HBO renews ‘Looking’ for second season

“Looking,� HBO’s gay-themed dramedy, has found its Mr. Season 2.

The premium cable network announced Wednesday it will be bringing back the half-hour show, about a trio of friends navigating adulthood in San Francisco, for a sophomore season. Production will begin later this year in San Francisco.

The series, from Michael Lannan and Andrew Haigh (“Weekend�), is at the tail end of its first season. Though its Jan. 19 premiere was soft, the series has steadily climbed in viewership to numbers akin to some of the network’s other modest performing series. Its most recent episode brought in a series-high 519,000 viewers, up more than half from its premiere.

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Ahead of the show’s launch, Michael Lombardo, HBO’s president of programming, told the Los Angeles Times that drawing good ratings might be a challenge for the show.

“We don’t expect ‘Game of Thrones’ territory,� he said. “It’s a very personal story. It’s going to be a passionate but specific audience. It’s not a show built for everybody. But look at ‘Girls.’ Was that for everybody? We made a conscious decision: Let’s let this show sort of not have to justify its investment every year; we want it to live on its merits. I hope people invest their time in this show because it has something to say.�

When “Looking� returns, three of its cast members will be bumped to series regulars: Lauren Weedman, who plays Dom’s (Murray Bartlett) outspoken female bestie Doris; Raul Castillo, who plays Patrick’s (Jonathan Groff) on-again/off-again love interest Richie; and Russell Tovey as Patrick’s boss (and then some).

HBO has not announced the episode total. Its first season consisted of eight episodes.

The renewal comes a week after the network announced it would be bringing back its small comedy, “Getting On,� for another season.

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