Showtime picks up 'Ullman' for 3rd season

LOS ANGELES, June 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. cable television network Showtime says it has ordered a third season of "Tracey Ullman's State of the Union" sketch comedy series.

Showtime said it has ordered seven new episodes, which are to go into production this summer. They are scheduled to air on the network next year.

Ullman, the show's star, will once again serve as executive producer with her husband Allan McKeown. She will also write the episodes.

"Over the last two seasons, Ullman has tackled the country's celebrity-obsessed, 24-hour news culture by portraying a variety of characters from celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Renee Zellweger, Dina Lohan, Tony Sirico and David Beckham to politicians and pundits like Laura Bush, Nancy Pelosi and Arianna Huffington," Showtime said in a release. "Additionally, Ullman has created a new line-up of original characters that reflect a cross-section of American society from an Indian pharmacist to a homeless woman without health insurance to a soldier on temporary leave from Iraq."