Almost seven months after last airing an original episode, Knightfall has finally been picked up for a second season.
History has renewed the medieval drama, while simultaneously bringing in some new blood. Mark Hamill joins in a recurring role, while Aaron Helbing comes on board as the new showrunner.
The renewal for Knightfall comes after a solid freshman run in the winter, one that saw live-plus-3 viewership average over 2 million episodic viewers. From A+E Studios, in association with Midnight Radio and Jeremy Renner’s The Combine, Knightfall’s first season was showrun by Dominic Minghella. Helbing boards after producing tenures on The Flash, Black Sails and Spartacus: War of the Damned.
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A period drama, Knightfall follows the famed Knights Templar in their search for the Holy Grail. Hamill will play Talus, a veteran of the Crusades who survived a decade in captivity. Tom Forbes and Genevieve Gaunt are also joining the cast, one that’s already toplined by Tom Cullen.
“In the face of ever-increasing competition, we’re proud of History’s track record of producing signature drama series that are epic in scope with complex characters,” History programming executive vp Eli Lehrer said Monday in a statement. “Whether it’s the legendary Knights Templar, the extraordinary tale of medieval Norsemen, or the story of a formerly classified United States Air Force program investigating UFOs during the Cold War, these series reflect our commitment to bringing the defining, big canvas stories of history to life. We look forward to offering our viewers a grittier, darker Knightfall in season two and welcoming Mark to the cast.”
The number of original scripted series on History remains a relatively modest one. The network recently parted ways with the military drama Six after just two seasons. Knightfall joins Vikings on History’s returning slate, with new entry Blue Book set to premiere later this year.
Hamill is repped by Gersh.
