BBC One Renews 'The Paradise' For Second Season – TVWise

BBC One’s period drama series The Paradise has been renewed for a second season of 8 episodes, which is set to air in 2013.
The Paradise is an adaptation of French novel by Emile Zola and follows the ambitious and big hearted Denise Lovett who arrives in the City to find work. She finds a job at The Paradise, the first ever department store.The store provides the catalyst for her rags-to-riches story as she falls in love with the exhilarating and dangerous charms of the modern world and her eyes are opened to a whole new world of possibilities.
The drama series is produced by BBC Drama Productions and features a large cast which includes Emun Elliott, Joanna Vanderham, Elaine Cassidy, Sarah Lancashire, Matthew McNulty, Peter Wight, David Hayman, Stephen Wight, Sonya Cassidy, Ruby Bentall, Finn Burridge, Patrick Malahide, Olivia Hallinan and Mark Bonnar. The Paradise, which is halfway through its first season, is already a hit, averaging a consolidated audience of 5.9 million/22.5% share in its Tuesday 9pm time-slot. The show’s first season is set to wrap its run on Tuesday November 13th.
Speaking of the renewal of The Paradise, Danny Cohen, Controller of BBC One, said: “The Paradise has been the biggest new drama series on British television so far this Autumn, and it has been really interesting to experiment with period drama on BBC One beyond the traditional Sunday night slot. I’m delighted that the show will be returning for a second series, and can assure its loyal following that there are still some dramatic twists to come in the three episodes still to air this autumn.”
While series creator Bill Gallagher, added: “I’m very grateful that there’s such a strong audience for The Paradise, and for the terrific support the BBC has given to the show to make that possible. It’s such a great ensemble of actors and such a rich group of characters that it’s an exciting prospect to have eight more episodes to make.”
TVWise’s UK TV Scorecard has been updated with this new information.