It looks like the tale of Bryan Mills will live to see another sequel. NBC’s rookie series Taken has been renewed for a second season. According to TVLine, the upcoming season will feature 16 episodes, which is a significant jump from the first season’s ten episodes.
Taken serves as a prequel to the Liam Neeson film franchise of the same name. The History Channel’s Vikings‘ star Clive Standen plays a younger version of Bryan Mills, a character popularized by Neeson. The series storyline takes place 30 years before the first of the three films, which was released in 2008. The first season focuses on the former Green Beret as he attempts to overcome the personal tragedy of his sister’s death, while he seeks revenge when he begins a new career as a special intelligence operative for the CIA.
Throughout Taken‘s Season 1 run, reviews from critics have faired average and ratings remained relatively mediocre for the new show. The series premiere in late February received 7.5 million total viewers with a 1.6 demo rating. According to TV By the Numbers, Taken “averaged a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49 and 5.13 million viewers on the night it aired.” It eventually rose to a 1.3 rating among the demographic with approximately 7 million DVR viewings a week. Although ratings for Taken are not as high and consistent as NBC’s The Voice, which airs in the time slot directly before the drama, the show has done well internationally due to its association with the popular film franchise.
Deadline has announced that Alex Cary will depart the series as the showrunner. Cary also adapted the story for television and served as an executive producer. He has previously worked as a writer and producer for Showtime’s Homeland, as well as worked on FX’s The Riches and USA Network’s In Plain Sight. Though Cary’s departure was amicable, the series is currently in the process of finding a new showrunner.
Along with Standen, Taken stars Friday Night Light‘s Gaius Charles, My Wife and Kids‘ Brooklyn Sudano, Sons of Anarchy‘s Monique Gabriela Curnen, The Unit‘s Michael Irby, The Walking Dead‘s Jose Pablo Cantillo, Westworld‘s James Landry Hébert, and The L Word‘s Jennifer Beals.
Taken is joining This Is Us, The Voice, The Good Place, Shades of Blue, Superstore, and the highly antiquated Will & Grace revival as the only shows secured in NBC’s 2017-2018 schedule. NBC will announce the season’s full series lineup on Monday, May 15.