It didn't take long to investigate whether to renew Paula Zahn's show.
Investigation Study has ordered a third season of On The Case With Paula Zahn, following the program's record-setting performance for the network on Sunday night.
The April 18 premiere of the series' sophomore season scored the highest household delivery in Investigation Discovery's history with 541,000 and its second-highest viewership with 659,000 watchers, according to Nielsen data. Moreover, the show, according to network officials, topped Hallmark, WE, Oxygen, Nat Geo, CNN and MSNBC, in the delivery of adults 25 to 54 with 286,000.
The series return also achieved double-digit delivery gains over its series debut in October 2009 among key demos -- up 42% among viewers, 55% against households and 34% with persons 25 to 54.
"On The Case With Paula Zahn, our own original news magazine, continues to be a top performer for ID and, as a result of Sunday's ratings success, I'm delighted to announce an early third-season renewal for the series," said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager, Investigation Discovery, in announcing the order from Scott Sternberg Productions and Weinberger Media. "Paula and her team consistently produce riveting shows that feature incredible storytelling with high stakes and a thrilling conclusion. The series is a cornerstone of our strategy to provide the very best in original programming for our audience and exemplifies the quality our audience expects from America's leading investigation network."
Noted Zahn, who also serves as the program's executive producer: "I'm thrilled to have a primetime home on ID, where the focus is on great storytelling and great journalism. Our stories focus on the raw emotion of incredible human dramas and the intrigue of high stakes investigations. Weaving these elements into an hour of compelling television has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I am incredibly grateful to our audience for their support and can promise more amazing cases for next season."
