‘Mr. Robot’ Renewed For Season 3 By USA

Midway through its second-season run, USA Network’s drama series Mr. Robot has been renewed for a third season to air in 2017.

Mr. Robot, from creator Sam Esmail and Universal Cable Prods., has been USA’s buzziest series in a while and the most acclaimed ever. It was recently nominated for six Emmys, including best drama series and best actor for star Rami Malek.

Ratings for the hacker drama have been challenging. A breakout in its first season, Mr. Robot has seen its linear ratings decline in Season 2, most recently hitting new Live+same day lows of 572,000 viewers and a 0.22 adults 18-49 last week. The series has seen solid DVR gains (the July 13 S2 premiere had a 116% viewership jump and a 119% 18-49 surge over its L+SD numbers), and it has done pretty well in multi-platform/on-demand viewing. Above all, despite its modest overall ratings performance, Mr. Robot has become a prestige series and a calling card for an edgier, younger-skewing USA brand.

“We couldn’t be more proud of Mr. Robot, a series that has pushed boundaries, captured the cultural zeitgeist, and been honored as one of the best dramas on television,” said Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks for NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. “Midway through its second season, Mr. Robot continues to break new ground and open up new opportunities for the network.”

Mr. Robot, which has an SVOD deal with Amazon, follows Elliot Alderson (Malek), a cyber-security engineer who becomes involved in the underground hacker group fsociety, after being recruited by their leader (Christian Slater). Following the events of fsociety’s five/nine hack on multi-national company Evil Corp, the second season explores the consequences of that attack as well as the illusion of control.

The series co-stars Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin, Martin Wallström, Grace Gummer, Michael Cristofer and Stephanie Corneliussen. Mr. Robot, from UCP and Anonymous Content, is executive produced by Esmail, Steve Golin and Chad Hamilton.

“Being the home studio for this wonderful, completely original show is an exhilarating experience. Sam and company just keep taking it to another level,” said Jeff Wachtel, Chief Content Officer, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment and UCP President.

Mr. Robot also has won two Golden Globes, including for best drama series, a Peabody Award; three Critics’ Choice Awards, a WGA Award for Best New Series and the TCA Award for Outstanding New Program. Additionally, the series was selected for an AFI Award for Television Program of the Year, won a Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Long Form Series, won the Audience Award in the Episodics category at the 2015 SXSW Festival and was an official selection at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.