Archer is Literally Ending After Season 10

There’s good news, and there’s bad news… The good news is that animated spy comedy Archer has been renewed for 3 seasons, taking it through to 2019. The bad news is that creator Adam Reed has said once those three seasons have been made, that’s the end of the road for Sterling, Lana, Mallory and co.

Talking on the Murmur podcast, Reed said “The plan is to end Archer after Season 10. I don’t know that anybody has talked about that, but that is definitely my plan, is to do eight, nine, and 10 — and they’re gonna be each shorter seasons of just eight episodes — and then wind it up.”

It took a while for FX to renew the show, possibly because Reed initially said he planned to end it after season 8, however he then had what he called a “brain explosion” about how he could keep momentum for an additional two seasons.

He went on to assure fans that the three upcoming seasons would not only be different from each other, but also different to anything that had gone before. Considering the cliffhanger at the end of season 7, I’m really interested to see how they’re going to pick up when Archer returns early next year.

If you can’t wait that long, please enjoy some of my favourite Archer character’s best bits:

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American Horror Story: Roanoke “Chapter 3”

Hi AHS fans. I’m in for the lovely Presh this week, as she’s not feeling so good. Wishing you a speedy recovery girl!

Last week we left the Miller clan in a shocking cliffhanger – Lee‘s daughter Flora was missing and a yellow hoodie belonging to the little girl was hanging up in a tree about a hundred metres above their heads…

Roanoke Chapter 3

The police (i.e. the local cynics) recover Flora’s distinctive hoodie from the high tree. The family launch a search party for the little girl throughout the woods, however Lee explains she was not hopeful, because of her experience as a cop. In her interview, she talks us through the timescale milestones when a child is missing, and how the likelihood of finding the child diminishes as time goes on. Pretty quickly into the search, Lee finds something, which is revealed to be Flora’s doll, which has been dismembered and the head replaced with the head of a dead pig. The weird display is also covered in blood. (This whole episode is full of solid gold Angela Bassett performance – she’s brilliant!)

The Millers go further into the woods, and find a creepy farm, known to be the residence of the hillbilly weirdos, the Polks. There is another creepy offering on the ground – this time though it’s a dismembered pig with Flora’s doll’s head. They look around the house, and the place looks deserted. There’s flies buzzing about everywhere and rotting animal bits in the fridge. It’s pretty gross! They go out to the barn and find some dirty children suckling on a pig.

The Polk children – cleaned up and detached from the pig

The Polk children are at the hospital, having been cleaned up, and are being questioned. The police can’t get any sense out of them and they are shouting something unintelligible. Mason turns up and loses the plot with Lee, Matt and Shelby, who are anxiously waiting for news of Flora. Back at the creepy house, Mason attacks Lee and accuses her of hiding Flora to keep her from him. Shelby defends her sister in law, but Mason insists he will tell the police about Lee’s kidnapping indiscretion from  last week’s episode. Mason leaves and the family try to rest, however Matt is woken by a call in the middle of the night. The police have found a body. It has been burned beyond recognition and is strung up on one of the Blair Witch style scaffolds – it looks far to big to be Flora! Lee is handed a ring taken from the body, and she identifies it as Mason. Matt and Shelby check the security cameras, and realise that Lee left the house 15 minutes after Mason and returned four hours later. She has no alibi for the time of the murder. Lee walks in on their discussion and is angry that Shelby doesn’t trust her. They are interrupted by the arrival of a strange man called Cricket Marlow (Leslie Jordan). He’s a psychic investigator who has been sent by the spirits to help find Flora – because of course he is! He walks through the house and locates the area where Flora was hiding last week, opening the little cupboards and finding a bonnet. He also name-checks ghost buddy Priscilla, and explains that Flora is not dead, but hiding with her friend.

