THE SPY WHO LOVED HIMSELF! 'ARCHER' RETURNS!

A man who just loves his bazookas! ARCHER is back to his inept best. Image: FX.

He may enjoy the perks of being a jet-setting spy for the top-secret ISIS organisation, but boozed out, sexed out agent Sterling Archer-still the very antithesis of James Bond, who shined so very, very brightly in last years fiftieth anniversary year- isn't really interested in that whole business of breaking into underground volcano bases, tackling all those assassin and nefarious baddies plotting to take over the world and the idea of possibly getting killed. And do you know how much clothes dry cleaning costs these days?!

Nope, the big jerk just wants to be a bigger jerk than ever as the fourth season of the hit animated comedy begins, his adventures in space and living on a jungle island the previous year clearly having not made any impact on his attitudes and lifestyle at all. There;s also that imperious, all dominating mother of his still in his life, Malory (Jessica Walter), who just won't go away, either. Plus his colleagues in the spying game who hate him just as much as his enemies do. So, perhaps it is better to be out and about blowing things up after all...

Bang - YouTube
Archer on FX - The New Mission - YouTube
Archer's Perfect Day - YouTube

Cheryl's Perfect Day - YouTube
Pam's Perfect Day - YouTube
Malory's Perfect Day - YouTube
Lana's Perfect Day - YouTube
Cyril's Perfect Day - YouTube

Suffering from a bout of amnesia early on, getting used to a new step-father, getting submersed in a likely spoof Thunderball-esque underwater two parter later in the run, and featuring special guest star JUSTIFIED's Timothy Olyphant in its second episode as one of the egotist spy's best friends turned rival, ARCHER is getting more sophisticatedly dirty and wickedly funnier with each season. Hitting the airwaves States-side on the US FX channel from yesterday, it's thirteen episode run will surely be picked up for UK transmission soon enough...

THUNDERBALLS! THE RETURN OF "ARCHER"

From ARCHER with love! Images: FX.

That barely comptent spy with the inflated ego, drink problem and mommy issues- ARCHER: an agent for the ISIS organisation who, unlike James Bond and Napoleon Solo, has a license to bore to death, is back for more animated comedy delights in Season Three of the offbeat and highly enjoyable comedy series/adult spoof of all our favourite secret agent heroes, heroines and eye patched baddies, about to begin new episode screenings in the US on FX from January 19th (and presumably on FIVE USA in the UK in the not too distant future, too).

Burt Reynolds is captured, but can Archer be bothered to help?!

This time around the series gets more of a story arc with Sterling Malory Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin), codenamed Duchess, missing in (in)action since the murder of his fiancee on their wedding day (sound familiar?), literally having to be forced back to his day job after enjoying life as a Pirate King on a tropical island! From then on in, the trials and tribulations of being all-things spy worsen as strong willed mum Malory (voiced with gusto and biting superiority by Jessica Walters) begins dating Burt Reynolds (yes, the real Burt Reynold, who makes a welcome guest star turn in the series!), much to her waywardly vain son's dismay. And look out for an upcoming episode with BREAKING BAD's Bryan Cranston, too, who'll be lending his vocal range as a baddie astronaut later in the season, for a two-part plot which sends Archer into space!

Clips: Archer only on FX - Longest Yard - YouTube
Watch an Exclusive Scene from Archer! - YouTube
Archer Season 3 What Would Archer Do? Promos - MovieWeb.com
"Archer" Returns to FX for Season 3 on January 19, 2012- Animation News Discussion Cartoon Community - toonzone news

ARCHER Seasons One and Two are also available on Blu-ray and DVD from TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT.

LICENSED TO LAUGH: THE RETURN OF "ARCHER"

For your thighs only! Sterling Malory Archer returns. Image: FX.

The coolly funny retro sixties world of American super-spy ARCHER, created by Adam Reed for the US FX network, returns to the UK's FIVE* channel tonight for its second successful series. And, from the looks of things this year, James Bond this guy really ain't-proving himself far more vain and even less interested in spying than ever before! Working for the International Secret Intelligence Service, run by his own mother, Malory (voiced with just the right note of indignant sarcasm by the excellent Jessica (PLAY MISTER FOR ME) Walters), Sterling Malory Archer (voiced in a combination of calm but occasionally worried egotism by H. Jon Benjamin), convinced he looks like his screen hero/idol Burt Reynolds and with a total predilection for irrelevancy, would rather just reap the regards of the international jet set- the cool gadgets, drinking lots of booze and bedding the glamorous women- than actually blowing up secret bases and putting his life on the line against the worlds most dangerous baddies! In fact, he's more likely to cause an international incident himself rather than stopping others from doing so!

Some fun trailers: YouTube - Archer Season 2 promo #4

Generic first season trailer: YouTube - Archer Trailer

Described by US critics as James Bond meets ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (of which this series has several of the latter's fine cast), with more than a touch of the bizarre story telling enjoyed by the likes of other comedies like THE PINK PANTHER and the sometimes wacky naughtiness of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM thrown in, plus a memorable support cast of both shady heroes and villains (voiced by great comedy actors including STAR TREKs Rene Auberjonois, Judy Greer and Jeffrey Tambor), ARCHER, with its slick retro style spoof animation, is an enjoyable new cult classic-a funny variation on the world of the super-spy and well worth a look if you haven't see it before.