Apple TV has renewed “Widow’s Bay” for Season 2, Variety has learned.
In addition, series creator, executive producer and showrunner Katie Dippold has signed a multi-year overall deal with Apple TV. The news comes ahead of the Season 1 finale, which will bow on June 17. “Widow’s Bay” originally debuted on April 29.
“Season two is about how everything is great on the island and there’s nothing to worry about,” said Dippold.
“Widow’s Bay” stars Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, Stephen Root, Kingston Rumi Southwick, Kevin Carroll Dale Dickey, K Callan and, Jeff Hiller. The logline for the show states:
“In ‘Widow’s Bay,’ something lurks beneath the surface. Mayor Tom Loftis (Rhys) is desperate to revive his struggling community. There’s no Wi-Fi, spotty cellular reception and he must contend with superstitious locals who believe their island is cursed. He wants these people to respect him. They don’t. They think he is soft and cowardly. And he is. But Loftis is determined to build a better future for his teenage son and turn the island into a tourist destination. Miraculously, he succeeds: tourists are finally coming. Unfortunately, the locals were right. After decades of calm, the old stories that seemed too ludicrous to be true start happening again.”
As mentioned above, Dippold is the series creator, showrunner, and executive producer. Hiro Murai executive produces via Chum Films alongside Carver Karaszewski, with Murai having directed five episodes in the first season. Claudia Shin and Rhys are also executive producers. Ti West, Sam Donovan, and Andrew DeYoung also directed in Season 1. Apple Studios produces.
“From the moment audiences arrived in ‘Widow’s Bay,’ they’ve been hooked on every eerie mystery, unexpected laughs, and cursed secret that Katie, Hiro, Matthew, and the entire team have created,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV. “It’s become one of those shows everyone’s talking about, and we’re thrilled to see audiences continue to embrace it. We can’t wait to return for another season.”
“Widow’s Bay” has been well-received by audiences and critics alike since it launched. The show holds a 97% critical approval rating on Rottem Tomatoes. In her review for Variety, Alison Herman praised the show’s “delicate balancing act, which sustains both heart-pounding suspense and wry humor for impressively long stretches of time.”