Temple Street Productions has received a second-season order of its  original reality-style single-cam scripted tween drama series The Next Step from Astral’s Family Channel.

The second season will have 26 half-hour episodes added to the production slate and principal photography will get underway later this summer, Astral announced Tuesday.

The commission comes a month after the series debuted on Mar. 8 to Family’s largest premiere audience for any series, acquired or domestic, with an unprecedented 574,500 viewers tuning in (P2+). The reach exceeded more than one million viewers for the show’s premiere. With Family’s target audience of kids 8 to 14, the premiere was the top program of the week of Mar. 3 on all television in the 7:00 p.m. timeslot, and was number three show of the day with the target demo for all television, the company states.

It is executive produced by Frank van Keeken (Wingin’ It, Kids in the Hall), Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (Being Erica,  Recipe to Riches). BBC Worldwide holds its international distribution rights. The Next Step is also produced with financial assistance from The Shaw Rocket Fund.