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AMC drama 'Turn' depicts the story of Benedict Arnold

The Revolutionary War program, which stars Jamie Bell, returns for a third season on April 25. 

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Paul Morigi/Invision for AMC/AP
Jamie Bell stars as Abraham Woodhull, a farmer in British-occupied Long Island, N.Y., in "Turn." The show depicting events in the American Revolutionary War begins its third season April 25.

The AMC Revolutionary War drama, "Turn," will soon return for a third season.

The program, which stars Jamie Bell, J.J. Field, Meegan Warner, and Angus Macfadyen, tells the story of the Culper Ring, a group of spies who worked for George Washington. Their fates become intertwined with famous figures of the time such as Benedict Arnold. 

"Turn" first came on the air in 2014 and its third season with new 10 episodes of the program will debut on April 25. 

The program's renewal was not viewed as a sure thing – Hollywood Reporter writer Michael O’Connell noted when a third season of the show was announced, " 'Turn' hasn't exactly lit up the ratings charts, but it has been a very consistent performer for AMC as its roster of originals shrinks."

Reviews of the second season of the show were mixed, with Wall Street Journal writer Nancy deWolf Smith calling it "handsome and well-acted" but Brian Lowry of Variety finding it to be "wooden", adding "The pieces … never quite add up to anything with enough cohesion or narrative flow."

The period program adds to a growing list of American history TV shows proving popular with viewers, including "Mad Men, which took place during the 1960s; HBO's "Vinyl," which is set in the 1970s; and the acclaimed FX drama "The Americans," which takes place in the United States during the cold war. 

According to "Turn" showrunner Craig Silverstein, the upcoming episodes will center on the pivotal moment that Gen. Benedict Arnold decides to offer to help the British take West Point, establishing his name as synonymous with "traitor" in American history.

"This is the season I've been trying to get to the whole time," Mr. Silverstein said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. 

Silverstein says that if network AMC allowed it, he would enjoy bringing the story into America's early days. 

"I think there’s a lot of interesting stuff with what happens in Europe and how it begins to affect a baby America, and the spy network’s role in that stuff," he said.

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