Archer Renewed For Another Season

Hooray! It was expected, but it's still nice to see this confirmed: Deadline reports that FX has renewed the awesome, hilarious and undeniably offensive animated spy comedy Archer for another season.  According to the trade blog, "The animated comedy has received a 16-episode order, with three episodes slated to run behind It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia in the fall and the rest airing in early 2012." As I've mentioned before, I love Archer. The bar was set high in the first season, and so far it's been faithfully maintained in the second.  I'll gladly welcome these sixteen more next year!  The producers have pulled off a pretty amazing feat on this series.  Sterling Archer (who creator Adam Reed once described as James Bond with none of the good qualities) is probably the biggest jerk and all-around most despicable character on television (even moreso than Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm persona), yet you still root for him. That's impressive.

Archer Returns Tonight!

My favorite new spy show of last year returns for a second season on FX tonight, January 27 at 10PM. I saw the season premiere when it screened at Comic-Con last summer, and it was great.  In fact, it might be the best episode yet, and it was an ideal jumping-on point if you've never seen any of Season 1.  (Not that the half-hour animated comedy is really serial or anything.)  My favorite part of Archer is its awesome visual style, which draws from the best design elements of the James Bond series throughout the years.  As with last season, there's some very cool (and very Bondian) promotional artwork associated with the new one, though I can't find a high-res version of the whole poster, just details from it.  (You can, however, download a very large version from the official Archer website, a PDF big enough to print out and make your own wall poster!) Please bear in mind, though, if you're tuning in expecting a reverent spy parody, that Archer is in no way reverent and that (as I've said many times) the humor goes well beyond sending up the spy genre and is very, very crude.  Personally, I love it, but it's admittedly not for all tastes. The DVD of Season One is out now, and you can also catch up by watching entire episodes online on FX's website.

Archer Returns January 27

We knew that the best new spy show of 2011, FX's highly irreverent and highly stylized animated spoof Archer, would come back in January.  Now, thanks to Deadline, we know exactly when.  Season 2 of Archer will kick off on Thursday, January 27, at 10PM.  I've seen the second season premiere, and I think it might be the series' best episode to date.  It's also a great jumping-on point for new viewers (not that you couldn't really begin with any episode), so if you missed out on the first season (and aren't too easily offended), be sure to tune in!  Of course, by the end of January no one should have missed out on Season 1, since Archer: Season 1 comes out on DVD on December 28.  Sterling Archer is a superspy and a jerk, as smarmy as any Eurospy hero.  Some of the publicity material put it best: "Think James Bond without any of the good qualities."  It's a hilarious send-up, and the Cold War-era design aesthetic is sumptuous to behold.

Archer DVD Art Mimicks Bond

A few weeks ago Fox announced Archer: The Complete Season One on DVD (along with a host of cool special features), and I expressed hope that they would use the promotional art inspired by Robert McGinniss' Live and Let Die poster for the cover.  Good news: they did!  TVShowsOnDVD posted the image yesterday.  How awesome is that?  It really nails what I love about this show: crisp, striking animation and design that draws from 007 in the Sixties through the Eighties.  The half-hour animated comedy takes place more or less today, but in a world of perpetual Cold War, allowing the creative team to pick and choose their favorite design elements, costumes and vehicles from various eras.  Be warned, though: as pretty as this FX show is to look at, it's an extremely raunchy comedy and definitely not to all tastes.  Personally, though, I love it.

Upcoming Spy DVDs: Archer

Fox Home Entertainment has just given me a wonderful birthday present: according to TV Shows On DVD, the studio will release the half-hour animated spy comedy Archer: Season 1 on DVD on December 28... my birthday!  And I couldn't be happier.  Archer is my favorite new spy series to debut this year (closely followed by the radically different Covert Affairs), and I've been itching to have it on DVD ever since I had to delete all the episodes from my DVR for space reasons. A workplace comedy about a Bond-like (or, more accurately, Eurospy-like) superspy who's also a huge jerk and his dysfunctional family (some of them literally, some only figuratively) who work at the spy agency, Archer is a show that lends itself to rewatching.  According to the website, the 2-disc set will include plenty of extras. Among them: the original unaired Archer pilot (Wow! I didn't know about that!), an unaired network promo, deleted scenes, a six-part "The Making Of Archer" featurette ("3D", "Animation", "Art Direction", "Backgrounds", "Illustration" and "Storyboards"), plus bonus episodes (each one is the pilot episode) from unrelated FX sitcoms The League and Louie (the latter of which is quite funny, if not at all spy-related).

