At the end of the fifteenth century, Pope Alexander VI had an eleven year reign as the leader of the Catholic church. And now, he’ll get at least another year on Showtime.
“The Borgias” has been officially renewed for a second season by Showtime. The series was created by Neil Jordan and follows Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia, a devious and manipulative Cardinal who bribes his way into the Papcy as Pope Alexander VI.
“Neil Jordan’s cleverly crafted tale of a 15th century papal family has proven quickly addictive,” said David Nevins, Showtime’s Entertainment President. “It’s a tribute to his incredible skills as an auteur and to the extraordinary cast led by Jeremy Irons that this show fits so seamlessly into our line-up of quality shows.”
The series premiere of “The Borgias” bowed to 1.06 million viewers, making it the most watched drama premiere on Showtime in the last seven years. It has performed steadily ever since and it is currently on pace to get a larger audience than Showtime’s previous historical drama, “The Tutors.”
The second season will again be ten episodes long and Jordan will write and direct the first two episodes of the upcoming season. David Leland (“Band of Brothers”) will also be joining the series to write multiple episodes as well as direct.
François Arnaud co-stars in the series as Rodrigo’s eldest son, Cesare Borgia, along with Holliday Grainger as Lucrezia Borgia, David Oakes as Juan Borgia, Aidan Alexander as Gioffre Borgia, Joanne Whalley as Vannozza dei Cattanei, Sean Harris as Michelotto, the personal assassin of Cesare and Colm Feore as the Borgias’ greatest adversary, Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere.
Thus far, “The Borgias” is the first series from Showtime’s current Sunday lineup to be renewed for another season. According to Deadline, “Nurse Jackie” has a strong chance of returning, but “The United States of Tara” may be finished.
