FX recently announced that Denis Leary’s firefighting drama “Rescue Me” will end its run in 2011. That’s a bit of a cheat though, because instead of having two more full-sized seasons, the series will have its 19-episode sixth season split into two – so look for 9 or 10 episodes next year, and another 9 or 10 the following year.

I’m not usually a fan of splitting up seasons (“Battlestar Galactica” and “Burn Notice” are the two most notorious and annoying culprits), but this might actually work. After an 18-month hiatus, the current fifth season started out strong, but dropped off and had a long mid-season stretch where it just dragged. A 22-episode season can do that. A 10- or 12-episode season probably would have improved the quality, a lot. Sometimes less really is more.

Shooting on the final seasons starts in September. One thing to look forward to: Maura Tierney has signed on to return for at least four episodes (though her cancer treatment and recovery may hamper that).

The Season 5 finale airs Tuesday (10 p.m., FX). Expect to see Teddy have a meltdown that involves gunplay, while Janet and Sheila have mega-meltdowns of their own. Chernobyl, anyone?

Click this link for a preview.