Showtime has renewed drama The Chi for a second season. Ayanna Floyd Davis has signed on as executive producer and showrunner. Produced by Fox 21 Television Studios, the series will go back into production in Chicago later this year.
Lena Waithe created The Chi and is executive producer. Common is an executive producer as well.
According to Showtime, The Chi“explores the humanity behind the headlines sensationalizing the South Side of Chicago.”
“From viewers and critics alike, the response to The Chi has been so enthusiastic from the very start that our decision to renew the series was an easy one,” said Gary Levine, Showtime president of programming. “We love the vibrant characters and the nuanced world that Lena has created. Her vision for The Chi has clearly struck a chord, and we know she has many more moving, personal and resonant stories to tell about her beloved hometown.”
The Chi debuted Jan. 7. Showtime calls it “a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption.”
It ranks as the best Showtime premiere since Billions in 2016, says Showtime, averaging four million weekly viewers across platforms.
The cast includes Jason Mitchell, Jacob Latimore, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Alex Hibbert, Yolonda Ross, Armando Riesco and Tiffany Boone.
