TNT orders third season of 'Hawthorne'

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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- TNT says it has ordered a third season of its U.S. medical drama "Hawthorne," starring and produced by Jada Pinkett Smith.

The cable television network said it has ordered 10 new episodes of the series, which is slated to return in 2011.

"With its memorable characters, powerful performances and moving story lines, 'Hawthorne' takes us on a dramatic journey through the world of a hospital on the brink of collapse," Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies, said in a statement Wednesday. "This series has performed extremely well among our key demos and proven itself to be a hit summer series. We are very excited to continue working with Jada and 'Hawthorne's' outstanding production team and cast."

In the show, Pinkett Smith plays Christina Hawthorne, an impassioned chief nursing officer struggling to whip a failing hospital -- and her personal life -- into shape. The series co-stars Michael Vartan, Suleka Mathew, David Julian Hirsh, Christina Moore, Vanessa Lengies and Hannah Hodson.