NBC renews “Welcome To Sweden” for second season

File this under unsurprising surprises.

NBC officially renewed summer sitcom Welcome To Sweden for a 10-episode second season.

It keeps the Peacock Network in business with Greg Poehler — brother of network darling Amy, and who himself was named one of Variety’s 10 Comics To Watch just last month.

And his sitcom, originally produced for Sweden’s TV4, already earned a renewal there, making the pickup here even more of a no-brainer.

Welcome to Sweden is based on Greg Poehler’s own life. He moved abroad for love in 2006 and didn’t even begin a comedy career of his own beforehand. “I got started in standup when a friend literally pushed me up on stage at a club in Stockholm and told the manager I was a famous U.S. comedian,” he told Variety.

The cast includes Josephine Bornebusch, Lena Olin, Claes Mansson, Christopher Wagelin and Per Svensson. The single-cam features guest appearances this first season from Amy Poehler, Aubrey Plaza, Will Ferrell and Gene Simmons as themselves.

Airing on Thursday nights for the past month, it’s averaged a .8 rating in ages 18-49, and 2.9 million viewers overall in live plus same-day viewing.

Greg and Amy Poehler executive produce, with Pontus Edgren, Carrie Stein, Frederik Arefalk and Felix Herngren. Producers are Entertainment One Television, TV4, FLX and Syskon.

Last week, NBC also renewed Undateable — another rookie summer sitcom — for a second season in 2015.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

View all posts by Sean L. McCarthy →