'The 4400' gets third season

Sci-fi drama The 4400 has been commissioned for a third season, it has been announced.

The show, a co-pro between the USA Network and Sky, will be back for thirteen new episodes next summer. Production is slated to begin in Vancouver early 2006.

"Even in this increasingly competitive climate, renewing 'The 4400' was an easy call," said Jeff Wachtel, evp of original programming at USA. "Its compelling characters fit perfectly within the USA brand. And the creative team's ability to balance story, character and 'big themes' really makes this show unique."

The second season ranked as the number one US cable series of the summer in the 18-49 demo, maintaining a solid average of 3.7 million viewers.