After digging around in its bag of holding for the necessary eyes of newt, Syfy has cast a renewal spell on The Magicians, its adaptation of Lev Grossman’s fantasy novels. Variety reports that the network has ordered a second 13-episode season of the show following its strong (with viewers) debut two weeks ago. The move is in line with Syfy’s new strategy to strengthen its fantasy and sci-fi bases, which recently saw the network extend The Expanse for another season.
The Magicians follows Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph), the prickly protagonist with plenty of spellcasting potential and his fellow students of magical pedagogy at the exclusive Brakebills College. Despite giving the initial impression of a sexier, more meta Harry Potter—imagine if Harry had read about a scarred Hogwarts student while in the cupboard under the stairs, then had aerial orgasms after matriculating—the show appears to be finding its footing. There are also a few bright spots in the cast, including Anne Dudek as a magic mentor. But all those small-screen sexual aerobics were good for something, as Syfy president David Howe told Variety that the show has drawn new and younger viewers to the network.