Praise the gods! Starz has renewed its mind-bending new series American Gods just two weeks after its debut episode. Bryan Fuller's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel has been well-received by fans of the book and critics (you can read Chris Cabin's glowing review here), and it's not surprising that Starz would look to double-down on their good fortune.

In a press release, Starz says the show has garnered over 5 million viewers of just the premiere episode, which is a huge number not just for TV in general these days, but especially for a premium service.

There's no word yet on the number of episodes that the second season will have, although it should be at least as many as Season 1's economical eight. Carmi Zlotnik, president of programming for Starz, said in a statement that,

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Image via Starz

“Bryan Fuller, Michael Green and Neil Gaiman have evolved the art form of television narratively, structurally and graphically with ‘American Gods,’ and we’re thrilled to be working again with these artists as they continue to build the worlds and wars of the gods.”

Craig Cegielski, Co-CEO of FremantleMedia North America continued the praise, saying:

“American Gods has been a ground-breaking series born out of belief and it’s thrilling to be partnered with Starz to continue this ambitious story. Neil Gaiman, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green have ignited a conversation through cinematic magic, presented through a diverse ensemble of actors that continue to keep us engaged and inspired."

Starz has been consistently building up its catalogue of new series, particularly dramas like The Missing and The White Princess, hoping that something will spark the adoring fanbase of a series like Outlander. With American Gods, they may have done it (even though I think those other series deserve a lot of love as well!)

For more on American Gods, be sure to check out our recaps by Nick Romano, and also be sure to check out his guide to all of the gods (and creatures) of the show. The series airs Sunday nights on Starz.

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Image via Starz
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Image via Starz
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Image via Starz
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Image via Starz