As suspected, FX has ordered a second season of the Tyrant TV show. Season two will begin filming next spring for a summer 2015 debut. The cable channel has ordered 13 episodes this time, up from the 10 installment order of season one.

Tyrant revolves around the youngest son of a dictator who returns to his war-torn country in the Middle-East with his American family. The drama’s cast includes Adam Rayner, Ashraf Barhom, Moran Atias, Jennifer Finnigan, Anne Winters, Noah Silver, Mehdi Dehbi, Fares Fares, Alice Krige, Salim Daw, and Justin Kirk.

Here’s the press release:

TYRANT KEEPS FIRM GRASP ON ITS REIGN

FX Orders 13-Episode Second Season of the Drama Series From Executive Producer Howard Gordon, Fox 21 and FX Productions

All Episodes of the First Season Are Available on FXNOW to Authenticated Subscribers

LOS ANGELES, September 18, 2014 – FX has ordered a 13-episode second season of the drama series Tyrant, from Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning Executive Producer/Showunner Howard Gordon, it was announced today by Nick Grad and Eric Schrier, the Presidents of Original Programming for FX Networks and FX Productions.

Production of Tyrant is scheduled to begin next spring with the second season returning in the summer of 2015.

“We’re so proud of Tyrant’s performance throughout its first season,” said Grad. “Howard Gordon is one of the best and most successful producers in this business. His ability to combine intelligent, edge-of-your-seat storytelling with events from the current geopolitical climate is truly groundbreaking. We look forward to seeing how Tyrant grows in season two.”

“Working with John Landgraf and his team at FX has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my career,” said Gordon. “I’m truly grateful for the chance to continue working with them on this challenging and exciting project.”

The ratings for Tyrant’s first season were incredibly consistent throughout its 10-week run, with the Adults 18-49 audience average for the first half of the season identical to the second half of the season. On a weekly basis, Tyrant averaged 5.1 million Total Viewers and 2.3 million Adults 18-49 inclusive of linear, time-shifted and non-linear viewing (data through eight weeks).

Despite the initial controversy surrounding the show, the audience response was very favorable. Tyrant generated an audience favorability score of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and a user score of 8.0 out of 10 on IMDb. Verne Gay of Newsday wrote about Tyrant at the conclusion of season one, “Tyrant makes a strong turn in the end…. [Howard] Gordon and [Glenn Gordon] Caron have backed their way into a big idea….highly compelling….A second season has been earned.”

All 10 episodes from the first season of Tyrant are currently available on FX’s VOD platform FXNOW for authenticated subscribers of the network.

From Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning Executive Producer/Showunner Howard Gordon (24, Homeland), Tyrant tells the story of an unassuming American family drawn into the inner workings of a turbulent fictional Middle Eastern nation. Bassam “Barry” Al-Fayeed, the younger son of the dictator of a war-torn nation, ends a self-imposed 20-year exile to return to his homeland, accompanied by his American wife and children, for his nephew’s wedding. Barry’s reluctant homecoming leads to a dramatic clash of cultures as he is thrown back into the familial and national politics of his youth. The cast includes Adam Rayner, Jennifer Finnigan, Ashraf Barhom, Moran Atias, Noah Silver, Anne Winters, Fares Fares, Salim Daw, Justin Kirk, Mehdi Dehbi, and Alice Krige.

Tyrant was created by Gideon Raff and is produced by Fox 21 and FX Productions. The series was developed by Howard Gordon & Craig Wright. Glenn Gordon Caron, Peter Noah, Michael Lehmann, and Avi Nir also serve as Executive Producers along with Chris Keyser as Consulting Producer and Chris Levinson as Co-Executive Producer. Gordon serves as Executive Producer and showrunner, along with his Teakwood Lane Productions, the shingle he has set up at 20th Century Fox Television.

Source: The Nielsen Company

ABOUT FX
FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable channel of FX Networks, a business unit of Fox Networks Group. FX Networks is comprised of FX, FXM and FXX, its newest channel, which debuted on September 2, 2013. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 95 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series, including Sons Of Anarchy, Justified, The Americans, The Bridge, Tyrant and The Strain; the miniseries American Horror Story; the critically-acclaimed limited series Fargo; the acclaimed hit comedy series Louie and Archer; and scripted comedies Married and You’re The Worst, and recently ordered The Comedians and Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll. The network’s library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX’s roster of acquired hit series includes Two and a Half Men, Anger Management and Mike & Molly.

ABOUT FOX 21
Fox 21 is a cable production studio housed within Twentieth Century Fox Television devoted to making creatively ambitious scripted series for the cable television market, as well as unscripted shows for both cable and broadcast networks. In addition to Howard Gordon’s dramatic thriller Tyrant, Fox 21 currently produces the Emmy and Golden Globe winning Homeland starring Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin, the critically acclaimed smash hit Sons Of Anarchy (with FX Productions), Brannon Braga and Adam Simon’s freshman hit Salem, the animated comedy Brickleberry from Daniel Tosh, Witches of East End starring Julia Ormond and Jenna Dewan Tatum, Rush from Jonathan Levine and Legends from Howard Gordon and Jonathan Levin. The studio is also developing the drama series The Bastard Executioner (with FX productions) from Kurt Sutter and Imagine TV’s Brian Grazer.

ABOUT FX PRODUCTIONS
FX Productions (FXP) produces FX’s newest acclaimed hit drama series The Strain; the comedy series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer, Married and You’re the Worst; and the upcoming comedies The Untitled Tracy Morgan Project and Man Seeking Woman. FXP co-produces the drama series Sons Of Anarchy, Justified, The Americans, The Bridge and Tyrant; the miniseries Fargo, which scored 18 Emmy® Award nominations and won the Emmy award for Outstanding miniseries; and the upcoming comedy Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll. In 2014, FXP shows combined to deliver 28 Emmy Award nominations including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Miniseries, and Outstanding Animated Program.

What do you think? Do you like the Tyrant TV show? Are you glad that it’s been renewed for a second season?