I'm really glad they're incorporating all of that behind-the-scenes material.  Archer is a great looking show, and I'm eager to see more about what goes into it.  It's so good looking, in fact, that I really hope the studio announces a Blu-ray release as well. I rarely care about that, but this is one series that would look great in HD. At this year's Comic-Con panel, the creators of Archer went into a bit of detail about creating the look of Archer's perpetual Cold War world, which incorporates Bondian elements of every era from the Sixties to the Eighties to now (including suits that could have come off of Sean Connery's shoulders, stylish Sixties office furnature and a Living Daylights Aston Martin Volante).  They said that the design team was constantly flipping through Sixties style and design and fashion magazines, picking what they liked.  I hope that's in the documentary.  It's a shame that the Comic-Con panel itself isn't included, but this list is still subject to change.  Retail will be $29.98. 

Packaging hasn't yet been revealed, but I sure hope they go with that awesome McGinnis-esque promo artwork for the DVD cover!  Overall, though, I'm just glad that I'll be able to watch Season 1 of Archer whenever I want, and that anyone who missed the first seaon on TV will now get to discover it on disc.  It's really a wonderful show, and the premiere episode of Season 2 (shown at Comic-Con, but not set to air until January) is probably the best episode yet!

The Spy's Guide To Comic-Con 2010

Well, it's that time of year again!  If you're a spy fan headed out to San Diego tomorrow for Comic-Con International, here are some panel highlights that caught my eye that might be of particular interest to you, too.  (Please post a comment if I've missed anything crucial.)  The copy is mostly taken directly from the Comic-Con website, which allows you to create your own schedule this year.  (Not that you'll actually get into all the things you plan to do.  Remember to allow plenty of time for waiting in lines!)  I'll be checking out as many as I can, and hopefully blogging about them, depending on my internet access...

Thursday, July 22

Right from the start, there are tough choices to make (as usual).  Spy fans must choose between Burn Notice and Salt on the first day!

1:00-2:00 Salt -- Opening in theaters everywhere tomorrow, Columbia Pictures brings an exclusive and surprising look at Salt to Comic-Con today, featuring some very special guests. [Yes, Angelina Jolie is scheduled to attend!] As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture, but her efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who is Salt?" Hall H

1:00-2:00 Bruce Campbell (Sam Axe), Matt Nix (creator and executive producer), and Alfredo Barrios, Jr. (executive producer) host a panel discussion and answer questions about the creative process of evolving an embryonic idea into a finished episode of cable's #1 show. Fans will gain an intimate look inside the world of Burn Notice, complete with war stories from the writer's room and filming on location in Miami. Exclusive video content will include tips on how to survive Comic-Con from your favorite burned spy, Michael Westen (played by Jeffrey Donovan), highlights from all four seasons and an exclusive sneak peek at upcoming episodes. Ballroom 20

2:15-3:15 Summit Entertainment: RED— Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of exclusive footage from RED. They used to be the CIA's top agents -- but the secrets they know just made them the Agency's top targets. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren star in RED, an explosive action-comedy based on the cult DC Comics graphic novel by Warren Ellis. Join him, director Robert Schwentke, and the film's stars as they share footage from the film and debut the final trailer before it's ever in theaters. Hall H

3:30-4:30 Entertainment Weekly: The Visionaries— A discussion with geek gods J. J. Abrams (Alias, Mission: Impossible III) and Joss Whedon (Dollhouse) on the future of pop culture. EW presents an in-depth conversation with these two creative geniuses about how technology, gaming, and global culture are reshaping how we tell and consume stories on television, film and the web. Plus: Is the superhero movie waning, or is it on the cusp of reinvention? And what do they think the pop culture universe will look like a decade from now? Moderated by Jeff "Doc" Jensen. Hall H

Friday, July 23

6:00-7:00 Archer— Creator and executive producer Adam Reed (Sealab 2021, Frisky Dingo) screens selected scenes from the FX animated series Archer, which recently won a NowNewNext Award for "Best Television Show You're Not Watching" from cable's Logo network. He will take questions from the audience along with Aisha Tyler, who provides the voice of Agent Lana Kane, the strong, voluptuous, and often exasperated secret agent. Adam and Aisha will discuss the evolution of the series as well as the voice-over process. Room 7AB

