TCA: FX Renews `The Strain’

FX’s horror series The Strain has been renewed for a third series, the network said as part of several announcements from its Television Critics Association Tour session Friday.

The network greenlit a new comedy series Better Things, co-created and starring Pamela Adlon, who plays a working actor and single mom trying to raise three daughters, said network officials. Adlon was recently nominated for an Emmy award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for an appearance on FX’s series Louie.

In other FX Networks news, FX sister service FXX will debut in 2016 a new animated series Cassius and Clay, which follows the exploits of two bandits looking to survive in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic American South, said network officials. In addition, FXX said it will air the seventh season of animated series Archer. The series moves over from FX, which aired the first six seasons of the spy-themed comedy.

FX announced premiere dates for several of its shows, including freshman drama series The Bastard Executioner (Sept. 15), American Horror Story: Hotel (Oct. 7) and Fargo (Oct. 12)

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.