Both shows will return in 2009

TNT plans to keep "Saving Grace," and at the same time it wants to continue "Raising the Bar."

The cable network said Tuesday (Sept. 16) that it has picked both shows for new seasons in 2009; it will be the third season for "Saving Grace" and the second for "Raising the Bar," which set a ratings record with its premiere earlier this month.

"Few series on television are as daring as this one," Turner programming boss Michael Wright says of "Saving Grace," which stars Holly Hunter as a hard-living Oklahoma City cop who's watched over by a "last-chance angel" (Leon Rippy). "We're thrilled to be welcoming it back."

As for "Raising the Bar," Wright says, "It was an easy decision to bring back [the series] for a second season and to continue our great relationship with [executive producer] Steven Bochco and the entire cast and crew."

"Saving Grace" averaged 4.4 million viewers a week in its summer run this year. The back half of the current season will air in early 2009, and the third season, consisting of 15 episodes, will premiere later in the year.

"Raising the Bar" also got a 15-episode order for its next season. The show, starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar as a New York City public defender, set a basic-cable record with 7.7 million viewers for its series premiere. Through three episodes, it's averaging 5.5 million viewers per week. Season two is slated for sometime next year.