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Showtime has solidified Sunday staples Shameless and House of Lies for 2015.
The premium cable network has renewed the two shows for a fifth and fourth season, respectively, of 12 episodes each, the network announced.
Family dramedy Shameless, from showrunner John Wells, delivered its highest-rated episode of its fourth season on Jan. 26 when it drew 1.83 million viewers at 9 p.m. Factoring in repeats, it notched a season high of 2.35 million viewers. The series, starring William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum, is averaging 5.5 million viewers across multiple platforms — up 8 percent vs. its third season and up 22 percent vs. season two. Season four is on pace to be its best yet.
PHOTOS: THR‘s Cover Shoot With the Stars of Showtime
Don Cheadle starrer House of Lies, meanwhile, is averaging 3 million viewers a week — even year-over-year. The comedy about a group of misfit consultants from EP Matthew Carnahan continues to draw awards season love for Cheadle, who has earned two Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and won the latter in 2012. This year, the cast joined co-star and improv regular Ben Schwartz for a live show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre that was taped for broadcast to promote the season.
Shameless and House of Lies will join the previously renewed Episodes in Showtime’s 2015 lineup, keeping the network’s programming block intact. The cabler this year will say farewell to comedy Californication, which begins its seventh and final season in April, where it will be paired with the sixth season of Nurse Jackie. Season four of Web Therapy will also debut this year.
Showtime also recently picked up Philip Seymour Hoffman comedy Happyish. The future of that series remains unclear following the Oscar winner’s tragic death.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
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