Sons of Anarchy (the second season of which is reviewed here); FX’s show about a group of outlaw bikers (who are known collectively as SAMCRO [Sons of Anarchy Redwood Original]) that focusses on the inner workings of the outlaw troupe, their personal relationships, dealings with outsiders, and trouble with other gangs; has just been picked up by the network for a fourth season.
Season three is currently running in the U.S. (with no scheduled U.K. air date as of yet), and despite being only a third of the way through the current series, FX has decided to once again renew S.O.A., as FX president John Landgraf has stated that not only is Sons of Anarchy “the most popular show FX has ever had”; since it’s surpassed the ratings received by FX’s other flagship shows (The Shield, Nip/Tuck, and Rescue Me); but is “one of the best and most original series’ on television.”
This is great news for both the show’s creator; Kurt Sutter (who also plays Big Otto on the show, and previously wrote, and starred in, FX drama The Shield); and the fans, as the Sons are currently bracing for a massive decline in ratings, after a spat with U.S. Satellite TV carrier Dish Network has caused FX to be dropped from the service (meaning the show will now be unavailable to a potential 14.3 million viewers).
However, despite the networking issues, it’s great to see that FX has renewed the show (something it would have been extremely daft not to do; since SAMCRO now basically defines the whole drama genre on the channel; since The Shield ended two years ago, Rescue Me is set to finish next year, and Sons of Anarchy is the highest rated show the channel’s ever had), and is giving it another 13 episode run next season.
