Channel 4 and AMC have renewed their sci-fi co-production Humans for a second season, the two broadcasters announced on Friday. Eight episodes have been ordered for the show’s second season, matching the order for season one. Production is expected to get underway in late 2015 for a 2016 premiere on Channel 4 in the UK and AMC in the United States.
From Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley, Humans is set in a parallel present where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a ‘Synth’ – a highly-developed robotic servant eerily similar to its live counterpart. In the hope of transforming the way they live, one strained suburban family purchases a refurbished synth only to discover that sharing life with a machine has far-reaching and chilling consequences. The drama series is produced by Kudos Film & TV and Matador Films, is based on the Scandinavian series Real Humans and stars William Hurt, Rebecca Front, Colin Morgan, Katherine Parkinson, Tom Goodman-Hill, Neil Maskell and Gemma Chan.
Humans, which had it troubles in development, what with Xbox Entertainment Studios pulling out as the US co-producer before AMC came on-board, proved to be a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. For Channel 4 the series opener attracted an audience of 6.1 million viewers, making it C4’s highest rated original drama in two decades. While on AMC, Humans has averaged 2.0 million viewers and 1.0 million adults 25-54 through its first four episodes in live+3 ratings.
“Humans has proved a huge hit with both audiences and critics alike this summer and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to writers Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley and to the team at Kudos for bringing a truly unmissable show to life”, said Channel 4’s Head of Drama Piers Wenger. “It also marks a key moment for Channel 4 as we expand our remit for bold and original drama into the international, co-production space. We look forward to working with our partners AMC on series 2 of Humans and to more Synth-related adventures to come”.
“As producers, we’re so thrilled to have been able to work with Sam and Jon on such provocative and challenging ideas and stories”, commented executive producer Derek Wax. “We’re delighted that viewers have connected with the series so wholeheartedly and look forward to continuing the wonderfully collaborative relationship with Channel 4 and AMC. And of course, going back to Synth School to learn some new moves for series two”
“We’re so pleased to announce a second season of Humans and extend our terrific partnership with Channel 4, Kudos and the stellar cast, crew and writers Sam and Jonathan. As one of the year’s top new cable series, ‘Humans’ has been embraced by fans and critics across the U.S. and UK”, added Joel Stillerman, President of Original Programming and Development for AMC and Sundance TV. “We’re looking forward to continuing this very captivating story and further exploring the show’s parallel, Synth-filled world that hits so disturbingly close to home.”
