TCA Update - FX Sets Some Limits

Not on its programming of course. But FX president John Landgraf did lay out end dates for two of FX's signature series along with other news.

-"The Shield" begins its final season September 2. During the session for the show CCH Pounder (Claudette) claimed that Vic Mackey gets "what he deserves" in the finale, but others on the panel quibbled with what that means exactly.

-"Nip/Tuck" just finished production on the final eight installments of the 22-episode season five that will begin airing in January 2009. Landgraf announced that FX is also ordering an additional 19 episodes and that these will be the final episodes. The series total will come to 100 when it ends its run in early 2011.

-"Rescue Me" is returning in spring 2009 and star Denis Leary's good friend Michael J. Fox will be appearing in a four-episode storyline as the wheelchair-bound boyfriend of Tommy's ex-wife Janet.

-Timothy Olyphant of "Deadwood" fame and Oscar winners William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden are joining the cast of the newly-minted Best Drama Emmy nominee "Damages" in its second season. Even though Landgraf said that Ted Danson's character was "not terribly healthy at the moment, but as you now know, he did survive" in his morning remarks, later in the day the creators of the show said not to read too much into that or Danson's appearance on the panel. His character, Arthur Frobisher, could be appearing only in flashback sequences. Or not. Danson himself didn't even know. (Cheers to him for his deserved Emmy nomination.)

More FX news after the jump...

-In case you were unsure, the Courtney Cox tabloid drama "Dirt" was cancelled. Landgraf said that the network hadn't yet decided whether they were renewing the Minnie Driver-Eddie Izzard con artist series "The Riches" for a third season.

-FX has such confidence in the sassy comedy "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" that he announced they were committed to making 39 more episodes in addition to the 13 already in production.

-In other comedy news Landgraf announced a 13 episode order for a new show called "Testees." (And yes there were totally "Beavis and Butthead"-style guffaws in the room when he first said this word). Created by Kenny Hotz of "Kenny vs. Spenny" fame the sitcom will premiere October 9 and "focuses on two friends in their early 30s who earn their living as medical guinea pigs."