Devious Maids Renewed for Season 3 by Lifetime

Lifetime has announced that comedic soap Devious Maids has been renewed for a 13-episode third season.

“We are thrilled to be bringing Devious Maids back for another season.  Marc Cherry has created a uniquely twisted world that blends his comic wit with devilishly ingenious characters and plot twists,” said Rob Sharenow, executive vp and general manager of Lifetime.

Though the show is Lifetime’s strongest performer in the ratings, having averaged 1.8 million total viewers for this past season, Devious Maids concluded its second season in mid-July, making the mysterious three month silence between its finale and renewal all the more perplexing. Reportedly, the renewal was delayed due to licensing fee negotiations and creator Marc Cherry’s reluctance to act as the showrunner for the third season of Devious Maids. As a result, Ric Swartzlander and Brian Tanen have been named co-showrunners for season three, with the latter having been with Maids since its premiere and the former having experience in comedic television.

Devious Maids stars Ana Ortiz, Roselyn Sanchez, Dania Ramirez, and Judy Reyes, with the likes of Mark Deklin and Gideon Glick having joined the series for its second season. Given the deadly cliffhanger the show went out on, it’s as yet unclear who’ll be staying with the show for its upcoming third season and how long those that remain for season three will have before the ever-stylish Grim Reaper of Beverly Hills comes calling for them.

A return window for Devious Maids has yet to be announced, though the show’s move to spring this year likely means the show will premiere April 2015. The fates of Lifetime’s other scripted series, supernatural drama Witches of East End and sci-fi conspiracy The Lottery, should be announced in the coming weeks.

Were you worried that Devious Maids was in danger of cancellation? What would you like to see as the central mystery for season three? Should Devious Maids return to airing in the summer, given the lower ratings it suffered this past season?