Homeland season 6 pushed back but renewed for a further two seasons

Claire Danes is confirmed to return as Carrie Mathison up until 2019

(Stephan Rabold/SHOWTIME)

One of the hallmarks of the approaching winter months is the beginning of a new season of Homeland with its previous five instalments having regularly begun in October.

This year, however, fans will have to do without any new episodes at all: Showtime has announced that season six has been pushed back to January.

Combatting the frustrating news is Deadline's report that the Emmy award-winning drama has been renewed for a further two seasons meaning Homeland will still be on air in 2019.

Homeland debuted in the States in 2011 (it originally aired in the UK the following February) earning rave reviews for its depiction of Claire Danes' CIA officer Carrie Mathison and Nicholas Brody (Damien Lewis), a U.S. marine she suspects is working for al-Quaeda.

While seasons two and three weren't as warmly received, the show saw a shake-up for the past two outings shunning the season-to-season continuity for standalone storylines focusing on globally relevant issues.

Danes - who has won two Emmys for the role - is confirmed to appear in the upcoming episodes by Showtime president David Nevins, while Mandy Patinkin (Saul Berenson) and Rupert Friend (Peter Quinn) are expected to return for season six at least.

The new instalment of Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa's thriller will pick up several months after the climax of season five tackling the after-effects of the U.S. Presidential election. The episodes will comprise the days between the election and the inauguration.