The Americans may not possess the word-of-mouth appeal of other FX series like Sons of Anarchy and American Horror Story. However, the spy drama – which stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as a pair of Soviet KGB officers posing as a married American couple during the Cold War – has managed to carve itself a strong niche among viewers and a fervent fanbase all its own.
After a highly praised first season, The Americans returned for season 2 with modest but solid ratings in keeping with its season-one average. Furthermore, the series has proven to be a great asset to FX with regards to the precious demographic of adults 18-49, where its numbers spike considerably (especially when DVR viewings are taken into account). However, despite the fact that its second season has only a handful of episodes left to air, the show had yet to be renewed for another year. Until now.
FX has officially ordered 13 new episodes of the series, confirming that The Americans will indeed return for season three. Despite the show’s less-than-stellar ratings, its renewal isn’t particularly shocking, considering that The Americans has garnered strong reviews and a slew of awards nominations and honors since debuting early last year.
It’s a testament to the network’s faith in the long-term future of the show that it is holding on to The Americans even with a number of high-profile new projects in the works. In addition to the recent debuts of the Coen brothers adaptation Fargo (read our review) and George Lopez comedy Saint George, the network has the David Yates-directed Tyrant pilot in the queue, as well as vampire thriller The Strain from director Guillermo del Toro. All in all, the network is certainly not in a position to be forced to keep shows that aren’t performing up to par.
Exactly how long The Americans will stick around and where the show’s espionage-laden narrative will take it next are questions for another day. In the meantime, it looks like – at least for now – fans of The Americans can rest easy and enjoy the continuing adventures of the Jennings family.
Are you glad that The Americans is coming back for another round of episodes on FX, or would you prefer the network continue its focus on promising new series instead? Sound off in the comments section below with your thoughts.
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The Americans airs Wednesdays at 10pm on FX.
