E! has announced that flagship scripted drama The Royals has been renewed for a fourth season.
“The third season of The Royals has proven to be an entertaining mix of secrets, deceit and desire that our fans can’t get enough of,” said Adam Stotsky, President, E! Entertainment and Esquire Network. “We are excited to see what new scandals await our royal family, and how their dynamic evolves in season four.”
Season three of The Royals, which has centered on the impact that Robert’s return has on each member of the Henstridge family, has been doing solid ratings business for E!, ranking among the Top 5 in its core demo on Sundays and Top 10 in the same demo overall this year. Additionally, the show’s social impressions have increased by 50% over season two, an important metric for measuring audience engagement in a time where live viewing has slowly become more obsolete.
Most importantly, The Royals is E!’s scripted centerpiece and remains an essential part of their brand. E! is one of the few networks out there committed to making fun, frothy soaps and where they’ve yet to launch their second scripted show to build upon The Royals, a cancellation would have been devastating for them. Now not only is there scripted precedent on the night, which makes premiering The Arrangement in March slightly easier, E! has shown that they’re committed to building a scripted brand and won’t pull the rug out from those who choose to sample their shows. That goes a long way in garnering audience loyalty and allows them to carve out their own niche in the increasingly complicated (and crowded) television landscape.
The third season finale of The Royals is set to air Sunday at 10:00 on E!. You can check out a preview of the episode here.
Are you excited for more of The Royals? What do you think will happen in the season three finale? Is there any way the show still allows Robert to be king, even with the potentially damaging information in Boone’s file?
