Deadline reports that the second season premiere of Yellowjackets drew 2 million viewers across all platforms, making it the best second installment debut for Showtime in over decade. The second season aired on March 26. Season two of Yellowjackets now holds the No. 1 spot for season debut for Showtime on digital platforms, passing Dexter: New Blood
“Yellowjackets broke records as the most streamed Showtime debut ever thanks to Ashley, Bart, Jonathan and our extraordinary ensemble cast who brought season two to even greater heights,” Chris McCarthy (Gone Country, The T Word), President/CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks, told Deadline. “By tapping into our proven strategy of promoting series across our full portfolio of brands at Paramount Media Networks, we successfully broadened the reach and brought new viewers into this incredible series that deftly combines psychological horror, dark comedy and coming-of-age drama.”
The debuts of the first and second seasons of the series cannot be compared accurately because Showtime did not release similar data for the premiere of season two. The finale of season one had 1.3 million viewers.
Season one of Yellowjackets received a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for seven Emmy awards. With an average of more than 5 million weekly viewers across all platforms, the series had the highest average viewership for Showtime since Billions in 2016 and was the second-most streamed series on Showtime.
Yellowjackets is created by Ashley Lyle (Narcos, Dispatches from Elsewhere) and Bart Nickerson (Narcos: Mexico, The Originals) and stars Melanie Lynskey (Castle Rock, The Last of Us), Tawny Cypress (Heroes, The Blacklist), Juliette Lewis (Secrets and Lies, Welcome to Chippendales), and Christina Ricci (The Addams Family, Wednesday). The second season added Elijah Wood (Back to the Future, The Good Son), Simone Kessell (Reckoning, Obi Wan Kenobi), and Lauren Ambrose (Servant, Six Feet Under). Season two also stars Warren Kole (Shades of Blue, The Terminal List), Kevin Alves (Locke & Key, Shadowhunters), Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet, Back in Very Small Business), Jasmine Savoy Brown (For the People, The Leftovers), Sophie Thatcher (Prospect, The Book of Boba Fett), Courtney Eaton (Mad Max: Fury Road, Perfect), and Samantha Hanratty (Pushing Daisies, Salem).
It is executive produced by Lyle, Nickerson, co-showrunner Jonathon Lisco (Animal Kingdom, K-Ville), and Drew Comins (All the Old Knives, Blood & Oil). The pilot is directed by Karyn Kusama (The Invitation, Jennifer’s Body).