ITV is sticking with Lethal Weapon. The commercial broadcaster has extended their licensing agreement for the show with international distributor Warner Bros. International Television Distribution and picked up the exclusive UK rights to the show’s third season. ITV said that season three would premiere this spring.
Based on the film series of the same name, Lethal Weapon follows Detective Murtaugh and his colleagues in the LAPD working a crime-ridden beat in modern-day Los Angeles. The drama series is produced by Warner Bros. Television and stars Damon Wayans, Jordana Brewster, Kevin Rahm, Keesha Sharp, Johnathan Fernandez, Dante Brown, Chandler Kinney and Michelle Mitchenor.
Sean William Scott joins the cast in season three as Detective Wesley Cole, a former international CIA operative who has been everywhere and seen everything. Cole will find himself navigating a new partnership with Murtaugh, as he adjusts to life in Los Angeles. Fox has yet to make a call on renewing the series for a fourth season state-side, but series creator Matt Miller told Deadline at the recent TCA press tour that he was “very excited about the possibility of going to Season 4”.
There had initially been some question as to whether or not ITV would pick up season three following the creative changes after the exit of original co-lead Clayne Crawford. TVWise exclusively reported back in September that ITV’s initial deal only covered the first two seasons and sources were indicating that executives were waiting to see the new episodes before deciding on a renewal. That was notable as the show’s strong ratings – averaging 2.8 million viewers in its Friday night slot – would normally be enough to make the call on an extension,
“Lethal Weapon continues to be a stand out drama from the US, successfully rebooting a beloved movie franchise”, said ITV’s Head of Acquired Series Sasha Breslau, who brokered the deal for ITV alongside Controller of Acquisitions Jonathan Vandermeer. “In the UK it has built a loyal following with ITV viewers enjoying their weekly fix of high-octane action and drama. The new series will take its place alongside all the popular new and returning ITV dramas in 2019.”
