One of the best comedies currently on television has just been renewed.  FX announced today that the hilarious animated series Archer has been picked up for a 13-episode fifth season.  Season four is currently in the midst of airing on the network, and ratings have continued to climb.  Compared to season two, this season has posted ratings gains of +44% in the adults 18-34 demo and +36% in the adults 18-49 demo.  Moreover, the show continues to shine creatively as the exploits of the titular character (voiced H. Jon Benjamin) are as entertaining as ever under the direction of creator/showrunner Adam Reed and executive producer Matt Thompson.

Hit the jump to read the full press release, and click here to read Dave’s report from last month’s Archer Live! event.  7 episodes remain in the current fourth season, with the two-part season finale set to air on April 4th and April 11th.

We received a fantastic entry into the spy genre in 2012 with the release of the James Bond film Skyfall, but damn it’s going to be good to have Archer back in our lives this month.  The fantastic FX spy comedy series returns for its fourth season later next week, and a new poster has been released online (bearing the headline “Quantum of Mediocrity”) along with a few amusing character interviews.  Said interviews play out like the characters sat down with journalists at a junket, but in true Archer fashion they don’t exactly play out as expected.

Hit the jump to check out the new poster and interviews, and click here to read our recap of the recent Archer Live event and Q&A.  Archer returns for season four on Thursday, January 17th on FX.

Believe it or not, the only time the voice cast of FX’s animated spy series Archer gets together is during events like Comic-Con or the TCA press tour.  So it’s a special treat for them to participate in Archer Live!, an in-person event that not only lets the cast members get out of the recording booth and riff on each other in person, but lets them interact with their rabid fanbase in a variety of ways.  Outstanding vocal talent H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Amber Nash and Lucky Yates were on hand along with executive producer Matt Thompson to hold a fan Q&A, reenact some favorite scenes, preview episodes of the upcoming fourth season and take us all into the danger zone.

Season three of Archer will be available on DVD and Blu-ray starting January 8th.  The season four premiere of Archer debuts on FX at 10PM ET/PT on Thursday, January 17th.  Hit the jump for a recap of Archer Live! and a preview of season four.

Archer fans love the show for its immoral characters, quick fire pop cultural references and ridiculous plot lines.  The end of Season 3 featured the ISIS crew in outer space, and creator Adam Reed said that he is strongly considering a two-episode finale in Season 4 that would be set underwater.

The talented voice cast who help make Archer so memorable returned to Comic-Con in anticipation of the show’s fourth season.  Show creator Adam Reed, along with voice actors Aisha Tyler, Amber Nash and Chris Parnell, sat down with members of the press to offer their insights regarding the show’s popularity and what motivates their characters.  Check out what they had to say after the jump.

I’m ready to say that Archer is the funniest show on television.  There is no show that makes me laugh harder and more often.  The panel was billed as a screening—given that season three just ended and there is no premiere date set for season 4, I had accepted the fact they would probably show one of the better season three episodes.  But I was pleasantly surprised they somehow got “Coyote Lovely,”  an episode from the upcoming season, ready in time to show us.

Hit the jump for a recap of the panel with creator Adam Reed, H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Amber Nash, and Chris Parnell.

I know I’m not the only Collider writer to feel that if you’re missing out on FX’s Archer, you’re missing one of the most consistently funny shows on Television.  If biting satire, political commentary, and cartoon nudity are things you enjoy, chances are high you already do enjoy FX’s brilliant Archer.   The cast hit Comic-Con to promote the upcoming third season, and I got to sit down with stars H. Jon Benjamin (Voice of Sterling Archer), Amber Nash (Voice of HR Director Pam Poovey), Aisha Tyler (Voice of Agent Lana Kane), and Chris Parnell (Voice of Cyril Figgis).  If the cast is to be believed, Season 3 will feature:

• “Operational fieldwork”
• “Midgets”
• “Terrible things”

Check all three video interviews after the jump.

When the the midseason kicks off in January, FX is bringing an all-new series and one returning series to the flickering box. Joining a line of successful dramas like Rescue Me, Justified and Sons of Anarchy, the cable network is sending the boxing drama Lights Out into the ring on Tuesday, January 11th at 10/9c. The series will see Holy 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. If you’re not convinced that this is yet another drama to check out in January, make sure you watch the trailer right here.

For details on the return of the comedy series Archer, hit the jump.