CMT Renews ‘Still the King’

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

 CMT has renewed its music-themed comedy Still The King for a sophomore campaign, the network said Wednesday.

The series, which stars Billy Ray Cyrus as a one-hit wonder turned Elvis impersonator turned preacher who also discovers he has a teenaged daughter, is averaging 4.7 million viewers in live + 3 ratings during its freshman run, according to Nielsen.

The 13-episode second season will air in 2017. The finale of season one of the series premieres Aug. 14, said network officials.

“The success of Still The King is a wonderful start for our move into scripted programming,” said Jayson Dinsmore, EVP of development for CMT. “Both charming and irreverent, this series is like nothing else on television and we can’t wait to continue the journey.”

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.