As The Americans comes close to its Season 4 finale (which will air June 8th), executive producers Joe Weinberg and Joel Fields have worked out a deal with FX to conclude the series in 2018. That means the exceptional show will have an additional 13 episodes in Season 5, and 10 in Season 6 to wrap up its spy story, whose tension continues to grow with each passing hour.
The Americans has already proved itself this year as being the best drama on TV, which, in this era of exceptional TV is truly an achievement. It has grown in emotional complexity and depth every season, to the point where its tension — always cooly played — has become almost unbearable (in the best of ways). So knowing that the show has a clear end date now and the ability to wrap up the story on its own terms is excellent news.
The idea of planning out these final seasons was teased back in January, (via TV Guide)
“Though he and creator/executive producer Joe Weisberg don't have an end date for the series in mind, EP Joel Fields said they view the fourth season like "we're coming toward the end of the second act" of a three-act structure.”
Weinberg and Fields have also secured an overall deal with FX, which will have them working on developing a new series as well. In a press release from FX, the network said,
“Through its first four seasons, critics have lauded The Americans as one of the best shows on television and, remarkably, a series that keeps getting better every year. All credit for that achievement goes to everyone who has worked on the show, and especially Co-Showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, Graham Yost, our brilliant stars Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich, Allison Wright, Holly Taylor, Annet Mahendru and the ensemble cast for their incomparable performances every season. We have no doubt that this two-season order will allow Joe and Joel to tell this story to its perfect conclusion. On behalf of our producing partners at Fox 21 Television Studios and Amblin TV, we look forward to a brilliant final act of the Jennings family saga.”
The Americans airs Wednesday nights on FX. For a full list of all of this year's cancelled and renewed scripted shows, check out or handy TV Lifeline.
