Showtime has renewed Billions for a second season, Deadline reports. After a wobbly pilot, Billions found its rhythm in its second episode, but the Wall Street drama has pulled solid numbers for its first two episodes. Millions are watching Billions, in other words. To be exact, 6.5 million multiplatform viewers—including the streamers—tuned in for the first week of the show’s run, breaking a Showtime record previously held by 2013’s debut of Ray Donovan. After Damian Lewis left Homeland, Showtime was apparently eager to get the man back on screen; even though only two episodes of the new series have aired, the premium cabler was quick to say, “give the people another season of Golden Globe and Emmy-winner Damian Lewis!”
In addition to Lewis, Billions also stars Malin Akerman, Maggie Siff, and Paul Giamatti. Billions pits U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Giamatti) against hedge-fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod in a battle of money and, well, more money. There’s some politics in there too, but the politics are mostly about money. The series was created by Ocean’s 13 co-writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien as well as New York Times financial columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin, who also executive produces.