Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: I’ve learned that USA Network is finalizing a third-season renewal for drama Necessary Roughness. I hear its order will be for 10 episodes, down from 12 for Season 1 and 16 for the series’ current second season. Necessary Roughness stars Callie Thorne as New York Hawks sports-psychologist Dr. Dani Santino, who struggles with the threat of losing her practice while attempting to keep her personal life intact. Created by Elizabeth Kruger and Craig Shapiro, Necessary Roughness hasn’t been a breakout hit for USA but quickly developed a loyal audience and has been very consistent. The summer portion of its current second season premiered with 3 million viewers in June and wrapped with 2.9 million for the August finale. Necessary Roughness gets a significant DVR boost, with its Season 2 premiere viewership rising to 4.6 million in Live+7. The show’s five-episode winter season launches January 23.

Necessary Roughness, which earned a Golden Globe nomination for Thorne, is the last summer USA series whose future had not been determined. It will join Royal Pains, Burn Notice, Suits, Covert Affairs and White Collar, which have been renewed. Like Necessary Roughness, the orders for Royal Pains and Burn Notice were for fewer episodes than their current cycles. Meanwhile, USA opted to end the runs of Fairly Legal, Common Law and Political Animals.

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