.0 million viewers, the first time a cable network has ever achieved that level of success. The Closer and Rizzoli & Isles are currently basic cable’s top two series for the year-to-date, with Falling Skies ranking as the top new series.

“This summer, Rizzoli & Isles has proven that last year’s record-breaking ratings were just the beginning of this show’s remarkable track record,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “With a terrific cast, a top-notch production team and the kind of stories TNT fans crave, Rizzoli & Isles is poised to continue its success alongside blockbuster TNT series like The Closer and Falling Skies.”

Based on characters created by best-selling crime novelist Tess Gerritsen, Rizzoli & Isles stars Angie Harmon as Jane Rizzoli, a tough-as-nails Boston police detective, and Sasha Alexander as Maura Isles, a smart, impeccably dressed medical examiner from a privileged background. Despite being complete opposites, the two women share an offbeat chemistry and strong working relationship that has helped them bust some of Boston’s most notorious criminals. Lorraine Bracco co-stars as Jane’s demanding and intrusive mother. Rizzoli & Isles also stars Lee Thompson Young, Bruce McGill and Jordan Bridges.

Rizzoli & Isles was developed for television by Janet Tamaro and is produced by Warner Horizon Television, Tamaro’s Hurdler Productions and Bill Haber’s Ostar Productions. Tamaro and Haber serve as executive producers for the second season, along with Joel Fields and Michael Zinberg. Michael M. Robin serves as a consulting producer.

About TNT
TNT, one of cable’s top-rated networks, is television’s destination for drama. Seen in 100.5 million households, the network is home to such original series as The Closer, starring Emmy winner Kyra Sedgwick; Rizzoli & Isles, starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander; Falling Skies, starring Noah Wyle; Franklin & Bash, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; Hawthorne, with Jada Pinkett Smith; Memphis Beat, with Jason Lee; and Southland, from Emmy-winning producer John Wells (ER). TNT also presents such powerful dramas as The Mentalist, Bones, Supernatural, Las Vegas, Law & Order, CSI: NY, Cold Case and, starting next year, Castle; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR, the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

What do you think? Are you glad to hear the show’s been renewed? Do you have a favorite character?

Image courtesy TNT.