The summer hit Under the Dome will be making its way back next year with a second season. The Stephen King adaptation has gripped audiences since its premiere and has managed to maintain its viewers as the weeks go by, no easy feat for any new program. So often we hear of shows premiering to record-breaking numbers only to see their ratings dwindle as the weeks go by. “This is the way television should be," said CBS CEO Les Moonves at today’s TCA panel, extolling the virtues of the model the network followed with the series. Under the Dome is done on a lower summer license fee due to international sales and a deal with Amazon, which streams episodes online after they have premiered on CBS. King has been vocal about his support and involvement in the series creation and will write the second season’s opening episode, Nina Tassler stated “We’re excited to tell more stories about the mystery of the dome and the secrets in Chester’s Mill, and are thrilled to have the master storyteller himself, Stephen King, tell the first one of next season.” Having him on board is certainly desirable to hardcore fans of the author and the original work. Though the show has garnered mixed reviews, they have certainly not swayed the viewing public; ratings have averaged 13.8 million viewers, with a 3.5 rating among the 18-49 demographic.
