On the heels of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee‘s second season renewal — a welcome but totally expected move — TBS announced plans to bring back freshman comedies People of Earth and Search Party for sophomore 10-episode runs in 2017. The cable network’s programming took a comedy-centric turn at the beginning of 2016 with the Naked Gun-like Angie Tribeca, a slapstick cop show produced by Steve and Nancy Carell. The year that followed has been rife with all kinds of wonderful, critically acclaimed original programming.
According to an official press release, both People of Earth and Search Party have been managing some impressive viewing numbers across multiple platforms since premiering during Halloween and Thanksgiving, respectively. Created by newcomer David Jenkins and executive produced by Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation) and Conan O’Brien, the former boasts a stellar ensemble cast whose weekly antics have accrued 4.3 million viewers per episode across all platforms. The first episode of December, “Last Day on Earth,” even did one better and scored a new season high at 28 percent above the series’ previous average.
Search Party, on the other hand, tried something a little different with its binge-worthy full series premiere during Thanksgiving week. The result? An average of 1.1 million viewers per episode across all platforms over the first five days and counting — not to mention significant success with its target demo, millennials, who make up 18% of the show’s total audience. Both it and People of Earth‘s eight episodes (thus far) are available on demand on and TBS’ website, thereby increasing the chances that streaming-prone audiences and newcomers can have the chance to catch up (or watch them again).
“Twelve months ago we set out to reimagine the TBS brand and its place in the TV landscape. To end 2016 with all six shows returning is humbling,” TBS’ executive vice president of original programming, Brett Weitz, said in a statement. “The amazing teams behind People of Earth and Search Party have created complex, funny characters and crafted truly distinctive stories. Renewing both shows is the perfect end to a transformative year for TBS.”
Along with Wrecked and The Detour, the renewal of all six original new comedies by TBS spells good news for their fans, TBS and anyone else who may be interested in watching fantastic shows about alien abduction groups and impromptu missing persons investigations. Which, as quirky as People of Earth and Search Party sound, makes for hours of blissfully wonderful comedy television programming that’s 1) really, really funny, 2) is worth the time of anyone who likes solidly funny shows, and 3) caters to anyone who’s just as comfortable streaming content as they are watching it during broadcast or on DVR.
Search Party returns along with Wrecked in the summer of 2017. As for People of Earth‘s second season, Jenkins and Daniels’ alien abduction farce has its sights set on a premiere date late in the year.
