TNT Renews 'Claws' and 'Animal Kingdom'

TNT renewed the dramas Claws and Animal Kingdom for new seasons, after the shows showed surprising audience growth this season.

Claws will be back for a third season in 2019. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the drama saw its audience in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic grew 38 percent with its season two premiere on June 10, notching 1.3 million viewers in the demo.

Claws stars Niecy Nash, Carrie Preston, Judy Reyes, Karrueche Tran, Jenn Lyon, Jack Kesy, Kevin Rankin, Jason Antoon, Harold Perrineau, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Suleka Mathew and Dean Norris and was created by Eliot Lawrence. It centers on five manicurists at a salon in Florida who become involved with local mob bosses and gangs. Rashida Jones, who stars in sister network TBS' Angie Tribeca, is one of the executive producers.

"Season 1 was all about Desna trying to get out from under the Dixie Mafia, but now she's leaning in," Nash said of her character in an interview with Entertainment Weekly before the new season debuted. "One of the women from the Russian Mafia is a new mentor and is putting her on a fast track to becoming a queenpin."

Nash said her character still hopes to open her own salon, but the main characters cannot escape the trouble they face.

"We can't really get away from the salon because you have to have a place to launder the money, so you will still see quite a bit of shenanigans that happen in the salon," she explained.

As for Animal Kingdom, the show will be in its fourth season next year. The series is based on David Michod's 2010 Australian film of the same name and centers on a criminal family in Southern California.

Ellen Barkin stars as the family matriarch, alongside Scott Speedman, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Daniella Alonso, Molly Gordon and Carolina Guerra. It is produced by John Wells Productions and Warner Horizon Scripted Television.

Barkin said the role of Janine "Smurf" Cody presented her with a new opportunity to challenge herself after four decades in Hollywood.

"Television is very different than movies and stage. But it's kind of reignited me," Barkin told Vanity Fair in 2016. "I see there's a whole world of my own creativity that for some reason I've yet to tap into. Not just in terms of the character, but in terms of my own technique of acting. I'm being given the room to take some big chances. At my age, that's rare. I love this job."

Animal Kingdom's season three premiere on May 29 drew 4.3 million overall viewers and 2 million viewers in the 18-49 demographic, both up from last season.

New episodes of Claws air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET and new Animal Kingdom episodes debut on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

Photo Credit: TNT