Fans of the Starz drama series Boss won't have to wait much longer for the second season to begin, as Starz announced that Boss season 2 will premiere Friday, August 17.

Boss centers around hard-boiled Chicago Mayor Thomas Kane (played by Grammer) who was recently diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder called DLB. To stay in office, Kane works carefully to conceal his disorder from everyone, including his closest advisors and his wife.  The controversial role of Mayor Kane won Grammer a Golden Globe and the actor also performs double-duty on the political drama as an executive producer.

[WARNING: BOSS SEASON 1 SPOILERS BELOW!]

Season one left off on a cliffhanger with Kane in the grips of a stroke. This season will see the Windy City mayor coping with not only the psychological effects of upping his medication dose, but the fallout of speculations about his declining health and his secret potentially becoming public, prompting him to take a closer look at his inner circle.

Joining Grammer for the upcoming Season 2 will be Glee star Jonathan Groff, who will become a series regular this season. Groff will play Ian Todd, a new, young, driven adviser battling for Kane’s favor. Sanaa Lathan will also appear regularly as the Chief of Staff to Alderman Ross, with rapper T.I. guest starring as a former gang member with ambitious designs on City Hall. Previous cast members Connie Nielsen, Hannah Ware, Jeff Hephner, Kathleen Robertson, Troy Garity, and Rotimi Akinosho will all return next season.

Originally premiering last October, Boss was perceived by many at Starz to be a big hit for the network, and was subsequently renewed before the first season premiered. Unfortunately, once it premiered, Boss' ratings were less than spectacular, which led many to believe that an early renewal for the freshman series was a mistake.

In an attempt to garner more notice for television viewers, Starz has decided to shift the season 2 premiere date from October to early August. This move, while certainly to be applauded by fans of the series for not having to wait two additional months for new episodes, will also allow the series to stand apart from the crowd. Premiering in early August means that Boss will air ahead of the majority of TV premieres, instead of in October, where viewers are still giving over 20 new series a proverbial test drive.

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Boss season 2 preremieres August 17 @ 10pm on Starz.

Source:  TV Guide