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HBO wants another dose of “Euphoria”



The Home Box Office announced today that the teen drama television series will be returning for a second season. This news comes just as the show reached the halfway point in airing its eight episode season, with the fifth episode to debut on Sunday night.

Created by Sam Levinson, ‘Euphoria’ is an American adaptation of an Israeli series by the same name. Chief among its stars is Zendaya, who plays Rue Bennett, a 17-year-old recovering drug addict, as she attempts to navigate the already-complicated world of being an adolescent. In addition to dealing with Rue’s drug addiction, the show also covers a broad variety of social issues including sex, identity, social media, friendship, and finding one’s place in the world. Of particular importance is Rue’s friend, Jules, a trans girl who recently moved into town, and how their searches for meaning impact each other.

“’Euphoria’ creator Sam Levinson has built an incredible world with an extraordinary cast led by the supremely talented Zendaya. We are so grateful that he chose HBO as the home for this groundbreaking series,” Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming, said of the renewal. “We look forward to following these complex characters as their journeys continue through the challenging world they inhabit.”

“Euphoria” has been a consistent performer since it debuted with a 0.2 rating in adults 18-49, attracting 577,000 viewers. Its most recent episode retained that 0.2 but inched up to 609,000 viewers. With this news, the series will remain a part of HBO’s powerful roster, among “Westworld,” “Mrs. Fletcher,” “Contraband,” “The Nevers,” “Lovecraft Country,” and the upcoming “Watchmen.”