Check Out These Spy Series Before 'Archer' Returns

It's been quite a season for everyone's favorite animated spy. However, as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and that unfortunately includes Season 7 of Archer. The hilarious animated espionage goodness of the season finale of Archer on Thursday night will only be able to sustain fans for so long. Eventually, you're going to wonder when Archer will return for Season 8. When that thought pops into your head, you're going to wish you had Sterling Archer himself to help you get some intel on next season's premiere date.

Unfortunately, much of Season 8 of Archer seems to be shrouded in mystery. FX has yet to announce whether or not it has picked up the animated series for another season. Since the show was renewed for a sixth and seventh season in March 2014, as Entertainment Weekly reported at the time, it might be a bit worrisome to know that Season 7 is almost done and the fate of the series still seems to hang in the balance.

However, Archer creator, writer, and voice of Ray Gillette, Adam Reed, told HitFix before the Season 7 premiere in March that he hopes the end of the show is "a long time from now." There's always the possibility that Archer could remain on the air but move to FX Networks' more comedy-focused channel FXX next season, too.

Taking all of that under consideration, if Archer does return for Season 8, it's a little difficult to predict when it would premiere, but it seems likely that it would be in either late Winter or early Spring 2017 since most of the show's past seasons have started anew around that time in the past, according to TV Guide.

Well Archer fans, I wish there was more certainty about when new episodes of the show will be back in our lives. However, one thing that is for sure is that there are tons of spy-centric shows like Archer out there. Even though Archer has shifted its focus to show the gang working at a private detective agency in its current season, keep its espionage legacy alive during its hiatus by checking out these spy series.

The Americans

FX must have a thing for spies because another one of its successful series is The Americans, which is currently in its fourth season on the network. The show set in early 1980s America follows a husband and wife with two kids who are travel agents living in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. by day... and who carry out missions as Soviet spies by night. You'll immediately be surprised to find yourself rooting for the so-called "bad guys" in this show, but you'll be even more shocked to discover that the most tense moments come not from following the couple on their espionage exploits but from their marital issues.

Homeland

You may have heard of Homeland, one of the most critically acclaimed and buzzworthy shows in recent years. So you probably don't need me to convince you to watch it, especially since the initial premise of the series focuses on a CIA operative out to find an American POW that has been turned by al-Qaeda and is planning a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Do yourself a favor, and catch up on Homeland before it returns to Showtime for Season 6.

TURN: Washington's Spies

Though it seems like spies have been a part of pop culture forever, we usually see them depicted on screen set in a time period within the past 50 years or so. However, real spies have been around a lot longer than that, and TURN: Washington's Spies proves it. This drama currently in its third season on AMC, is based on Alexander Rose's book Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring. Led by Abe Woodhull (Jamie Bell), the Culper Ring plays a key part in the American Revolution. TURN dramatizes a part of American history that's not as commonly seen on screen but is nonetheless fascinating.

24

Like Homeland, you've probably heard of 24 before, and that should give you an indication of how necessary it is for you to watch it. The thrilling series, which ran for eight seasons on FOX, follows Counter-Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer as he tries to foil all sorts of plots that threaten to destroy the U.S. Like Jack, just when you think 24 is down and out, it comes back swinging. The series returned for a 12-episode limited series on FOX called 24: Live Another Day in 2014, and a new spin-off series called 24: Legacy will premiere on FOX on Sunday, February 5, 2017 after Super Bowl LI, the network announced last month, as reported by Deadline. It doesn't sound like 24 will ever truly be out of our lives, and we don't really want it to be, do we?

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

If you want your spy series to be a little bit more, shall we say, super, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is your jam. The superhero spy agency deals with super baddies all the time from the likes of HYDRA and the Inhumans. And since it's set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you know that watching each episode once is only half the fun since there's always more references to other Marvel properties to be found in this series and in the movies. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will return for Season 4 on Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. ET when ABC starts its fall schedule, the network revealed last month, so you better catch up now.

The Night Manager

Even if you haven't heard of The Night Manager, a six-part miniseries that recently wrapped on AMC, knowing that it's a contemporary adaptation of the novel of the same name by legendary spy novelist John Le Carré should make you want to sit down and watch it right now. The miniseries follows a former soldier-turned-hotel manager as he goes undercover to bring down an international arms dealer. With an all-star cast including Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, and Olivia Colman and a rumored Season 2, according to Variety , you should definitely spend a night (or two) with this show.

But as you're checking out these other spy shows, be sure to keep your cool and keep your fingers crossed that we'll hear about the fate of Archer soon.

Images: FX; Giphy (5)