TV Zone
News, scoops, reviews and more from TV land.
Billy Crystal in FX pilot
Photo credit: AP
Bill Crystal may be returning to TV - after a 30-year absence. FX Wednesday morning announced that he'll headline a new comedy, entitled "The Comedians," that will almost certainly land on the new FX comedy channel later this year or next. “It truly is an honor to be in business with Billy Crystal and Larry Charles, two of the all-time greats in comedy,” said FX chief John Landgraf, in a statement posted on Variety earlier today.
Charles: Yes, the same Larry of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Seinfeld" and "Entourage" and "Mad about You" and "Borat." More reason to assume this pilot order is a lock for a series pickup.
Show's about an aging comic who's paired with a young comic; he is apparently unhappy about this turn of professional affairs. (Sounds a bit like "Nashville," actually.) Crystal hasn't done series TV since the mid-80s and "Saturday Night Live," though there were brief cameos on "Friends" and "Frasier" in years past.
'The Americans:' A post-game analysis
Photo credit: Handout
FX's laudatory "The Americans" wrapped Wednesday, and I am certain there are fans out there who have many questions - notably, what happens to poor Martha now? But really, there are many more. FX has shipped out this panel disucssion featuring creator and producers Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, series stars Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich, Margo Martindale and Annet Mahendru...It's handled by Huffington Post's exemplary TV Critic, Maureen Ryan:
FX's 'The Americans' finale: Satisfying
Photo credit: Handout
As a happy reminder, FX's "The Americans" wraps its first season tonight with an episode titled "The Colonel," and - yes - for fans, this finale works. There'a a dramatic wrap to an arc that's been building since mid-season, and enough of a forward spin that should make the second season even more compelling. And without getting into any plot developments, there's also a nice...
Read more »FX spins off comedy network; 25 shows ordered
Photo credit: FX
FX will launch a new comedy network early September that will strip away some of the network's best-loved (and yes, most raunchy) shows as a foundation to attract the most fickle audience (read: attention deficit) of them all — young dudes.
The new network will be called FXX and arrive Sept. 2; FX had earlier said this was gonna happen, but this morning at the network's "upfront" meet, a welter of details arrived. Shows like "Archer," "The League" and "It's Always Sunny . . ." will split off from the mother network and will then be joined by a bunch of new guy comedies, including one from "Sunny's" Charlie Kaufman. Of course this means FX will also have to ramp up drama production. It will be an insanely busy summer for FX . . . The net will have a total of 25 original series on the air later this year and into next . . .
"Louie?" Good question: It stays on the mother channel, FX, which indicates that a.) FX doesn't consider it a comedy; b.) it skews a lot older than drunken college dorm staple, "Archer." Show's back May, 2014.
Meanwhile, the new late night show, "Totally Biased with Kamau Bell" will move to FXX as a five-night-a-week late nighter . . .
Here's what John Landgraf, FX chief, told advertisers, via a news release:
“We are embarking on an incredibly ambitious ramp-up of program development and production required to sustain these networks. I’m very confident that the pilots, projects and talent we have deals with will allow us to double our already best-in-class roster of scripted original series over the next several years. Our three-network platform will enable us to achieve even greater goals and solidify our position as a leader in quality scripted original programming . . ." (The third? FXM, the movie channel . . .)
The other stuff, straight from the FX release:
— FX Networks renewal of season 5 of Justified for FX; season 10 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia; seasons 5 and 6 of The League; season 2 of Legit; and the move of Sunny, The League and Legit to FXX
— Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell to FXX expands to a 5-night-per-week strip
— FX's order of the 10-episode limited series Fargo FX Networks comedy pilot order of How and Why from Charlie Kaufman, and Chozen from Grant Dekernion, Danny McBride and the team behind Eastbound & Down
Ang Lee to direct pilot for new Howard Gordon FX series 'Tryant'
Photo credit: AP
Talk about getting off on the right foot. Oscar winner Ang Lee will direct the pilot of Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff's forthcoming series for FX, "Tyrant." This will indeed mark Lee's television debut.
Per FX chief John Landgraff in a statement:
"Ang Lee has demonstrated time and again an ability to present characters with such depth and specificity that they reveal...
Read more »
