TNT Gives 'HawthoRNe' a Second Season

"HAWTHORNE has been a great addition to TNT's lineup of original series, and Jada Pinkett Smith's performance has been a tremendous draw with viewers," said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM).  "There are powerful episodes remaining, and we're looking forward to what is certain to be an extraordinary second season."

HAWTHORNE, which premiered Tuesday, June 16, with 4.4 million viewers (Live + 7), is one of six high-profile original dramas populating TNT's Monday-Wednesday lineup this summer.  The six series, which include The Closer, Raising the Bar, Saving Grace, Leverage and Dark Blue, are the fulfillment of an aggressive TNT strategy to build a slate of quality original programming in primetime.

HAWTHORNE is scoring tremendous growth over programming in the same Tuesday 9 p.m. timeslot last year, with adults 25-54 up 90%, viewers up 69% and households up 63%.  In addition to its success as part of TNT's Tuesday night lineup, the show performs well among DVR users, averaging a 38% lift when comparing Live to Live + 7 delivery of adults 25-54.

Pinkett Smith plays Christina Hawthorne, a compassionate and headstrong Chief Nursing Officer heading up a group of dedicated nurses at Richmond Trinity Hospital who spend long days and nights on the hospital's front lines.  Hawthorne is the kind of nurse who fights for her patients and doesn't let them slip through the cracks.  When necessary, she takes on doctors and administrators who are overworked, distracted or just unable to see the human being behind the hospital chart. 

But the long days at the hospital and Christina's intense focus on helping others take a toll on her personal life.  She is still coming to terms with losing her husband, who died a year ago after a battle with cancer, leaving her to raise their smart, rebellious teen-age daughter on her own.  Constantly trying to strike a balance between her career and her equally important role as a parent, Christina finds little time to take care of the one person who always seems to fall through the cracks - herself.       

Vartan plays Dr. Tom Wakefield, the oncologist who treated Christina's husband and serves as Chief of Surgery for the hospital.  The cast also includes Mathew as Bobbie Jackson, the head ER nurse and Christina's best friend; Hirsch as Ray Stein, a nurse struggling with being accepted in a female-dominated profession; Moore as Candy Sullivan, whose stunning beauty is matched by a unique sense of duty; and Hodson as Camille, Hawthorne's daughter.  In addition, special guest star Joanna Cassidy (Six Feet Under) portrays Amanda Hawthorne, Christina's mother-in-law, who also happens to be a member of the hospital board.