FX has announced the return date of their animated spy comedy series, Archer. The first season’s 10 episodes averaged a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 970,000 total viewers. Though the ratings fell significantly after the 2010 premiere, FX renewed Archer for a second season of 13 installments in February. Season two starts January 27, 2011.

The cable channel has also announced the launch of Lights Out, a new drama that revolves around an aging former boxing champion (Holt McCallany) who must become a debt collector to support his family in a bad economy. That debuts on January 11th.

Here’s the press release…

FX SETS NEW DRAMA AND RETURNING COMEDY FOR JANUARY LAUNCH
Network Sounds Bell for LIGHTS OUT on Tuesday, January 11 at 10 PM ET/PT

ARCHER Takes Aim on Thursday, January 27 at 10 PM ET/PT

LOS ANGELES, November 30, 2010 – In January, FX will launch one new original drama series and one returning comedy series. The newest contender in FX’s stable of dramas, Lights Out, will make its debut on Tuesday, January 11 at 10 PM ET/PT. Later that month, the network will roll out the second season of its critically acclaimed animated comedy Archer on Thursday, January 27 at 10 PM ET/PT.

Lights Out, from Executive Producer/Showrunner Warren Leight (In Treatment, Law & Order Criminal Intent), stars Holt McCallany (CSI: Miami) as “Patrick ‘Lights’ Leary,” an aging former heavyweight boxing champion who struggles to find his identity and support his wife and three daughters after retiring from the ring. The financial downturn coupled with a series of failed investments leave him at a perilous crossroads – battling the urge to return to boxing or reluctantly accepting a job as a brutal and intimidating debt collector. Catherine McCormack (Braveheart) co-stars as “Theresa Leary,” Lights’ wife who is finishing her medical residency; Pablo Schreiber (The Wire) as “Johnny Leary,” Lights’ brother and business manager; and Stacy Keach (Fat City) as “Robert ‘Pops’ Leary,” Lights’ father and former trainer who runs the boxing gym owned by Lights.

Clark Johnson (The Shield, The Wire) and Norberto Barba (In Treatment, CSI: NY) directed the pilot episode. Series Creator Justin Zackham (The Bucket List), Phillip Noyce (Salt) and Ross Fineman are also Executive Producers. Lights Out is produced by Fox Television Studios and FX Productions. FX has ordered 13 episodes of Lights Out, which was filmed in New York.

Archer, an animated, half-hour comedy, revolves around the spy agency known as the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS) and the lives of its employees. Although their work of espionage, reconnaissance missions, wiretapping and undercover surveillances is daunting and enigmatic, every covert operation and global crisis are actually unmitigated occasions for the ISIS staff to undermine, sabotage and betray each other for personal gains and selfish pleasures. The series features the voices of H. Jon Benjamin as the highly skilled yet incredibly vain master spy “Sterling Archer”; Aisha Tyler as fellow agent provocateur “Lana Kane”; Jessica Walter as Archer’s domineering mother and the rapacious CEO of ISIS, “Mallory Archer”; Chris Parnell as the easily intimidated comptroller of ISIS, “Cyril Figgis”; Judy Greer as Malloy’s loquacious secretary, “Cheryl”; Amber Nash as the discordant director of human resources for ISIS, “Pam Poovey”; and George Coe as Archer’s elderly and always exploited butler, “Woodhouse.”

After just a 10-episode debut season, Archer has gained critical exaltation, a fervid fan base and clear reverence within the television industry. In 2010, H. Jon Benjamin received an Emmy® Award nomination for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his work as the show’s title character. FX has ordered 13 episodes for season two. The series is produced by FX Productions in association with Floyd County Productions.

Later this month, FX will announce the season two launch date for its critically acclaimed drama series Justified, which returns in February.

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 96 million homes. The diverse schedule includes a growing roster of critically acclaimed and award-winning original series, an established film library of acquired box-office hit movies, and an impressive lineup of acquired hit series.

What do you think? Are glad to hear that Archer is returning? Will you give Lights Out a try?

Image courtesy FX.