Freeform president Tom Ascheim interrupted the TCA panel for Beyond to announce that the Tim King-executive produced sci-fi show is getting a second season. The series premiered on Jan. 2 to promising ratings, drawing 1.3 million total viewers and 553,000 adults 18-49 in Live+3.

“It’s a courageous thing to pick up a series this early, but audiences notice these things early,” said Kring. “It can help build momentum for a show when they learn there’s a commitment to the show.”

In Beyond, Burkley Duffield stars as Holden Matthews who awakes from a 12-year coma and learns he has new abilities which propel in the middle of a conspiracy. Now Holden must try and figure out what happened to him during those 12 years; how to survive a world that changed while he was gone; and answer the question, why did this happen to him? Romy Rosemont, Michael McGrady, Jonathan Whitesell, Dilan Gwyn and Jeff Pierre also star.

EP Adam Nussdorf mentioned that the first season centers around Holden “coming to age” and in regards to the sci-fi elements, “we try to ground them.”

Beyond is created, written and executive produced by Nussdorf (Once Upon a Time in Wonderland). Kring (Heroes), David Eick (Battlestar Galactica), Steven Adelson, Zak Kadison, Justin Levy and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones executive produce.