FX has decided to renew their new drama series, The Americans, for a second season. The first season is still airing on the cable channel with the fourth installment airing last night. There are nine episodes yet to come in this season with the finale expected to air on May 1st.
Here’s the press release about season two.
FX ORDERS SECOND SEASON OF “THE AMERICANS”
Critically-Acclaimed Drama Starring Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich Earns 13-Episode Order for Season Two
Nine All-New Episodes Remain This Season, Airing Wednesdays at 10:00 PM ET/PT With the Season One Finale Scheduled for May 1
FX Schedules The Americans Marathon Featuring the First Five Episodes Friday, March 1 at 10:00 PM ET/PT
LOS ANGELES, FEBRUARY 21, 2013 – FX has picked up its critically-acclaimed drama The Americans for a 13-episode second season, it was announced today by John Landgraf, President and General Manager, FX Networks. The most recent drama to join the network’s coveted roster of hit original series, the renewal comes just four episodes into The Americans’ freshman season. There are nine all-new episodes remaining in the current season airing Wednesdays at 10:00 PM E/P with the season finale schedule to air on May 1.
Created by Joe Weisberg and starring Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich, the series premiere episode of The Americans was the most-watched debut of any FX series ever with 5.11 million Total Viewers (Live+7, 1/30/13). Through three weeks, time-shifted viewing of The Americans is the highest of any first-year series on FX with weekly gains of +44%, +58% and +63% respectively. On Live +3 basis through three weeks, the series is averaging 3.63 million Total Viewers and 1.87 million Adults 18-49. After declines in each of the previous two weeks, last night’s fourth episode of The Americans rebounded to week two levels posting gains of +46% in Adults 18-34, +22% in Adults 18-49, +64% in Women 18-34, +30% in Women 18-49, and +33% in Men 18-34.
“The Americans has quickly established itself as a key part FX’s acclaimed drama line-up,” said Landgraf. “Executive Producers Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields and Graham Yost and their collaborators are telling riveting and deeply emotional stories and the performances of Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich and the entire cast are simply outstanding. The show is truly worthy of its widespread critical acclaim and we are confident that its quality will continue to yield a robust and passionate audience.”
“We’re very grateful to John Landgraf, Nick Grad, Eric Schrier and everyone at FX for their unwavering support of our show,” said Weisberg. “We’re thrilled to be able to continue writing stories for such an incredibly talented cast led by Keri, Matthew and Noah. This has been an amazing experience for me and it couldn’t have happened without the tireless efforts of our cast and crew. We appreciate the support of the audience and we believe they have a lot to look forward to the rest of this season.”
Fields added, “Working with Joe Weisberg, Graham Yost, Josh Brand, Adam Arkin, our writing staff, and the brilliant cast and crew has been a blast and I’m delighted we get to keep doing it. We couldn’t have made it happen without the constant support of Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank at Amblin TV, David Madden at Fox Television Studios and Eric Schrier at FX Productions and their wonderful teams as well.”
In next week’s fifth episode, “Comint” – (Airs February 27, 10:00 PM E/P), a crucial agent crumbles under emotional distress and threatens to topple a valuable network of KGB informants. Professionally, Philip and Elizabeth are tasked with infiltrating the FBI’s new communications encryption system while personally they are forced to grapple with one of the darker aspects of life as a spy. (Written by Melissa James Gibson; Directed by Holly Dale)
Set in 1981 just after Ronald Reagan is elected president, The Americans, starring Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich, is a drama series about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. Created and Executive Produced by Joe Weisberg (Falling Skies), a former CIA agent who went on to become an accomplished author, Joel Fields and Graham Yost are also executive producers, along with Amblin Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. The Americans is produced by Fox Television Studios and FX Productions.
In celebration of the series renewal, FX will air a marathon of The Americans, showing the first five episodes back-to-back on Friday, March 1 beginning at 10:00 PM E/P:
Episode 1 – Pilot – (Airs 10:00 PM – 11:32 PM E/P) – The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. The arranged marriage of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War. Tensions heighten upon the arrival of a new neighbor, Stan Beeman, an FBI agent. (Written by Joe Weisberg; Directed by Gavin O’Connor)
Episode 2 – “The Clock” – (Airs 11:32 PM – 12:35 AM E/P) – When Philip and Elizabeth are given an urgent task to plant a bug in Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger’s office, they risk exposure when an unwilling maid of the Weinberger home refuses to cooperate. Stan closes in on a member of the Soviet Rezidentura in an effort to uncover the identities of deep cover Directorate S operatives. (Written by: Joe Weisberg; Directed by: Adam Arkin)
Episode 3 – “Gregory” – (Airs 12:35 AM – 1:36 AM E/P) – Philip and Elizabeth discover that their murdered colleague Robert had a wife they never knew about. As they try to determine what she knows and where her allegiance lies, Stan’s investigation into Robert’s death puts him hot on their trail. (Written by Joel Fields; Directed by Thomas Schlamme)
Episode 4 – “In Control” – (Airs 1:36 AM – 2:36 AM E/P) – When an assassin attempts to kill President Reagan, Philip and Elizabeth scramble to handle the fallout within the KGB. Meanwhile, Stan pressures his source within the Rezidentura to find out if the KGB was responsible for the attempted assassination. (Written by Joel Fields & Joe Weisberg; Directed by Jean De Segonzac)
Episode 5 “Comint” – (Airs 2:36 AM – 3:36 AM E/P) – A crucial agent crumbles under emotional distress and threatens to topple a valuable network of KGB informants. Professionally, Philip and Elizabeth are tasked with infiltrating the FBI’s new communications encryption system while personally they are forced to grapple with one of the darker aspects of life as a spy. (Written by Melissa James Gibson; directed by Holly Dale)
About Fox Television Studios
Fox Television Studios produces scripted and unscripted programming for US broadcast and cable networks, and international broadcasters. The studio produces the hit series Burn Notice, currently in its sixth season, and White Collar, now in its fourth season, both for USA; and the series The Glades for A&E, currently in season three. FtvS also is in production on Graceland, its new series for USA from White Collar creator Jeff Eastin, and is producing for the network the pilot Sirens, written by Denis Leary and Bob Fisher who executive-produce along with Jim Serpico (project is from Leary and Serpico’s Apostle and Fox TV Studios). Among the studio’s unscripted programming is the competition series The Great Escape for TNT.
