The vast Louis C.K. empire at FX is only continuing to expand, as the cable network announced a premiere date for “Louie,” but also a pair of additional projects from the prolific Emmy winner.
Of paramount importance, FX announced on Sunday (January 18) that “Louie” will return for its fifth season on Thursday, April 9. The eight-episode season will be preceded by the premiere of Billy Crystal and Josh Gad in “The Comedians.”
Also this spring, FX has acquired the TV rights to Louis C.K.'s next comedy special, “Louis C.K. Live From the Comedy Store.”
Louis C.K. is currently in the midst of a tour that has seen him become the first comedian to sell out three shows for the same tour in Madison Square Garden history. A fourth MSG show, set for January 27, went on-sale yesterday. The hour-long comedy special will be made available on LouisCK.net first, but will get a yet-to-be-determined FX launch afterwards.
And if that's not enough, FX also announced on Sunday that it has ordered the comedy pilot “Better Things,” from veteran “Louie” veteran Pamela Adlon.
“Better Things” will feature Adlon as Sam, an actress raising three girls by herself. Adlon will star and she'll also executive produce and co-write the pilot with, of course, Louis C.K. And Louis C.K. will also direct the pilot.
Adlon is an Emmy winner for her vocal work on “King of the Hill,” which she's been nominated for a pair of Emmys for her multi-hyphenate work on “Louie.”
Louis C.K.'s production shingle Pig Newton is behind all of these ventures, as well as the upcoming Zach Galifianakis comedy “Baskets,” set to premiere in 2016.
Fun statistic: Louis C.K. — The man, not just “Louie” the show — has been nominated for five, nine, seven and four Emmys over the past four years. That's a lot.