‘Under the Dome’ season 3, ‘Extant’ season 2 official; CBS renews both series

How about this for a renewal surprise? While “Under the Dome” was largely expected to get a third season, the odds were significantly smaller for the Halle Berry series “Extant.” Yet, both somehow still did enough to merit an order for additional episodes from CBS.

Our theory behind this move is simple: Streaming. Due to the deals that the network has with Amazon Prime and international distributors, these are shows that are very easy to profit from. Les Moonves even said so about “Under the Dome,” and gave us a good inclination that there was nothing to worry about here. What the “Extant” renewal shows us is that, much like “Beauty and the Beast,” there are many factors that networks look at for renewals these days. It’s not just about the ratings you get live; you also have to think about other countries, streaming content, and more.

In a statement, CBS programming chief Nina Tassler said the following about the news:

“We’re committed to delivering our viewers and advertisers year-round programming with a wide variety of storytelling … We continue to see summer as a great place for unique concepts, innovative business models and passionate television audiences.”

The phrase “innovative business models” really stands out here, and in committing further to these two shows, the network is proving that they really do want to continue to build a summer TV empire of original content. They do have some anchors already in “Big Brother,” which continues to draw big numbers.

What do you think about this renewal news right now, and are you as surprised as we were when we first heard the news? Share some of your thoughts right now with a comment.