About FX Productions
FX Productions produces the critically acclaimed hit comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer, Wilfred, and Legit, and the late night series Brand X with Russell Brand and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. FXP co-produces the award-winning hit drama series Sons of Anarchy and Justified, and the critically acclaimed drama The Americans and the upcoming drama series The Bridge. FXP currently has production output deals in place with RCG Productions, the production company of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Executive Producer/Showrunners Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton, and Floyd County Productions, the production company of Archer Executive Producer/Showrunners Adam Reed and Matt Thompson. FXP recently announced a cable exclusive, first-look pact with Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and their Color Force production company, producers of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid feature franchise and The Hunger Games. It was the first POD deal for FX Productions that was not established through a prior existing relationship with the studio. FXP has a first-look cable deal with Paul Giamatti, Dan Carey and their production company, Touchy Feely Films. FXP is also producing limited series and mini-series for FX and FOX.
About FX
FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in nearly 98 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series including Sons of Anarchy, Justified and The Americans; the mini-series American Horror Story: Asylum; and the acclaimed hit comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer, Wilfred, Legit, BrandX with Russell Brand and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. The network’s library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX’s other offerings include the acquired hit series Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother, and live sports with UFC and NCAA football.
SOURCE: Nielsen
What do you think? Are you a fan of The Americans? Are you glad to hear that the FX series will be back for a second season?
Anxious to hear when the 1st episode of Season 2 will b e shown! Ed
Just great! Both husband and other family members thought it was very well written and the actting was superb!!! Please bring it back
My husband and I just love it! We DEFINITELY want it back!!!
I hope this is right and it comes back. I missed the first season finale and have never seen it rerun. After watching all season I couldn’t believe the finale was only shown that one time and never rerun that week or in the following weeks. I assumed it was cancelled. It will be if they neglect promoting it like this. It’s a great show but if people don’t know about it, it won’t have viewers.
Is The Americans coming back to FX this fall? If so, when is it scheduled to do so. All of the articles I have read state that it was renewed for a 2nd season, but to date I have seen nothing. My husband and I love this show and do hope it is going to return this fall.
yea
The Americans has everything people want to watch, family, suspense, love and hate. Sure glad tknow if it comes back.
I love this story about the cold war. I love all the characters
The American’s is a superb show, I’m so glad it’s been renewed, it’s a more intelligent show with superb acting than I have seen in a long while, and not all of us want dumb-and-dumber, some of us really relish getting into a complex plot with solid acting that takes it time. The American’s delivers with aplom! So glad FX did the right thing.
I went to watch The Americans last night and was disappointed that it was not on. Instead a movie was played. I tape it every week for me and my son, and was really sorry it wasn’t on.I hope it will be next week. Excellent series.
Love the show! Tape it so that I can watch each episode at least twice. Have several friends who feel the same way.
why is there still no competiton to nielsen?
no one i know is a nielsen family.
shows that ARE watched and loved are cancelled bc of nielsen.
honestly, why arent tvs equipped w something so we know for SURE what ppl are watched.
keeping tv diaries is ns.
This series leaves you at the edge of your seat. Ms. Keri Russell is excellent actress and doesn’t over act her part, just right. The same goes for the actor that plays her husband. I don’t usually go for cloak and dagger type shows, but this is well acted, good script and has a lot going for it. I’m very happy they are getting a second season, I predict it will be a keeper for the future series.
On a side note FX says that everything it produces is “critically acclaimed” which is code for “nobody actually watches it”. In the same way any show that is not canceled yet is called a “hit”.
Thus our airwaves (and cablewaves) are laden with “critically acclaimed hits” that nobody watches.
Translation from Network Spin Language: Even though The Americans is low-rated, we have bought it a couple of good reviews. And if we spin the numbers enough, maybe you won’t even notice that The Americans is a low-rated flop. [for those who care while the premiere got over 3 million viewers – not 5.1 but 3.2, it dropped like a stone to 1.9 million, then 1.6 and just got a dead cat bounce back to 1.9] And because we want to REALLY convince you our new flop is a hit, we will waste money on a second season, money we… Read more »
My husband swears by this show, he was devastated it was not on gone air today. I am Russian, not so exited, but they got some important things right.