TNT renews ‘Animal Kingdom’ and ‘Claws’

TNT has renewed two of its core, powerful dramas – Animal Kingdom and Claws – following their impressive summer premieres. The two-night, two-telecast season three launch of Animal Kingdom combined for 4.3M Total Viewers and 2.0M 18-49 viewers so far, the premiere airing alone generating 978K 18-49 in Live +7. The season two premiere of Claws drew 1.3MM 18-49 in Live +7, +38% higher than last year’s series debut. Season two is now tracking +9% ahead of season one, ranks among the top 5 cable dramas this year, and is currently posting the largest YOY growth among all returning cable dramas.

Both shows defy industry trends where the typical returning series is down double-digits. Animal Kingdom and Claws join TNT’s The Alienist among the top 10 cable dramas in 2018.

Animal Kingdom is seeing an incredible increase in digital views, with its season premiere up more than 4X YOY. On social, Animal Kingdom sparked more than one million engagements in its first week, up +18% YOY. Digital views for Claws’s season premiere were more than 2X higher YOY and season two has already generated more than 700K social engagements in its first week alone, with +75% growth on Twitter and +58% growth on Facebook.

Season three of Animal Kingdom, a bold, adrenaline-fueled series, stars Emmy® and Tony® winner Ellen Barkin as the matriarch of the Cody crime family, along with Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon, Carolina Guerra and special guest star and Emmy® nominee Denis Leary. In last season’s shocking conclusion, Baz (Scott Speedman) was shot while on his way to Mexico after framing Smurf (Barkin) for murder. His fate was revealed in the season three premiere, which opens with Smurf still in jail and her grandson J (Cole) in charge of the family business. The Cody men find themselves increasingly divided as they fight for both control and their independence, but have to come together when outside threats emerge. Denis Leary made his series debut as Billy, Deran’s (Weary) drifter dad who comes back to make amends, but may have other motives.

Claws follows the rise of five treacherous manicurists working at the Nail Artisans of Manatee County salon, where there is a lot more going on than silk wraps and pedicures. The hit dramedy currently stars Primetime Emmy® nominee and Daytime Emmy® winner Niecy Nash, Primetime Emmy® winner Carrie Preston, Judy Reyes, Karrueche Tran, Jenn Lyon, Jack Kesy, Kevin Rankin, Jason Antoon, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Suleka Mathew, Screen Actors Guild Award® winner Harold Perrineau and Screen Actors Guild Award® nominee Dean Norris. Last season saw Desna (Nash) trade one crime boss for another as the Russian mob took control of both the pain clinic and the salon. With new management comes new problems for the women to handle.

Animal Kingdom is produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television. Emmy® winner John Wells serves as executive producer on the series. Animal Kingdom was developed for television by Jonathan Lisco and inspired by the award-winning Australian feature film written & directed by David Michôd and produced by Liz Watts, who also serve as executive producers on the series.

Claws is executive-produced by Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca, Toy Story 4, Celeste and Jesse Forever, A to Z,), Will McCormack (Toy Story 4, Celeste and Jesse Forever, A to Z), Janine Sherman Barrois (ER, Criminal Minds), who also serves as showrunner, and Eliot Laurence (Welcome to Me), who created the series. Claws is produced for TNT by Jones and McCormack’s Le Train Train, in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television and Turner’s Studio T.