It’s no secret that sci-fi shows on television are on the decline (even on their own “network“), and are being cancelled prematurely even after they are green-lit. So to hear that Falling Skies is coming back next summer may be a positive sign for the future.

After only four weeks of being on air, the ratings for season three have made renewing the fourth season of Falling Skies an easy choice. Surprisingly, despite seeming to be coasting just under the radar, the show has been the number one scripted drama for the past two seasons in the summer, making it good news for fans of Falling Skies, and fans of science fiction in general.

The show follows humans who are fighting for survival after an alien invasion, and has garnered increasingly good reviews over the course of each season.

Here is what TNT’s press release had to say:

TNT has ordered a fourth season of Falling Skies, the epic drama produced by DreamWorks Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg and starring Noah Wyle. Currently airing Sundays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), Falling Skies is averaging 5.8 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery and ranks as basic cable’s #1 scripted series with adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 for the summer-to-date. TNT plans to launch the 10-episode fourth season in summer 2014.

Falling Skies tells the extraordinary tale of life and survival in the wake of a catastrophic alien invasion. Wyle plays Tom Mason, a college professor who becomes an unlikely resistance leader after a massive invasion by an alien force. The series also stars Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Drew Roy, Connor Jessup, Maxim Knight, Seychelle Gabriel, Mpho Koaho, Colin Cunninghamand Sarah Carter. Among the guest stars this season on Falling Skies are Gloria Reuben, Robert Sean Leonard, Stephen Collins and Doug Jones.Falling Skies premiered in summer 2011 and ranked as basic cable’s #1 new series of the year. The series returned with strong numbers last year, averaging 5.6 million viewers in Live + 7 and ranking as basic cable’s #1 summer drama with adults 25-54.

Falling Skies is one of the shows we review each week and it’s easy to see why TNT gave the series a renewal this early in the current season. Make sure you return back to ScienceFiction.com tomorrow for tonight’s episode review!