Cricket Marlow – Paranormal PI

Cricket sets up a seance to call Priscilla, but instead gets The Butcher. She chops their candle in half and smashes all the windows. She tells Cricket that she doesn’t have the child, and if she did she would have killed and eaten her. (Also, we get another awesome accent from Kathy Bates – it’s as good as the Freak Show one!) Cricket shouts ‘CROATOAN!’ which is the word that the Polk kids were shouting at the farm. Cricket says he can take the Millers to Flora… for $25,000. Matt is angry and accuses Cricket of being a con man. Lee takes the far more reasonable action of holding Cricket at gun point! Matt talks her down, and throws the psychic out, but Cricket tells them he will be invited back. He whispers something to Lee then leaves.

This is where the episode breaks slightly from the convention – we hear the voice of the interviewer (Cheyenne Jackson? Possibly!) asking Lee about Emily. Lee is shaken and asks for the camera to be switched off and we see candid footage of her sorting herself out. Lee reveals that she had another daughter when she was much younger and she went missing too. What?!? Lee left the 4-year-old Emily in the car when she went to run errands and she went missing.

Lee is freaking out!

Lee goes back to see Cricket and pays the fee, but Cricket can’t take her to Flora just yet. He explains that the Butcher is part of the lost colony of Roanoke, which Lee calls bullshit on, as Roanoke is miles away. Through flashback, Cricket explains that the Butcher – real name Thomasine White – was the wife of the leader of the colony. He went off on a supply run, leaving his wife in charge. The men of the colony don’t like being bossed around by a woman, so they revolt and put a spiky iron mask on her an leave her to die in the woods. The final betrayal for her is that her son Ambrose (Wes Bentley) locks the mask (although he looks really unhappy about doing it – maybe it will save him later!) After a few days in the woods, Thomasine is dying, and is attacked by something in the shadows. She is rescued by the Horned Woman, who offers her a still beating heart, which Thomasine eats – naturally. The delicious raw heart gives her new strength and she returns to the colony and delivers a cleaver to the head to all who betrayed her – with the exception of Ambrose, who is on a last warning. She then decides to move the colony a few miles in land – right to the spot where the Millers currently live!

Cricket and the Millers (which, incidentally, would be a very cool band name) head out to the woods to bargain with the Butcher for their lives. Cricket asks her to get Priscilla to return Flora in return for them leaving. Shelby is shocked to learn that Matt has agreed that, in addition to this, they will also burn down their home to ensure no one else lives there. Matt is conspicuous in his absence so Shelby goes looking for him. Luckily, Matt is safe! He just went off to get coffees for everyone because they were looking tired. Matt is a hero! Just kidding… Matt is in a trance, having sexy times with the Horned Woman next to a dead pig, being watched by two horny hillbillies. Later, Matt returns home with no memory of what has happened. Shelby is understandably miffed, and calls him out on it – Cuba Gooding JR pulls out his finest OJ ‘I didn’t do it!’ acting. They are interrupted by Lee getting arrested – presumably the work of an angry Shelby…

Matt was as shocked as anyone about the events!

That’s it for another week. Hopefully Presh will be back in action for episode 4, but if not, I’ll join you again for the crazy world of Roanoke! Chapter 4 will air Wednesday 5th October 2016 10pm (US) on FX.

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Ripper Street is Back 12th October

In a surprise move, fans of Ripper Street will be treated to two seasons in one year, as Amazon has announced the latest series will arrive sooner than expected. This will be a huge relief for fans, who were left with a gripping cliffhanger at the end of season 4.

The Victorian crime show was killed off by the BBC in 2013, but was later resuscitated by online streaming service. Now the show is ending on its own terms at season 5, which will see all six episodes arrive on 12th October.

The series will make up one single story and (according to Amazon’s publicity) “Our heroes become fugitives, forced to operate outside the law as they pursue the most insidious enemy they have encountered yet.” The enemy in question is “a serial killer with subhuman desires, but a superhuman ability to avoid apprehension”, played by Jonas Armstrong (Robin Hood). Is it going to be the eponymous Ripper they come across?

All the usual suspects will be returning, as well as a fan favourite from season 2 Detective Inspector Jedidiah Shine (Joseph Mawle – Game of Thrones).

