USA has followed up their informal announcement of season four of White Collar with an official press release. The cable channel has once again ordered 16 installments. There’s no official word on the air dates but season four is expected to be broken up over the summer of 2012 and the early winter months of 2013. Production begins in 2012.

The remaining six installments of season three will debut in January 2012.

Here’s the press release:

USA NETWORK ORDERS SEASON FOUR OF ACCLAIMED HIT SERIES “WHITE COLLAR”

Series Stars Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Tiffani Thiessen and Willie Garson

Third Season Returns With Six New Episodes in January 2012

NEW YORK – August 26, 2011 – After dominating the television landscape this summer with an impressive slate of top-rated and critically-acclaimed new and returning originals, USA Network today announced the season four pickup of 16 episodes of the hit original series WHITE COLLAR. The series currently stars Matt Bomer (“In Time”), Tim DeKay (“Tell Me You Love Me”), Tiffani Thiessen (“What About Brian”), Willie Garson (“Sex and the City”), Sharif Atkins (“ER”), Marsha Thomason (“Lost”) and Hilarie Burton (“One Tree Hill”). The announcement, from USA Co-Presidents Jeff Wachtel and Chris McCumber, marks the network’s third series renewal this summer following a fifth season order of IN PLAIN SIGHT and a second season order of SUITS.

“WHITE COLLAR has superb storytelling at its core, and break out stars Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay lead a cast who continue to deliver phenomenal performances,” said Wachtel and McCumber. “We’re thrilled to offer our viewers another season that promises some of the best writing in television, unexpected twists and generous helpings of America’s favorite ‘bromance’ that makes WHITE COLLAR click.”

“Fox TV Studios and USA are enjoying a wonderful and fruitful marriage, and we’re thrilled that our offspring, WHITE COLLAR, will be back for season four,” said Fox Television Studios President David Madden.

WHITE COLLAR achieved its best season ever this summer in P18-49 (2.5 million) and P25-54 (2.6 million) and averaged 5.7 million total viewers, and series stars Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay’s careers are both on the rise as well. Bomer’s burgeoning film career features the October 28 release of “In Time,” in which he stars opposite Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried. He recently signed on to star in the Steven Soderbergh-directed feature “Magic Mike,” opposite Matthew McConaughey and Joe Manganiello. DeKay will make his television directorial debut in the second half of the series third season for a baseball themed episode titled “Stealing Home.” DeKay directed and starred in the episode, guest starring Hal Oszan, which was the first television series to shoot in the new Yankee Stadium in New York.

WHITE COLLAR focuses on the unlikely partnership between charming con artist Neal Caffrey (Bomer) and straightforward FBI agent Peter Burke (DeKay). Caffrey provides his expertise to help Burke and agents Clinton Jones (Atkins) and Diana Berrigan (Thomason) catch other elusive criminals in exchange for his freedom. Although Caffrey’s cunning ways help nab other white collar criminals, in the series third season, which premiered on Tuesday, June 7 at 9/8c, he uses those talents to keep everyone guessing as to which side he’s really on. When love interest and insurance investigator Sara Ellis (Hilarie Burton) finds out Neal and Mozzie (Garson) have the stolen treasure, she walks away and Neal is forced to figure out if his relationships he’s made are more important than the life of the con. The mid-season finale, which premiered on Tuesday, August 9 at 9/8c, ended on a cliffhanger with the kidnapping of Peter’s wife Elizabeth (Thiessen) by Matthew Keller (guest star Ross McCall).

Season three of WHITE COLLAR returns in January 2012 with six all-new episodes. Will Elizabeth be rescued? Will Keller come after Mozzie? Will Peter find out if Neal has the treasure? The remaining six episodes feature the directorial debut of series star DeKay and guest stars including Joe Manganiello, Dylan Baker, Beau Bridges, Tom Skerritt, Hal Ozsan, Ross McCall, Diahann Carroll, Elizabeth Gillies, Graham Phillips, Lola Glaudini, Will Chase, Murphy Guyer, Tom Degnan, Bailey Chase and Debra Monk.

WHITE COLLAR was created and is executive produced by Jeff Eastin and comes from Fox Television Studios. Mark Goffman is an executive producer and Jeff King is a co-executive producer. The series films in and around New York City, production on the fourth season will begin in 2012.

USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

What do you think? How long do you think this TV series should continue?

Image courtesy USA.