AceShowbiz -

For being a steady performer, "Tyrant" has been given a second season order. In its Thursday, September 18 announcement, FX said the Middle East drama from Howard Gordon had been renewed for a 13-episode season.

"We're so proud of Tyrant's performance throughout its first season,' said Nick Grad, one of FX's presidents of original programming. "Howard Gordon is one of the best and most successful producers in this business. His ability to combine intelligent, edge-of-your-seat storytelling with events from the current geopolitical climate is truly groundbreaking. We look forward to seeing how Tyrant grows in season two."

Gordon added, "I'm truly grateful for the chance to continue working with them on this challenging and exciting project." The 10-episode first season averaged 5.1 million viewers and 2.3 million in key adults 18-49 demo. The drama stars Adam Rayner as the son of a dictator who returns to his homeland and finds himself thrown back into the family business when his father passes.

The second season production will begin in spring with the plan for a summer 2015 premiere. The network and studio partner Fox 21 have not set the filming location. It moved to Turkey after this summer's Gaza conflict, which made it unsafe to continue production in Israel.