Bad guy DI Shine (Joseph Mawle) makes a welcome return

Catch the whole thing on 12th October on Amazon.

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Good Girls Revolt Trailer Lands on Amazon

Next month, Amazon launches the 1960s drama Good Girls Revolt, which tells the stories of female journalists fighting for equality. The series is based on the true story of 46 female members of the Newsweek staff taking legal action against the publication for “systematic discrimination” against women in terms of hiring and promotion. Although the series uses real events and Lynn Povich‘s memoir of the events, most of the characters and settings are fictionalised. Newsweek becomes News of the Week, and the leading roles are possible composite characters of real men and women involved in the events. The show is created by Narcos writer/producer Dana Calvo, and is pitching itself as a stylish, cool Mad Men style affair. This time though, the Don Draper types take a back seat and the spotlight on ladies such as Jane (Anna Camp – True Blood),  Patti (Genevieve Angelson – House of Lies) and Cindy (Erin Darke – Don’t Think Twice). The show will nod to real characters too, with Grace Gummer (Mr Robot) appearing as feminist powerhouse Nora Ephron.

Watch the trailer here:

The series launches on 28th October 2016

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Modern Family To Feature Transgender Child Actor

ABC’s award winning sitcom Modern Family has never been afraid of breaking new ground, both in story-lines and innovation. It was one of the first shows to feature a committed gay couple (culminating in one of the first gay weddings in 2014)  and last year filmed an episode entirely shot using an iPhone. They are now pitching another first: they are the first television show to use an openly transgender child actor.

The episode, “A Stereotypical Day” is due to air tomorrow (28th September) and, according to Variety, will feature 8-year-old Jackson Millarker. The story will focus of Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) being overcome with pride that their daughter Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) wants to invite her trans friend Tom (Millarker) over for a play date. As Cam and Mitchell are notoriously a bit pompous and self-congratulating (for comedic effect), they see it as a sign of their awesome parenting that their daughter is so open minded. However, their joy is short lived, when they overhear Lily insulting her friend, and they use the moment as an opportunity to  teach her. This being Modern Family, I assume it will all resolve nicely by the end!

Fans have taken to social media to praise the show for the move and to demand that Hollywood do more to include trans actors:

First transgender-centric episode, and first trans-kid on #TV. Modern Family trully a forward show #wow #lgtv https://t.co/Ys7vQgkmse pic.twitter.com/sw6Y2rTb8c

— Ze D. Kya (dekya) (@zedekya) September 27, 2016

"Modern Family" has cast a Trans child actor to play one of Lily's friends. If they can cast Trans actors, so can the rest of Hollywood.

— ZackPas+ (@dapperzack) September 26, 2016

Thank you @ModernFam for casting a child #transactor! #translivesmatter #lovewins #livingourtruth #transchoruslahttps://t.co/pKMxt4i3iz

— TransChorusLA (@TransChorusLA) September 26, 2016

However some fans are still critical at the decision to cast heterosexual actor Stonestreet as gay character Cam:

"Modern Family" casting trans child but still has fake gay Eric Stonestreet https://t.co/R6em93syxh

— Robert Heikkila (@newsouth418) September 26, 2016

‘A Stereotypical Day’ is the second episode of Modern Family‘s 8th season, and will air tomorrow night (28th September) on ABC.

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The Fall Schedule: November and December Previews

We’ve got a lot of new and returning TV hitting the screens in September and October, but it’s not too early to think about the shows that are heading our way in November and December. There’s a few teasers being released, which I’ve collected for you here!

All details are correct for the USA at the time of writing. For your country, please check your TV guide.

