HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones will be returning for second season. The series, based on the fictional Gemstone family and their mega-church empire, boasted HBO’s biggest comedy debut in the last three years with almost 850,000 viewers the night of. The show comes from frequent HBO collaborator Danny McBride, who also starred in and co-created Eastbound and Down and Vice Principals for the premium network. Joining McBride in the capacity of executive producer is his own frequent collaborator Jody Hill.
Per the Hollywood Reporter, Amy Gravitt, Executive VP of Programming at HBO, said of the renewal, “Danny, Jody and [executive producer David Gordon Greene] are among our favorite collaborators, and we’re thrilled that their take on a family comedy has been met with such enthusiasm. We cannot wait to share the next steps in the Gemstone family’s epic journey. Hallelujah!”
The Righteous Gemstones examines and parodies the world of wealthy televangelists, replete with private jets, mansions, and a million other forms of extravagance. The Gemstones masquerade as a happy, pious family spreading the good word to a flock that fills stadium-sized mega-churches across the South. Behind this façade, however, the Gemstones are ruthless, selfish, petty, and woefully out of touch.
John Goodman plays Eli, the patriarch of the Gemstone family with a goal of crushing competing churches to expand his empire, all while struggling to get over the loss of his late wife and co-preacher. McBride plays Eli’s eldest son Jesse, whose secret debaucherous lifestyle is threatened when would-be blackmailers uncover a scandalous video of him engaging in less-than-wholesome activities. Workaholics star Adam Devine plays Eli’s younger son and youth paster Kelvin. Finally, Vice Principals alum Edi Patterson rounds out the core cast, appearing as Eli’s often overlooked daughter Judy.
The Righteous Gemstones is one of several new shows set to replace HBO mainstays that have either ended or are ending in the near future. Shows like Game of Thrones and Veep have already received series finales, while Ballers is currently in its final season. Tech comedy Silicon Valley and historical drama The Deuce are also set to conclude before the end of 2019.
The Righteous Gemstones airs Sundays at 10:00pm ET/PT on HBO.