The good news for John Logan — who’s attained that rarefied status as a TV multi-hyphenate (writer/producer/director) — is that his Showtime series, “Penny Dreadful,” was just renewed for a second season of 10 episodes premiering next year.
The bad news? Logan is so busy writing/shooting/producing his show that he was unavailable to share his happiness vis-à-vis the renewal news — hence the old reliable (yet dreaded) canned statement, this one from Showtime president David Nevins — who, to his credit, hit all the right buttons: “The series has had worldwide impact, drawing big, passionate audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, and more than any other show on our network has hit the bullseye with viewers who want to watch television in all the new ways that are available.”
“Penny Dreadful” has averaged nearly 5 million viewers each week (including repeats, On Demand, Live+7 data, etc.) since premiering May 11 with Josh Hartnett, Eva Green and Timothy Dalton headlining the Victorian-era drama, which incorporates famous literary characters (including Dr. Frankenstein) into its plotline.
(Trivia fact: Co-star Reeve Carney, who plays Dorian Gray, is the great-nephew of “Honeymooners” legend Art Carney — and also starred in Broadway’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.”)
Meanwhile, if you’re wondering what chrome-domed “Breaking Bad” star Dean Norris looks like in a Ben Franklin wig, you’ll get your chance next year.
Norris, who played tough-guy DEA agent Hank Schrader on “BB” — and currently stars in “Under the Dome,” returning June 30 on CBS — has been cast as Franklin in History’s “Sons of Liberty,” airing next year. The cast also includes Ryan Eggold (“The Blacklist”).
Richie, Ariana go Fourth
Exclusive: NBC will announce today that Ariana Grande, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert and Lionel Richie will perform on its annual “Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular.”
The two-hour telecast, hosted by Nick Cannon, will air July 4 starting at 8 p.m. from the Brooklyn Bridge and will repeat at 10 p.m.
The fireworks display will be launched from barges positioned on the lower East River.
Last, but not least …
Alison Sweeney, who’s in town (with her irrepressible publicist, Carrie Simons), visits Thursday’s “Wendy Williams Show” (10 a.m./Ch. 5) to dish about her new novel, “Scared Scriptless” and to talk about wrapping her 21-year run playing Sami on “Days of Our Lives” … “At the Tonys with Dana Tyler” airs Saturday (7 p.m./Ch. 2) … Season One of “True Detective” (Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey) is out on Blu-ray/DVD June 10 … CNN’s Don Lemon hosts the 2014 ADCOLOR Awards June 16 (Time Warner Center).