Show Snob
Fansided

Lena Waithe’s The Chi gets season 2 renewal on Showtime

By Ariba Bhuvad

facebooktwitterreddit

The tales of the South Side will continue as The Chi snags a season 2 renewal and new showrunner.

After just four episodes, The Chi has already been renewed for another season. This Chicago-based drama starring Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Queen of Katwe), Jacob Latimore (Sleight), and Jason Mitchell (Mudbound) is currently midway through its first season. The second season will bring on Ayanna Floyd Davis (Empire) as the new showrunner and executive producer.

The series is filmed and produced entirely in Chicago and focuses on life on the South Side of Chicago–highlighting crime, poverty, family, and friendships. The Chi was created and executive produced by Chicago native Lena Waithe (Master of None), who has a personal connection to the story. In an interview with EW, Waithe talks about creating The Chi: 

More from Show Snob

"“I never thought I’d write about the city, but I just got to a place in my life where I think it was so misunderstood. It’s a different side of my voice, about being black and human and trying to survive and have a dream. It’s raw. It’s real. I’m not sugar-coating. It’s not, ‘Let’s show black people in Chicago in a positive light.’ It’s, ‘I want to show people in a human light.’”"

The Chi continues to grow in ratings each week and ranks as the best series premiere for Showtime since Billions premiered in 2016.

It has averaged about 4 million viewers per week across multiple platforms and continues to grow with each episode. The beautiful, raw story-telling in The Chi captures the essence and heart of Chicago and has become a unique addition to the world of television.

Next: Cherry Jones joins the cast of The Handmaid’s Tale

The Chi airs on Showtime every Sunday at 10 pm EST

Home/Showtime