After hitting the ratings jackpot with its adaptation of Stephen King's weighty tome Under the Dome, CBS just announced that the summer series will be back for season 2 in 2014, and, as an added incentive for fans to tune in, the network has managed to strike a deal with King that would see the prolific author step in and script the season premiere.

Although only halfway through its first season, Under the Dome has proven to be a ratings winner; averaging around 13.84 million viewers every week with more added once on-demand and DVR figures wind up being tallied. In addition, the series has also become a huge hit for Amazon Prime Instant Video, which provides subscribers access to new episodes four days after they initially air. According to Amazon, the show "has been watched by more customers than any other series on the service."

Naturally, the high ratings – especially for a summer series – and the positive response from the Amazon streaming outlet has CBS committed to stretching the series' storyline for as long as the audience continues to check in on the trapped residents of Chester's Mill. After the pilot episode nabbed incredibly high numbers, executive producer Brian K. Vaughan spoke about how the series would eventually have to move away from a direct adaptation of the novel, in order to accommodate the story requirements of what is now ostensibly and ongoing series.

Aside from wondering how the series' narrative will progress as the episode count climbs, the question now becomes: With the announcement that the series will definitely continue into season 2, will viewers who are fans of the novel continue to stick around, knowing that the end may be years in the making and may not resemble the novel's conclusion at all?

Mike Vogel in Under the Dome

Despite the daunting task of finding enough story to fill another season (or seasons) of Under the Dome within the claustrophobic confines of Chester's Mill, and running the risk of alienating fans of the novel by transitioning to a more loose interpretation of the text, CBS remains confident that they have a winner on their hands and are willing to bet that nabbing King to script the season 2 premiere will translate to an endorsement of the series by its creator.

According to CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler:

Continued...

According to CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler:

"We're excited to tell more stories about the mystery of the dome and the secrets in Chester's Mill, and are thrilled to have the master storyteller himself, Stephen King, tell the first one of next season."

Keeping fans of King's novel happy is one thing, but the sustained interest of casual viewers may be the next obstacle the series faces. So far, the show has had a mixed response from critics and vocal fans alike, with some warming to the pilot, only to be disappointed following a dip in the quality of storytelling shortly thereafter. Things picked up slightly with last week's dome-centric 'Blue on Blue,' but those watching the series are likely to remain skeptical until the series manages to deliver improved episodes on a continued basis.

_____

Under the Dome airs Monday nights @10pm on CBS.

Source: CBS