Date	Show	Network	Season
5th Nov	The Crown	Netflix	1
15th Nov	Good Behaviour Sweet/Vicious	TNT MTV	1 1
17th Nov	Undercover	BBC America	1
20th Nov	Librarians The Affair	TNT Showtime	3 3
21st Nov	Search Party	TBS	1
25th Nov	Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life	Netflix	8
30th Nov	Incorporated Vikings	Syfy History	1 4 (second part)
7th Dec	Shut Eye	Hulu	1
9th Dec	Fuller House	Netflix	2
11th Dec	The Hollow Crown: The War of the Roses	PBS	Miniseries

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life premiers 25th November

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The Fall Schedule : October

The Fall Schedule if in full swing now, bringing together a host of old and new quality tv. I’ve put together the air dates for new and returning shows in October (September is available on a separate post) so you can make a note of when your favourite shows are back. Remember to keep an eye on Skatronixxx.com for reviews of all the best shows.

All details are correct for the USA at the time of writing. For your country, please check your TV guide.

Date	Show	Network	Season
2nd	Westworld Madam Secretary Shameless Elementary	HBO CBS Showtime CBS	1 3 7 5
3rd	Scorpion Conviction Timeless	CBS ABC NBC	3 1 1
4th	The Mindy Project The Flash No Tomorrow	Hulu The CW The CW	5 3 1
5th	Arrow Frequency	The CW The CW	5 1
9th	Divorce Insecure	HBO HBO	1 1
10th	Supergirl 2 Broke Girls	The CW CBS	2 6

The Flash season 3 premiers 4th October

Date	Show	Network	Season
11th	The Middle American Housewife Fresh Off the Boat The Real O’Neals Chicago Fire	ABC ABC ABC ABC NBC	8 1 3 2 5
13th	Legends of Tomorrow Supernatural Falling Water	The CW The CW USA	2 12 1
14th	Haters Back Off	Netflix	1
17th	Jane the Virgin The Odd Couple	The CW CBS	3 3

Supernatural season 12 premiers 13th October

Date	Show	Network	Season
19th	Chance	Hulu	1
21st	The Vampire Diaries Crazy Ex-Girlfriend	The CW The CW	8 2
23rd	The Walking Dead Comic Book Men	AMC AMC	7 6
24th	Man With A Plan	CBS	1
26th	Rectify	Sundance	4
27th	The Great Indoors Mom Life in Pieces Pure Genius	CBS CBS CBS CBS	1 4 2 1
29th	The Fall	Netflix	3
31st	People of Earth	TBS	1

The Walking Dead season 7 premiers 23rd October

Loved this? I’ve also done some November & December previews!

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The Fall Schedule: September

Ok.. I know this is a little bit late! Really sorry! I’ve put together the air dates for new and returning shows in September (October is on a separate post) so you can catch up if you’ve missed any of your faves. Remember to keep an eye on Skatronixxx.com for reviews of all the best shows.

All details are correct for the USA at the time of writing. For your country, please check your TV guide.

Date	Show	Network	Season
6th	From Dust Til Dawn: The Series Atlanta	El Rey FX	3 1
8th	Better Things	FX	1
11th	Rob & Chyna Masters of Sex	E! Showtime	1 4
14th	Blindspot American Horror Story South Park Legends of Chamberlain Heights	NBC FX Comedy Central Comedy Central	2 6 20 1
16th	Z Nation High Maintenance	Syfy HBO	3 1
19th	Gotham The Big Bang Theory Kevin Can Wait Lucifer The Good Place	Fox CBS CBS Fox NBC	3 10 1 2 1

Gotham season 3 premiers 19th September

Date	Show	Network	Season
20th	NCIS Brooklyn Nine-Nine New Girl Bull Scream Queens This Is Us Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. NCIS: New Orleans	CBS Fox Fox CBS Fox NBC ABC CBS	14 4 6 1 2 1 4 3
21st	The Goldbergs Lethal Weapon Speechless Modern Family Empire Law & Order: SVU Black-ish Chicago PD Designated Survivor	ABC Fox ABC ABC Fox NBC ABC NBC ABC	4 1 1 8 3 18 3 4 1
22nd	Superstore Grey’s Anatomy Rosewood Notorious Chicago Med Pitch The Blacklist How To Get Away With Murder	NBC ABC Fox ABC NBC Fox NBC ABC	2 13 2 1 2 1 4 3

