ABC orders three more episodes of first-year drama

ABC has found a new showrunner for "Women's Murder Club," paving the way for the show to return, at least briefly, in the spring.

The first-year series, which earned decent ratings on Friday nights in the fall, will produce three more episodes this season, the showbiz trade papers report. Production should pick back up in the next couple of weeks, which means the first new installment will likely air in April.

The show's return this season was contingent on finding a new executive producer and showrunner following the dismissal of creators Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain and showrunner R. Scott Gemmill earlier this month. ABC and 20th Century Fox, which produces "Women's Murder Club," have hired Robert Nathan, a veteran of "ER" and the "Law & Order" franchise, to take the reins of the series.

Despite the behind-the-scenes shakeup, the studio says it expects no major changes to the show, which is based on James Patterson's novels about four women -- a detective, a prosecutor, a medical examiner and a reporter -- who pool their resources to solve crimes in San Francisco. The series stars Angie Harmon, Laura Harris, Paula Newsome and Aubrey Dollar.

"Women's Murder Club" averaged a little under 9 million viewers during its fall run, leading its Friday-night timeslot in total viewers. Its adults 18-49 rating, however, was only 2.0, which trails the season averages for time-period competitors "Friday Night Lights" and "Moonlight" (both are at 2.2).