Despite mixed results for its second season, Showtime’s Penny Dreadful will return for a slightly abbreviated third season in the spring of 2016, the network announced today. Starring Eva Green and Timothy Dalton, the gothic-horror series premiered late in Emmy season 2014 but, due to Emmy rules, was able to defer its eligibility to the current Emmy season while Season Two is still on the air. Season Three will contain nine episodes, down from Season Two’s ten but up from Season One’s eight.
Season Two saw a better critical response than its freshman season largely thanks due to a more focused villain (Helen McCrory) over Season One’s vampire demon. However, Season One averaged around 750k live viewers while Season Two has, thus far, only seen around an average of 600k live viewers.
Penny Dreadful received multiple BAFTA awards earlier this year. It is expected to feature heavily in the craft awards in the upcoming Emmy nominations. Its best chance at a higher profile nomination is Eva Green for her eerie portrayal of possessed psychic Vanessa Ives.
