Posted in: FX, Preview, streaming, Trailer, TV | Tagged: archer, fx on hulu, FXX, jessica walter, malory archer, preview, Season 12, teaser

Archer Pays Tribute to Jessica Walter's Malory: Leader, Mother & Boss

Before we take a look at next week's "Pampage"-fueled fifth episode of FXX and Adam Reed's Archer Season 12, we wanted to share the following clip that not only makes the case for Jessica Walter's performance as Malory Archer being more than award-worthy but also serves as the first of what we're sure will be many tributes to the late, great actress who passed away earlier this year. Along with the clip, we've also included a look back at FX Networks' TCA summer press event where the loss of Walter, as well as the future of the long-running animated spy comedy, were addressed.

From leader to mother to boss, here's a look at Walter's Malory rewriting the rules on what it means to be all three:

FX Networks covered a ton of ground during its TCA presentation, with pretty much a little something for everyone- including Archer fans. With the long-running animated series now in its 12th season, the topic of the show's future was raised both in part because of how long the show has been on the air and in light of the passing of Walter this past March. Regarding the former, Eric Schrier, President of FX Entertainment, sees the show as still maintaining its "creative excellence" even in light of the complications created by the COVID pandemic. "We've brought in some additional people to work on the creative front. I think there was a question whether we could maintain the creative excellence on that show, and we have. I think Covid slowed everything down — everything got slower and harder — but the show continues to be excellent."

Understandably, the loss of Walter has a much bigger impact on the series, on both a personal and professional level. Looking towards the future, Schrier explained that the creative team is "making adjustments" on how to move forward without the beloved actress. "That was a very close-knit group so losing Jessica was a big loss but I think creatively, they are trying to figure out a way to proceed forward." While noting that Walter is "irreplaceable," FX boss John Landgraf is still optimistic about a 13th season. "Can the show continue? I think that's a creative question they are working on. I'm optimistic the answer will be 'yes'," he noted. As for those rumblings of some potential spinoffs on the way, sorry to say but FX isn't "looking at any 'Archer' spinoffs at this time." Schrier followed that up by saying that the door is always open for any spinoff pitches that creator/EP Adam Reed and EP Matt Thompson might have.

Here's a look at the promo for next week's episode "Shots", followed by a brief episode overview and a look back at what we learned during last month's TCA summer press event:

Archer Season 12 Episode 5 "Shots": Sex, drugs, and monster trucks! Archer and the gang celebrate another barely successful mission. Written by Matt Roller.

FXX's "Archer' is an animated, half-hour comedy that follows Sterling Archer as he navigates the changing landscape of the spy world. This season, Archer and gang face a new threat: a spy conglomerate known as IIA (International Intelligence Agency). With a limited number of spy jobs up for grabs, can the Agency compete against the soulless vultures of IIA, or will our mom-and-pop spy agency be the next to get swallowed alive?

FXX's Archer Season 12 features H. Jon Benjamin as the (former) world's greatest spy, Sterling Archer; Aisha Tyler as the spy with marital problems, Lana Kane; the late Jessica Walter as Archer's mother and spymaster, Malory Archer; Judy Greer as the loveably crazy office assistant, Cheryl/Carol Tunt; Chris Parnell as the top office spy, Cyril Figgis; Amber Nash as the positively offensive go-getter, Pam Poovey; Adam Reed as the opportunist, Ray Gillette, and Lucky Yates as the unscrupulous scientist, Algernop Krieger. Joining them this season are guest stars Pamela Adlon, Eric Andre, Bruce Campbell, Harvey Guillén, Kayvan Novak, Stephen Tobolowsky, and more. Created by Reed and executive produced by Reed, Matt Thompson, and Casey Willis at Floyd County Productions, Archer is produced by FX Productions.

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