‘The Bold Type’ gets a 2-season pickup at Freeform but loses its showrunner 

‘The Bold Type’ gets a 2-season pickup at Freeform but loses its showrunner

Freeform has made a big commitment to its series “The Bold Type” — while also giving the show a pretty big behind-the-camera edit.

The cable channel on Monday announced a two-season renewal for the show, which drew critical acclaim — if not a huge audience — for its inaugural season. Creator and showrunner Sarah Watson (“Parenthood”), however, is leaving the series. Amanda Lasher, a veteran of “Sweet/Vicious” and “Gossip Girl,” will take over as showrunner.

Watson departed “The Bold Type” over “creative differences,” per

The Hollywood Reporter, which first had the news of the pickup and executive producer change.

“We are committed to delivering shows that celebrate the power and possibility of the female voice,”  Karey Burke, Freeform’s head of programming and development, says in a statement. “Season 1 of ‘The Bold Type’ brought culturally significant stories to the masses that not only entertain but also empower our viewers to conquer the world. We are excited to continue to champion these incredible women.”

“The Bold Type” is based on the life of Joanna Coles, a former Cosmopolitan editor in chief and the current chief content officer at Hearst. It’s set at a women’s magazine and centers on the lives of three young women (played Katie Stevens, Aisha Dee and Meghann Fahy) who work there. Melora Hardin plays their boss.

The show averaged 313,000 viewers and a 0.15 rating among adults 18-49 for initial airings during its run. It typically doubled its audience with a week of DVR and on-demand viewing.

Seasons 2 and 3 will each run for 10 episodes; the show is set to return to Freeform sometime next year.

Rick Porter has been covering TV since the days when networks sent screeners on VHS, one of which was a teaser for the first season of "American Idol." He's left-handed, makes a very solid grilled cheese and has been editor of TV by the Numbers since October 2015. He lives in Austin.