12 Monkeys Renewed for Season 2

12 Monkeys will be back for a second season, Syfy announced Thursday. After eight episodes in its 13-episode first season, the series has reached 15 million viewers to date, and is experiencing record L3 lifts for the network (average L3 lift is 104%) according to Coming Soon.  The renewal also comes as the show continues to gain momentum, with its March 6 episode seeing an increase of 6% over the prior four weeks, with 1.5 million total viewers.

Dave Howe, Syfy President, said: "We are absolutely committed to 12 Monkeys, and have been incredibly impressed by the outstanding critical and audience praise the series has earned. The talent both on and off-screen have delivered a series that has us all on the edge of our seats, providing exactly the smart, exciting storytelling Syfy is known for."

Jeff Wachtel, President and Chief Content Officer, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, added, "12 Monkeys is a show that has exceeded expectations at every stage. It's had a great first season creatively, and is building a dedicated audience. We can't wait to see where - and when! - Terry and Travis will take us next."

12 Monkeys stars Aaron Stanford as the time-traveling James Cole, Amanda Schull as the virologist Dr. Cassandra Railly, Kirk Acevedo as Cole's best friend Jose Ramse, Noah Bean as Cassandra's lover and political insider Aaron Marker, Emily Hampshie as Jennifer Goines, Tom Noonan as the villain and the face of the Army of the Twelve Monkeys known only as the Pallid Man, and Barbara Sukowas as Katarina Werner Jones, the creator and operator of the time machine.

Nathalie Chaidez, according to the network, will be stepping down as showrunner for 12 Monkeys to serve as showrunner and writer for Syfy's upcoming new science fiction drama Hunter. Executive producers Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett will take over as showrunners on the series beginning season 2. Richard Suckle and Charles Roven will stay on board as executive producers, with Atlas' Jake Kurily producing.