TNT Renews Medical Drama 'Hawthorne'

[Brian Damage]

TNT is finalizing a deal to renew Hawthorne for a third season. I hear the network will announce a 10-episode pickup for the Sony TV-produced medical drama starring Jada Pinkett Smith tomorrow. While attracting about half of the audience of TNT's Monday juggernauts The Closer and Rizzoli & Isles, Hawthorne has been a solid performer ratings-wise, with its audience fluctuating around the 3.5 million mark. What's more, it was used to successfully launch a new series this summer, the off-beat Memphis Beat. The renewal for the quirky cop show starring Jason Lee has been in the works for awhile, so I won't be surprised if TNT announces the pickups of Hawthorne and Memphis Beat together the way it announced the renewals of its Monday dramas in one release in July. With The Closer, Rizzoli, Leverage, Hawthorne and Memphis Beat all getting renewed, the only TNT summer series waiting its fate is cop drama Dark Blue. Hawthorne is executive produced by creator John Masius, Pinkett Smith, showrunner Glen Mazzara and Jamie Tarses.

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