FX renews the series for a second season

FX wants to keep "Sons of Anarchy" on the road for a while longer.

The cable network has picked up its new drama, about the members of an outlaw motorcycle club, for a second season. Critical praise and remarkably consistent ratings helped fuel FX's decision.

"It's incredibly gratifying to everyone at FX at this time when 'The Shield' -- the show that got our critically acclaimed original programming brand started -- is airing its final season, their loyal audience has embraced 'Sons of Anarchy' and made it a success," FX president John Landgraf says.

The two shows share a connection: Kurt Sutter, a writer and executive producer of "The Shield," created "Sons of Anarchy," and "Shield" star Jay Karnes has a recurring part on the new show.

"Sons of Anarchy" stars Charlie Hunnam as Jax Teller, the son of the titular biker club's late father and its current vice president, who's wondering if the club's criminal activities are what his dad intended. The show also stars Katey Sagal as Jax's mother, Ron Perlman as his stepfather, the club's co-founder and president. The clubs is also trying to protect its small Northern California home from the influence of outside drug dealers and encroaching sprawl.

In its five weekly telecasts, the series is averaging 5.4 million viewers (first airings are in the 2 million-viewer range), 3.5 million of whom fall in the adults 18-49 demographic. The show has retained 97 percent of its weekly viewers since its premiere, which FX says is the most consistent performance for a first-year drama in network history.

A date for the 13-episode second season hasn't been set.