Archer (2009 TV series)

Archer is an American adult animated sitcom created by Adam Reed for FX that aired from September 17, 2009, to December 17, 2023. The show follows the exploits of bumbling, volatile secret agent Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) and his dysfunctional colleagues. The show's primary setting is an anachronistic parody of Cold War-era espionage thrillers, with some individual seasons switching to milieus such as the Latin American drug trade, 1940s film noir, the interwar South Pacific, and retro-futuristic space opera.

Reed conceived Archer shortly after the cancellation of his Adult Swim comedy Frisky Dingo. His experience vacationing in Spain and interest in adventure-oriented comedies shaped his vision of the show. Its hallmarks include reference-heavy jokes, rapid-fire dialogue, and meta-comedy. Archer was produced in a limited animation style that draws visually from mid-twentieth-century comic art. Actors recorded their lines individually, and the show regularly employed a recurring cast for supporting roles. Archer moved to FX's sibling network FXX in 2017, and 145 episodes were broadcast. The fourteenth and final season premiered on August 30, 2023. Following the series' cancellation, a three-part series finale, Archer: Into the Cold, aired on December 17, 2023.

Archer received positive reviews from critics and won awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards and four Critics Choice Awards. It also received 15 Annie Award nominations, among others, for outstanding achievement in animation, writing, direction, and voice acting. Various forms of licensed media have been spawned as a result of the show's sustained success.