FX Wins Legal "Damages": Two More Seasons on Order

Things might seem bleak with the writers strike raging on outside my windows (and no sign of a resolution from the studios anywhere in sight), but there is one joyous piece of news.

Cabler FX has ordered not one, but two additional seasons of its serpentine legal drama Damages, with 26 episodes of the series on tap. Production on Season Two is said to begin early next year... should the writers strike conclude in time.

The network also announced that it had secured series leads Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, and Tate Donovan for Season Two of Damages, leading this jaded TV writer to conclude that Ted Danson--who played the maniacal fat cat billionaire Arthur Frobisher, will not be returning to the series for the second season.

FX is proud of our status as a leader in fostering bold, high-quality scripted programming,” said John Landgraf, FX's president. “We commend [creators] Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, Daniel Zelman and their magnificent cast, headed by Glenn Close, with pulling off this hugely ambitious series and establishing Damages as one of the best dramas on American television."

I cannot bloody wait!