When I chatted with Archer star Amber Nash last year for our Saturday Mourning Cartoons interview series, she teased some details about the animated comedy's upcoming 11th season. The writers and animators were then working on the first episode of Season 11 while the cast was prepping to go into the recording booth soon after. That was in the late summer of 2019; what a difference a few months make.

Archer was officially renewed for Season 11 last summer with creator Adam Reed returning. FXX then set the premiere date for May 6th. The first two episodes were intended to premiere on the network followed by an 'FX on Hulu' premiere the following day, with new episodes airing weekly. All of those plans have come to a halt thanks to coronavirus complications.

Here's what the network said in a statement:

"Due to production challenges and scheduling issues, season 11 of FXX's Emmy Award-winning animated comedy series Archer will no longer premiere on May 6th. FXX will shift the premiere date to later this year."

archer-season-11-release-date
Image via FXX

In a chat with EW, executive producer Matt Thompson confirmed Nash's details about Season 11, but hadn't commented on the release date shift at the time:

"The personalities and situation of the office has changed. We’re definitely back to doing spy missions. But the roles and people’s personalities have changed. What’s also different is Archer is physically and mentally not what he was. He’s been in a bed for three years. His muscles have atrophied to the point where he can’t even walk that well… The main thing is Archer and how lost he is. He feels everyone has left him behind. The only person who seems to give a f— is Pam, and she’s like, 'Hey, buddy, let’s go get a drink, I still love you.' But everybody else treats him like an afterthought, he’s not what he was, and he’s actually making them worse at their jobs. He’s in the way. And that exploration of truly something different for Archer as a character is exciting for us. So it’s about him, and how having him back in the group forces change upon all of them."