Exciting (if not entirely unexpected) news, you guys! Reuters and several other news sources report HBO has renewed Big Love for a fifth season!
According to the source, the critically acclaimed polygamist drama series has been up in the ratings this season, even holding its own against live Grammy Award and NFC Championships telecasts. The website furthermore asserts that, with the exception of Amanda Seyfried, the “core cast” will be returning for the upcoming season. This is great news! More from Reuters.com:
HBO still has lots of love for the Mormon drama Big Love. Four episodes into the series’ fourth season, the cable network has ordered a fifth.
Love, which centers on Utah native Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) as he balances the needs of his three wives (Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny, Ginnifer Goodwin) and their broods, drew 1.7 million viewers for its season premiere last month. That was up 49% from Season 3′s opener. Despite facing the NFC Championship and the Grammys the past two Sundays, the series is tracking 13% higher than last season.
Love, whose current story line centers on Henrickson running for office, will be getting “deeper and darker” in the second half of the season, according to creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer. With four eventful seasons, the fifth cycle will take a breather, “settling into the stortytelling,” Olsen said.
Added Scheffer, “We want to take the temperature of the marriages.” With the exception of the departing Amanda Seyfried, the series’ core cast will come back for Season 5, with Olsen and Scheffer also mulling a possible return for new additions Zeljko Ivanek and Sissy Spacek.
Love earned its first best series Emmy nomination last year.
As many of you will know, Chloë Sevigny received her first ever Golden Globe this year for Best Supporting Actress (Television) for her portrayal of second wife Nicolette “Nicki” Grant on the show. Co-star Bill Paxton has also received numerous award nominations throughout the span of the show for his role as Bill Henrickson, including a 2010 Golden Globe Lead Actor nom. Congratulations on landing another season, Big Love team!
