Sci-fi drama "Under the Dome" got a green light from CBS for a third season. The TV adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same title is expected to air in the summer of 2015.
According to a report by Variety, viewership for the series went down in the second season but it still managed to haul in 11 million viewers per week, giving the network enough confidence to sign the show for another run.
Starring Mike Vogel (army veteran Dale Barbara) and Rachelle Lefevre (investigative reporter Julia Shumway), the series centers on the town of Chester's Mill that's been enclosed by an indestructible transparent dome. While those outside attempt to get through, the residents trapped within must survive amidst the crisis of diminishing resources while at the same time, trying to figure out what the dome is. The show also stars Dean Norris, Alexander Koch, Colin Ford, Mackenzie Lintz, Aisha Hinds, Eddie Cahill, Britt Robertson, Natalie Martinez, Karla Crome, and Jolene Purdy.
Meanwhile, CBS also renewed "Extant" for a second season. The sci-fi TV series will return to the small screen in 2015, and will feature the continuation of the life of Molly Woods (Halle Berry), an astronaut who went on a 13-month solo space mission, only to find out upon coming back to Earth that she's pregnant. The show also stars Goran Visnjic, Pierce Gagnon, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michal O'Neill, Grace Gunner, and Camryn Manheim.
The series is said to have garnered mediocre viewership on television, but its following on DVR, streaming, and view-on-demand was enough to convince the TV network that it's worth a renewal.
The shows, both of which are produced by CBS Television and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television, are made available for subscription-based exclusive online streaming in Amazon's Prime Instant Video four days after the episodes are shown on the TV network.
CBS Entertainment chairman Nina Tassler said, "We're committed to delivering our viewers and advertisers year-round programming with a wide variety of storytelling. We continue to see summer as a great place for unique concepts, innovative business models and passionate television audiences."
On the hand, legal drama "Reckless" is said to not have been renewed, while the fate of "Unforgettable" remains uncertain. Another sci-fi flick entitled "Zoo" will debut in summer next year.
