SyFy Announces Second Go-Round For 'Alphas'

Well, with SyFy surprisingly bringing down the "Eureka" curtain sooner than many expected, someone has to step up and fill that void.

SyFy President Mark Stern announced that the freshman drama about superhuman investigators has so pleased network brass that they've ordered another 13 episodes that start airing next year.

"Alphas' smart, innovative approach to a superhero franchise has clearly caught on with our audience," said Stern via a press release.

"From the first-rate writing to the outstanding cast lead by David Strathairn, we're very proud of what was achieved in its first season and look forward to seeing this series fulfill even more of its creative potential in a second season."

Since the July 11 premiere, the series has collected ratings marking a two-year high for any SyFy scripted original series, including "Eureka." New episodes - which air Monday nights at 10 PM Eastern/9 Central - have each been watched by an average 3.3 million viewers, beating out MTV's breakout hit "Teen Wolf," the final season of FX's "Rescue Me," the recently cancelled "Hawthorne" and "The Killing."

Episodes available for on-demand viewing have been averaging about 240,000 plays within seven days per episode.

Strathairn stars as Dr. Lee Rosen, a neurologist and psychiatrist leading a Department of Defense-formed superhuman team - with its members called "Alphas" - investigating the suspicious activity of other Alphas.

Since debuting along with "Haven" this past summer, both shows have joined what's become a SyFy trend of cross-promotion with World Wrestling Entertainment. Since the 2006 arrival of "ECW on Sci-Fi," then later "NXT" and eventually the addition of WWE's number-two show "Friday Night Smackdown!", WWE stars including CM Punk, Elijah Burke and Mike "The Miz" Mizanin have elevated WWE's visibility with the network's fanbase (and vice-versa) by appearing annually on annual live Halloween "Ghost Hunters" invesigations as guest investigators of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS).

Former WWE Champion Adam "Edge" Copeland has made guest appearances on both shows since his April retirement from professional wrestling.