Second season of 'Borgias' greenlit

LOS ANGELES, April 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. cable network Showtime says it has picked up a second season of its period drama series, "The Borgias," starring Jeremy Irons.

Ten new episodes are to go into production this summer to air in 2012, David Nevins, president of entertainment for Showtime Networks, announced Tuesday.

"'The Borgias' has become Sunday-night appointment viewing for a broad swath of our subscribers," Nevins said in a statement. "Neil Jordan's cleverly crafted tale of a 15th century papal family has proven quickly addictive. It's a tribute to his incredible skills as an auteur and to the extraordinary cast led by Jeremy Irons that this show fits so seamlessly into our line-up of quality shows."

Showtime said "The Borgias," which premiered this month, delivered the best ratings for a new Showtime drama series in seven years. It attracted 3.71 million viewers across multiple platforms during its premiere week.