Saturday, July 24
 
10:00-10:45 Chuck Screening and Q&A— Chuck executive producers and co-creators Josh Schwartz (Gossip Girl) and Chris Fedak appear along with series stars Zachary Levi (Alvin and the Chipmunks), Yvonne Strahovski (upcoming The Killer Elite), Joshua Gomez (Without a Trace), Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence (The Pursuit of Happyness), Vik Sahay (Good Will Hunting), Scott Krinsky (The O.C.), Sarah Lancaster (upcoming The Good Doctor) and Adam Baldwin (Serenity) for their usual hijinks -- a Q&A to discuss the upcoming season four (made possible by the devoted fanbase) and a special video presentation. Produced by Fake Empire, Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television, Chuck airs Mondays at 8pm ET/PT on NBC, and Chuck: The Complete Third Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 7. Ballroom 20
 
11:00-12:00 Hollywood and Ghost Recon Join Forces— Little Minx, a company of Ridley Scott and Associates (RSA), presents Oscar-winning director François Alaux (Logorama), associate producer and technical advisor to all RSA films Harry Humphries, and a feature actor from the short film, who will be joined by Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Solider video game studio associate producer Adrian Lacey in a panel discussing the upcoming short film, as well as connections between the film and the game. Attendees will be treated to the world premiere debut of the film trailer, as well as a live demo of the upcoming video game. Room 25ABC

11:00-12:00 Leverage— Join the stars of the TNT hit series Leverage -- Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton, Aldis Hodge, Christian Kane, and Beth Riesgraf -- along with the show's executive producers, John Rogers (Transformers, Cosby) and Chris Downey (King of Queens), for a panel and Q&A session. Don't miss a special sneak peek of an upcoming episode too! Moderated by Anthony Ferrante. Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront
 
12:00-1:00 The Venture Bros.— Creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer host a laissez-faire chat about -- what else? -- The Venture Bros. They'll be joined by Patrick Warburton (voice of Brock Samson) and James Urbaniak (voice of Dr. Venture) as they screen sneak preview clips from the upcoming season, shamelessly plug their new DVD and line of action figures, and take questions from the audience. Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront

4:45-5:45 Universal: Cowboys & Aliens -- Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man series) discusses what's happening behind the scenes of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks' action-thriller Cowboys & Aliens, based on Platinum Studios' graphic novel. Currently shooting in New Mexico, Cowboys & Aliens stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford and takes audiences into the Old West, where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. Q&A session to follow. [Will Daniel Craig actually be there?  I'm guessing not, but you never know, so Bond fans might not want to miss this one...] Hall H
 
5:15-6:15 Nikita Pilot Screening and Q&A— Comic-Con has gone rogue! International action star Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible III) stars in this sexy and suspenseful series as an agent who has escaped from the ultrasecretive and corrupt government agency that trained her to be an assassin...and then betrayed her. Catch a sneak peek screening of this action-packed thriller, and join Maggie, series stars Shane West (ER) and Lyndsy Fonseca (Kick-Ass), and executive producer Craig Silverstein (Bones) for an inside look at one of the most anticipated new shows of the fall season. From Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television, Nikita will air Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT on The CW. Room 6BCF

6:00-7:00 Marvel Studios: Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger— Producer Kevin Feige and special guests give you an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hall H

6:15-7:00 Human Target Screening and Q&A— Based on the DC Comics title, Human Target is an action-packed thrill ride about a mysterious private contractor who will stop at nothing to keep his clients alive -- even if it means literally becoming a "human target." The series moves to a new night this fall -- Fridays at 8pm ET/PT on FOX -- and executive producer Matthew Miller (Chuck) joins series stars Mark Valley (Fringe), Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies), and Jackie Earle Haley (A Nightmare on Elm Street) for a Q&A with fans and to screen a special video presentation. Human Target is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Television. Human Target: The Complete First Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD September 21. Room 6BCF

Besides all that, of course, there will be plenty of other spy personalities both in non spy-related panels (like Michael Giacchino) and on the floor, signing autographs.  And speaking of the floor... well, I'm already salivating at the thought of all that movie memorabilia and old comic books waiting to deplete my wallet!  Have a great time at the Con.