USA feels 'Burn,' 'Pains'

Network renews its hit summer series

By Nellie Andreeva

July 28, 2009, 11:13 PM ET

The summer's hottest cable series will be back.

USA Network has renewed its flagship action drama "Burn Notice" and breakout freshman hit "Royal Pains." Both series have been picked up for 16 more episodes.

The pickups come amid another sizzling summer for the basic cable network, which is wrapping up July as cable's most-watched network after finishing first during the second-quarter ratings race.

The Thursday combo of "Burn" and "Pains" has been the main driver of USA's ratings surge, with all fresh episodes of the series landing in the top 20 programs on ad-supported cable for the month.

On July 9, the original runs of the Fox TV Studios-produced "Burn" and Universal Cable Prods.' "Pains" drew 7.1 million and 7.3 million viewers, respectively.

"Burn," starring Jeffrey Donovan, is being picked up for a fourth season. The show it helped launch, the Mark Feuerstein-starring medical soap "Pains," is being renewed for a second turn.

USA feels 'Burn,' 'Pains'

Network renews its hit summer series

By Nellie Andreeva

July 28, 2009, 11:13 PM ET