TNT has renewed their action series The Last Ship for a third season of 13 episodes.

The second season, which is currently airing on Sunday nights, is averaging a 0.72 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 2.95 million viewers. Compared to the first season, that’s down by more than 30% in each category. Still, it’s one of the cable channel’s top-rated shows.

Here’s the press release:

TNT Re-Enlists The Last Ship for Third Season

Action-Adventure Ranks as the Summer’s #1 Scripted Series on Basic Cable with Key Adults

Eric DaneTNT has renewed the hit action-adventure The Last Ship, basic cable’s top scripted series this summer with adults 25-54. Currently airing Sundays at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), The Last Ship stars Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy), Rhona Mitra (Strike Back) and Adam Baldwin (Firefly, Chuck). Season 2 will climax with a gripping cliffhanger on Sept. 6. TNT has ordered 13 episodes for the third season, which is slated to launch next summer.

Viewers can catch up with the second season of The Last Ship or relive the excitement of this summer’s gripping story developments at any time. TNT is making all of this season’s previous episodes available to subscribers through set-top VOD, the www.tntdrama.com and the Watch TNT mobile apps. New episodes are added to the mix the day after they premiere on the network.

Based on William Brinkley’s popular novel, The Last Ship chronicles a global catastrophe that nearly decimates the world’s population. Because of its positioning, the Navy destroyer U.S.S. Nathan James avoided falling victim to the devastating tragedy, forcing Captain Chandler (Dane), XO Slattery (Baldwin) and the ship’s crew must confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they are among the few remaining survivors.

In the second season of The Last Ship, the crew of the Nathan James has begun disseminating the cure developed by paleomicrobiologist Dr. Rachel Scott (Mitra). Their arrival back on U.S. soil, however, has been met with opposition in the form of a new world order under the leadership of Amy Granderson (guest star Alfre Woodward). To make matters worse, Chandler and his crew now face a new enemy: the Immunes, a group of naturally immune survivors bent on taking over the world.

Also starring in The Last Ship are Travis Van Winkle (Heart of Dixie), Charles Parnell (Pariah), Christina Elmore (Fruitvale Station), Marissa Neitling (Leverage), John Pyper Ferguson (Unforgiven) and Jocko Sims (Masters of Sex). The series is produced by Platinum Dunes, with its partners – blockbuster filmmaker Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form – serving as executive producers. Co-creators and showrunners Hank Steinberg (creator of Without a Trace, The Nine) and Steven Kane (The Closer) are also executive producers, along with Jack Bender (Lost).

The Last Ship launched last year as basic cable’s #1 new series with total viewers and adults 25-54. In its second season, the show is basic cable’s #1 scripted series this summer with adults 25-54 and ranks as one of the the Top 3 with adults 18-49 and total viewers. This summer, the show is reaching an average of 9 million viewers across TNT’s linear, VOD, digital and mobile platforms.

About TNT

TNT is television’s destination for drama. Seen in 95 million households and ranking among cable’s top networks, TNT is home to such original drama series as Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Falling Skies, The Last Ship, Murder in the First, Legends, The Librarians and the upcoming Proof, Public Morals, Agent X and The Alienist. TNT also features the unscripted investigation series Cold Justice and Cold Justice: Sex Crimes. In addition, TNT is the cable home to popular dramas like Castle, Bones, Supernatural and Grimm; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®, the Live Nation Music Awards and the iHeartRadio Music Awards; and championship sports coverage, including the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

TNT is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company. Turner Broadcasting creates and programs branded news; entertainment; kids and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

What do you think? Do you like The Last Ship TV show? Are you glad that it’s been renewed for a third season? How long do you think it should air?