How To Get Away With Murder season 3 premiers 22nd September

Date	Show	Network	Season
23rd	Longmire Last Man Standing MacGyver Dr. Ken Shark Tank The Exorcist Hawaii Five-0 Blue Bloods Van Helsing Transparent	Netflix ABC CBS ABC ABC Fox CBS CBS Syfy Amazon	5 6 1 2 8 1 7 7 1 3
25th	Bob’s Burgers Once Upon a Time The Simpsons NCIS:LA Son of Zorn Secrets and Lies Family Guy Last Man on Earth Quantico	Fox ABC Fox CBS Fox ABC Fox Fox ABC	7 6 28 8 1 2 15 3 2

Last Man on Earth season 3 premiers on 25th September

Date	Show	Network	Season
26th	The Regular Show	Comedy Central	8
27th	Channel Zero: Candle Cove Aftermath Drunk History	Syfy Syfy Comedy Central	1 1 4
28th	Criminal Minds Code Black Younger Impastor	CBS CBS TV Land TV Land	12 2 3 2
30th	Luke Cage Crisis in Six Scenes	Netflix Amazon	1 1

Luke Cage season 1 premiers on 30th September

Loved this? I’ve also done some November & December previews!

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Scrubs Creator To Launch Space Comedy

Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence is teaming up with his Undatables collaborator Adam Sztykiel for a new NBC single camera comedy. Spaced Out will be a workplace comedy (similar to Scrubs) but this time set in the not to distant future, where commercial space travel is available.

No cast are confirmed yet, however I’d put money on Lawrence’s wife Christa Miller popping up at some point. If Lawrence’s previous outings are anything to go by (as well as Scrubs and Undatables, Lawrence created Spin City and Cougar Town) he could be looking at another hit.

Space comedies appear to be in vogue at the moment, with Family Guy mastermind Seth McFarlane launching a space-based comedy drama on Fox next year.

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Melissa Rosenberg Suggests Jessica Jones Will Not Be ‘Fixed’

Jessica Jones will be back on our screens for a second season in 2018, after the release of Luke Cage in a couple of weeks, and Iron Fist and The Defenders in 2017. Even though there’s been a long break between seasons, showrunner Melissa Rosenberg has already started getting the show written and finalised. In fact, season 2 is already half written. Makes me think Rosenberg was never one to leave her homework until last thing on a Sunday night….

In an interview with Esquire magazine, Rosenberg explained that Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) would not be magically “cured” following the climax of series 1. “People don’t just heal, you don’t go through that just to say, ‘Oh, he got arrested, he’s in jail, I’m OK now.’ That trauma is a huge part of who she is now.” This is a huge relief to fans. Jessica Jones has become an important part of the media landscape, particularly for women. Jessica had lots of issues going on before she met Kilgrave (David Tennant), and even though Kilgrave is now out of the picture her remaining issues need to be addressed and worked through.

Rosenberg also said that she’d learned a lot about this type of character development through working on Dexter. “With Dexter, the moment he felt guilt or accepted that he was ‘bad,’ the show’s over. He’s no longer a sociopath. The equivalent for us would be if Jessica somehow recovered from the damage that had been done to her.” A Jessica that resembled Kimmy Schmidt might not sit well with the tone of the show!

The series will arrive after The Defenders, and although Melissa Rosenberg is not on the team leading that show, she’s aware of what’s going on so that she can seamlessly link the events in with season 2. Rumour has is that Luke Cage will take a back seat and Kilgrave is gone, so the friendship between Jessica and Trish (Rachael Taylor) will take more of a leading role for the show’s second outing. She did, however, play down the ‘shipping’ chat that has surrounded the two characters. “People would love that. I sometimes think there’s sort of a prurient interest in that, like, can’t women just be friends? I feel like for me that’s what is unique about the relationship, that they are such intimate friends, and I think they don’t have to become lovers—that being said, one never knows.”

Jessica Jones season 2 as yet has no release date. Marvel’s Luke Cage lands on Netflix 30th September.

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