This Week in TV:

The Americans earns a season 4 renewal from FX; New Girl is picked up for season 5 by FOX; AMC unveils a teaser for Humans; and ABC Family orders a series based on The Mortal Instruments, titled Shadowhunters.

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FX Networks announced a 13-episode season 4 renewal for its critically acclaimed drama The Americans.

Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell in The Americans Season 3 Episode 10

The series - which centers on the complex marriage and lives of two KGB spies living in early 1980s Washington, D.C. - hasn't scored monster ratings, but has been showered with praise during each of its first three seasons, earning three Emmy nominations and recognition from the American Film Institute (AFI) as one of TV Programs of the Year for two consecutive years.

Here's FX Networks President of Original Programming Nick Grad on the renewal:

“Remarkably, this season of ‘The Americans’ has achieved even greater acclaim than that of its first two seasons. The series has cemented it status with critics as television’s best current drama and arguably the best show on TV, and we couldn’t agree more. That universal critical praise is a tribute to the talents of Joe [Weisberg], Joel [Fields], Keri [Russell], Matthew [Rhys], Noah [Emmerich] and the entire cast and crew. We look forward to the final episodes of season three, and beyond, in Philip and Elizabeth Jennings’ riveting journey.”

Tune in to FX for the last three episodes of The Americans season 3, starting with "One Day in the Life of Anton Baklanov" on Wednesday, April 8 @10pm. Also, read our review of last week's episode, "Stingers," and look for season 4 to debut in 2016.

Source: FX Networks

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FOX's New Girl also had plenty to celebrate this week, as it scored a season 5 renewal, which virtually guarantees the series will hit and eclipse 100 episodes.

New Girl season 4 promo image

Considering the popularity of the comedy, producers probably weren't surprised by the news, but they were likely relieved, as production on season 5 was already underway. After wrapping production on season 4, the show went straight into work on the new season before it was officially greenlit to film before star Zooey Deschanel went on maternity leave, as her pregnancy is not planned to be part of the show.

Though the series is returning for another run, the cast will look a bit different with the exit of Damon Wayans Jr.'s Coach after the conclusion of season 4. Season 5 will also introduce Taran Killam (Saturday Night Live) as Jess' new boyfriend and John Cho (Selfie) as a man she meets at jury duty in what will likely be multiple-episode guest starring arcs for each New Girl newcomer.

New Girl season 4 continues Tuesday, April 7 with "Par 5" @9pm on FOX.

Source: TV Line

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AMC released a short teaser for its upcoming sci-fi drama Humans. Take a look at the clip below.

Based on the Swedish series Real Humans, the drama is set in a world where owning humanoid robot servants is part of everyday life. Of course, these synthetic beings also present some unforeseen (at least to the characters in the show) hazards to real human life. Here's a more detailed synopsis of the series:

"Humans is set in a parallel present where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a ‘Synth’ – a highly-developed robotic servant eerily similar to its live counterpart. In the hope of transforming the way they live, one strained suburban family purchases a refurbished synth only to discover that sharing life with a machine has far-reaching and chilling consequences."

Obviously, we can't get much of a sense of the show from the 15-second clip, but it certainly does its job of building interest for sci-fi fans with its chilling tone. We're definitely excited to see exactly how things unfold when Humans premieres this summer.

AMC's Humans stars William Hurt (A History of Violence), Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd), Tom Goodman-Hill (Mr. Selfridge) and Gemma Chan (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit). We'll pass along the latest on the series as it nears its debut.

Source: AMC

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Though the film franchise may have never gotten off the ground, The Mortal Instruments has found new life in Shadowhunters, a TV show that earned a series order from ABC Family this week.

Mortal Instruments TV show

We first heard about the project six months ago, and now, ABC Family has decided to give it a chance, ordering the show based on the Cassandra Clare fantasy book series, which also inspired the 2013 film The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Like the film, the series will begin with the events of Clare's first book in the series, following 18-year-old Clary Fray after she discovers that she is actually a human-angel hybrid, known as a "Shadowhunter," who was born to hunt demons.

Despite the film version's flop at the box office, ABC Family seems confident in the young-adult property, which it feels will appeal to its viewers.

Said ABC Family President Tom Ascheim:

“‘Shadowhunters’ is a big epic saga that will resonate with viewers who come to ABC Family for the ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Hunger Games,’ and ‘Twilight’ franchises. A New York Times bestseller for 122-consecutive weeks, with over 35 million copies in print worldwide, ‘Shadowhunters’ is the perfect story to share with our audience.”

With news of the green light, we expect casting announcements for Shadowhunters to come soon. As always, we'll pass along updates as they do.

Source: Variety