(HBO)

HBO is headed to another resort. The cable channel has renewed The White Lotus TV show for a third season. The second season of seven episodes is still airing on Sunday nights.

A social satire anthology series written and directed by Mike White, The White Lotus stars F. Murray Abraham, Jennifer Coolidge, Adam DiMarco, Beatrice Grannò, Meghann Fahy, Jon Gries, Tom Hollander, Sabrina Impacciatore, Michael Imperioli, Theo James, Aubrey Plaza, Haley Lu Richardson, Will Sharpe, Simona Tabasco, and Leo Woodall. The story follows the exploits of various hotel guests and staff members over the span of a week at a resort in Sicily. Bert Di Grasso (Abraham) is visiting the city with his son (Imperioli) and grandson (DiMarco) and is getting frail but still sees himself as virile and capable. Wealthy but unstable Tanya McQuioid-Hunt (Coolidge) is traveling with her husband (Tries) and assistant (Richardson). Daphne Babcock (Fahy) is a stay-at-home mother who is visiting Italy with her husband (James) and another couple (Sharpe and Plaza).

The second season of The White Lotus averages a 0.07 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 452,000 viewers in the live+same day ratings (includes all DVR playback through 3:00 AM). Compared to season one, that’s down by 39% in the demo and down by 17% in viewership. While these numbers don’t include further delayed or streaming viewing, they are a very good indicator of how a show is performing, especially when compared to others on the same channel.

Here’s the third-season renewal announcement from HBO:

HBO’s THE WHITE LOTUS From Mike White Renewed For A Third Installment

Next Chapter Will Feature New Characters And Locale

HBO’s Emmy®-winning anthology series THE WHITE LOTUS, from Mike White, will return for a third installment following a new group of guests at another White Lotus property.

The first installment, which premiered July 2021 and was set in Hawaii, received 20 Emmy® nominations across 13 categories and ten wins, the most wins of any program that year, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. The second installment, set in Sicily, debuted on October 30 and will conclude on December 11. Its first episode has already been watched by more than 7.6 million viewers, and last week the series hit an all-time weekly high, ranking as the #1 title overall on HBO Max.

Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films quote: “Reflecting on THE WHITE LOTUS’ humble, run-and-gun origin as a contained pandemic production, it’s impossible not to be awestruck by how Mike orchestrated one of the buzziest and most critically acclaimed shows. And yet, he’s only continued to reach new heights in season 2, which is the ultimate testament to Mike’s raw, unparalleled vision. His courage to explore the uncharted waters of the human psyche, paired with his signature irreverent humor and buoyant directing style, have us all dreaming of more vacation days at the resort we’ve come to adore. We couldn’t be more thrilled to get the chance to collaborate on a third season together.”

Mike White, creator, writer, and director quote: “There’s no place I’d rather work than HBO and there’s no people I’d rather partner with than Casey Bloys, Francesca Orsi, Nora Skinner and their incredible team. I feel so lucky to get this opportunity again and am excited to reunite with my amazingly talented collaborators on THE WHITE LOTUS.”

Called “fresh and provocative” by Time, the second installment of THE WHITE LOTUS has garnered strong critical praise for the “outstanding” cast (TV Guide) and “intoxicating allure” (CNN). Collider declared that “Mike White makes lightning strike twice” and Decider proclaimed the season a “resounding triumph.”

Season 2 credits: Created, written and directed by Mike White; executive produced by White, David Bernad and Mark Kamine.

What do you think? Have you watched The White Lotus TV series on HBO? Are you glad that this anthology has been renewed for a third season, with a new story and cast?