USA Network Renews 'Covert Affairs,' 'Royal Pains' and 'Necessary Roughness'

2:41 PM PDT 9/15/2011 by Philiana Ng

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All three shows have received 16-episode orders.

USA

"Covert Affairs"

USA Network has renewed veteran series Covert Affairs and Royal Pains, and picked up a second season of Necessary Roughness.

All three series have received 16-episode orders for their new seasons. Covert Affairs will return for a third round, while Royal Pains' pickup will be its fourth.

“We had an unprecedented number of original series on our air -- and every single one of them was great,” said USA Network co-presidents Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel. “Our writers, directors and producers truly understand what it takes to create sustainable success. It's a rare and wonderful thing to announce the pick-up of our entire summer of programming.”

Covert Affairs stars Piper Perabo as young CIA operative Annie Walker, ranking as the top cable series on Tuesdays this summer among total viewers and the adults 25-54 demographic.

Royal Pains, led by Mark Feuerstein -- who will be helming an episode -- stars as concierge doctor Dr. Hank Lawson. Guest stars for its winter return include Joanna Garcia, Wilmer Valderrama and Kyle Howard.

Necessary Roughness, starring Callie Thorne, aired its season finale on Wednesday, averaging 5.9 million viewers.

The renewals wrap up a successful summer for the cable network, which had eight scripted series airing this summer. The three shows join the network's other returning scripted series: Fairly Legal, White Collar, Burn Notice, In Plain Sight and Suits.

Earlier this summer, USA picked up the Michael Ealy series, Common Law, which will debut next year. The network also ordered two comedy pilots in an effort to jump into the half-hour space, including one that could star Nathan Lane.