Nellie Andreeva

At FX’s upfront party in New York, which is going on right now, the network’s president John Landgraf announced a third-season renewal for Archer. 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.

Additionally, FX is planning to expand its current portfolio of five comedy series. A sixth half-hour series will launch in early 2012, with Townies as a strong candidate. The animated comedy was created by three It’s Always Sunny writers: David Hornsby and Scott Marder & Rob Rosell. It centers on two earnest yet misguided 15-year-old best friends who have no parental supervision, and they are left to raise themselves through the most awkward years of their lives.

More intel from the FX event courtesy of TVLine’s Matt Mitovich: On the drama side, where FX suffered recent setbacks with Terriers and Lights Out, the network plans to launch a new hourlong series in the fall, “likely” Ryan Murphy-Brad Falchuk’s American Horror starring Connie Britton, which is now casting the pilot. Another new drama series will premiere in the winter, with pilots Outlaw Country and Powers in the running. (The Nashville-set Outlaw Country was delivered some time ago, while Powers, based on the comics, is yet to go into production.) Coincidentally, both pilots are directed by Michael Dinner.

The renewal of Archer comes on the heels of the official pickup of another sophomore FX series, drama Justified, earlier today.

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