Freeform announced today that it has renewed its fan-favorite supernatural drama Motherland Fort Salem for a second season. The renewal for the freshman series was definitely not a given seeing as its same-day viewing numbers have been low throughout its first-year run, currently averaging only a 0.10 rating for 18-49 demographic. I have had the show On the Bubble for several weeks, but apparently the network had enough confidence to bring it back for a second season. Since Freeform skews to a younger audience, digital viewing on the network’s website and app as well as next day on Hulu factor more heavily into a show’s performance. That may have made up some of the slack for the same-day viewing, and the fact that fans have been very active on the social networks drawing attention to the show has surely helped as well (it is currently leading our season end poll). In addition, Freeform is one of the few basic cable networks that continues to show a commitment to scripted programming. Others such as USA and the History channel–which recently cancelled The Purge and Project Blue Book respectively–have reduced their scripted programming as the Peak TV crunch continues to take its toll.
The renewal for Motherland Fort Salem is certainly a good sign for fellow Freeform supernatural drama Siren. That show, which is currently airing its third season, has slightly higher ratings than the freshman entry, and I would expect to hear word on it soon.
Motherland Fort Salem takes place in a modern-day alternate-history where witches ended their persecution three hundred years ago by making a deal with the government to act as a special force for the military. It stars Taylor Hickson, Amalia Holm, Demetria McKinney, Jessica Sutton, Ashley Nicole Williams, and airs its season finale on May 20th.
There are still more renewal and cancellation announcements on the way as the season wraps up. You can see the status of all the currently airing, returning, and upcoming sci fi and fantasy shows on our Cancellation Watch Page. And be sure to stay tuned to this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
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