BBC America renews Copper

US cable network BBC America has renewed Copper for a second season.

This comes ahead of the finale of the show’s first season, which was BBC America’s first original scripted series.

The show is produced by Cineflix Studios, which distributes the show internationally alongside German distributor Beta Film. The show follows detective Kevin Corocoran, played by Tom Weston-Jones, a rugged Irish immigrant cop, as he polices 1864 New York. It is exec produced by Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, Will Rokos and Cineflix Studios president Christina Wayne.

The renewal follows decent ratings for the show, which delivered over 1m viewers each week. The second season will launch in 2013 and will sit alongside BBC America’s second original drama series Orphan Black, which stars Tatiana Maslany.

Perry Simon, General Manager, Channels, BBC Worldwide America said: “BBC AMERICA’s first original scripted series, COPPER, has proven to be a perfect fit for the channel. Our viewers have made it our highest-rated series premiere ever and highest-rated drama series ever. Production led by Tom Fontana, Will Rokos, Barry Levinson and Christina Wayne, along with the cast from both sides of the pond, truly captured the boiling pot that was New York City in 1864. We can’t wait to get started on the second season.”

“COPPER is an ambitious series and its success is truly a testament to Tom Fontana, Barry Levinson and the creative voices that worked on the production,” said Wayne. “We look forward to working together to make the second season even more compelling.”