The series was picked up for a full season by ABC after garnering a 3.3 Nielsen rating in the all-important 18–49 age advertising demographics for its pilot episode and regularly winning its timeslot against every other television network (CBS, Fox, The CW, and NBC) in 18–34 demos. Madeleine Stowe was nominated for the 2012 Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a TV Drama, while the series was nominated for Favorite New TV Drama at the 2012 People's Choice Awards. Revenge has become ABC's highest-rated series in Wednesday’s 10 p.m. timeslot since Lost's 2006–2007 season and has become the only new series in more than four years to replicate the 18–49 demo ratings success that Lost had in its timeslot since leaving the air. On May 10, 2012, ABC renewed the series for a second season, which aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/8:00 p.m. Central beginning on September 30, 2012, in the time slot previously occupied by Desperate Housewives.
On May 10, 2013, ABC renewed the series for a third season, premiering September 29, 2013.
Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) comes to the Hamptons and buys a beach house next to the Grayson family mansion for the summer. Emily is really Amanda Clarke, whose father was framed for treason when she was a little girl. After a lengthly trial, he was imprisoned for life, and was murdered in prison by agents of the people who framed him. Amanda was separated from him after his trial and never saw him afterwards. Long after, she returned to the Hamptons as an adult to get revenge on those who wronged her and her father. Her primary target is Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe), matriarch of the Grayson family, who loved and betrayed Amanda's father. The show focuses on Amanda's plot to destroy every individual who played a role in her fathers imprisonment. Along the way, she discovers various facts of her fathers past which come to change her plans many times. As the series progresses, Amanda brings in other individuals as allies for her plan.
As Amanda executes the stages of her elaborate plan, she finds it difficult to remain emotionally detached. She struggles to identify her true motivations and examines how her actions change her sense of identity. As she enlists trusted friends into her schemes, she worries how their involvement will change their lives.