After it just wrapped a sixth consecutive summer ratings victory, USA Network has renewed the remaining 3 original summer series that hadn’t gotten a pickup yet: sophomore Covert Affairs, veteran Royal Pains and freshman Necessary Roughness. All have received 16-episode orders. “USA’s original programming blew through all expectations this summer,” USA co-presidents Jeff Wachtel and Chris McCumber said. “Every series in our unprecedented lineup was a standout.”

USA unspooled a record 8 original series this summer and, with the exception of Law & Order: CI, which ended its 10-season run, the network has renewed all others, including White Collar, Burn Notice, In Plain Sight (for a final season), freshman Suits and now Covert Affairs, Royal Pains and Necessary Roughness. USA’s haul of 7 series renewals in one season is the largest ever for a cable network and more than the broadcast networks normally bring back too. What’s more, USA didn’t cancel a single show, also something pretty unprecedented.

Covert Affairs, which posted ratings year-to-year growth in all ratings categories, stars Piper Perabo, who is joined by Christopher Gorham, Kari Matchett, Anne Dudek, Sendhil Ramamurthy and Peter Gallagher. Creators Matt Corman and Chris Ord are executive producing with Doug Liman and David Bartis for Universal Cable Prods. Royal Pains, which drew 7.2 million viewers this summer, has been renewed for a fourth season. It stars Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Reshma Shetty and Jill Flint. From Universal Cable Prods., the series is written and executive produced by Andrew Lenchewski and Michael Rauch, with Prospect Park’s Rich Frank, Paul Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz also exec producing. Necessary Roughness, which has averaged 5.9 million total viewers for its freshman season, 2.4 million in P18-49 to date, stars Callie Thorne and co-stars Mehcad Brooks, Marc Blucas and Scott Cohen. The series was created and is executive produced by Liz Kruger & Craig Shapiro, with Jeffrey Lieber and Kevin Dowling also exec producing for Sony Pictures TV and Universal Cable Prods.

Source: Deadline

Covert Affairs star Piper Perabo is getting seriously into the spirit of Comic-Con — winking at stormtroopers, rubbing elbows with She-Ra — but there’s one sci-fi staple she still doesn’t know by name. Thankfully, costars Christopher Gorham and Sendhil Ramamurthy were on hand to offer the occasional geek pointer, and to spill just a little too much intel about their hit USA Network series Covert Affairs. The trio sat down with TVLine’s Michael Ausiello at our Comic-Con interview suite to talk about guns, helicopters, and airplanes; poignant moments between Perabo’s Annie and Gorham’s Auggie; what to expect when Kari Matchett’s Joan heads into the field; and an upcoming story arc Ramamurthy probably shouldn’t have mentioned.

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