
Airlock Alpha has picked up word from a number of sources that Syfy already has commissioned a second season of its breakout new hit "Warehouse 13," meaning 13 for now and possibly a total of 20 episodes when it's all said and done for America's newest favorite Secret Service agents Pete Lattimer and Myka Bering.
Since its premiere in early July, the same night that SciFi Channel officially changed its name to Syfy, "Warehouse 13" has been a ratings winner for the network. The most recent episode that aired Aug. 18 pulled in nearly 3.3 million viewers. That's slightly below the 3.5 million viewers who tuned in for the initial premiere, which was the third largest debut ever recorded on the channel behind "Stargate: Atlantis" in 2004 and "Eureka" in 2006.
NBC Universal, the parent company of Syfy, officially announced the renewal through Variety, but bringing "Warehouse 13" back for a second season has already been pretty much a foregone conclusion.
Part of the creative team of "Warehouse 13" was Jane Espenson, best known to many genre fans for her work in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Firefly" and "Battlestar Galactica." Espenson is now the showrunner for the upcoming Syfy series "Caprica," the "Battlestar" prequel that is set to premiere in January on the network.
"Warehouse 13" already is averaging a stronger audience than Syfy's other high-rated show, "Eureka," which is averaging about 2.5 million viewers per episode. The success of shows such as "Warehouse 13" and "Eureka" has helped Syfy justify its move toward more "grounded" series, and moving away from more expensive space-faring shows such as "Battlestar."
While "Caprica" is yet another grounded series coming to the schedule, Syfy isn't shying away from shows set in space. The highly anticipated "Stargate: Universe" is set to premiere this fall, focusing on a ship built by the Ancients that a crew is trapped on.
Variety confirmed the pickup with a 13-episode order.
"We took a look at doing 20 episodes, but for logistic and financial reasons, it didn't make sense to do that right now, but I wouldn't rule that out," Syfy president Dave Howe told the trade publication.
"Warehouse 13" stars Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly and Saul Rubinek. It airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on Syfy.
About the Author:
Michael Hinman is the founder and site coordinator for Airlock Alpha and the entire BlipNetwork. He owns Quantum Global Media Inc., the parent corporation of the BlipNetwork. He's a print journalist by day, and lives in Tampa, Fla.