Netflix teen drama 13 Reasons Why has been renewed for a 13-episode third season that will premiere in 2019.
One of Netflix’s most popular shows, the second season topped rankings since its release, Deadline reported.
The renewal for the third season comes less than a month after the May 18 debut of the second season.
Based on the book by Jay Asher, the teen drama follows high school student Hannah Baker, who leaves tapes for her classmates containing the 13 reasons why she took her own life.
What happens now? Season 3 of #13ReasonsWhy is coming. pic.twitter.com/B5brKfPGYZ
— 13 Reasons Why (@13ReasonsWhy) June 6, 2018
Netflix CEO Reed Hasting has defended the renewal decision.
“13 Reasons Why has been enormously popular and successful,” Hastings said. “It’s engaging content.”
“It is controversial,” the CEO continued. “But nobody has to watch it.”
After the release of the show’s second season, Parents Television Council urged Netflix to cancel 13 Reasons Why because of the potential harm it could cause children, “with its graphic suicide scene, its sodomization of a teen boy and a potential school shooting, among other adult content.”
While the first season of the show was narrated by Hannah, the second featured her peers telling their stories.
The second season also followed the lawsuit and trial her parents pursued against the school district.
Earlier, actress Katherine Langford, who plays Hannah Baker in the series, shared she will not be joining the cast for season three.
“This show will always be a special part of my life, and regardless of whether Hannah is there or not, I know that I will continue to strive to do work that is meaningful and has a positive impact,” Langford wrote.
