FX SETS "THE COMEDIANS" AND "LOUIE" SEASON FIVE PREMIERE DATE

The Comedians to Premiere on Thursday April 9 at 10:00 PM ET/PT

Louie Season Five Follows The Comedians at 10:30 PM ET/PT

LOS ANGELES, January 18, 2015 - FX has set the premiere date of April 9th for the series premiere of the new comedy series The Comedians starring Billy Crystal and Josh Gad and the fifth season of the Emmy(R) Award winning comedy series Louie. The Comedians will air at 10:00 PM ET/PT, followed by Louie at 10:30 PM ET/PT.

The debut season of The Comedians will feature 13 episodes of the new series starring Billy Crystal and Josh Gad. In The Comedians, Billy Crystal plays a comedy legend who is reluctantly paired with Josh Gad, an edgier up-and-coming star, in an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at a fictional late night sketch comedy show where egos and generations collide. Stephnie Weir stars as "Kristen Laybourne," the anxiety-ridden producer behind The Billy & Josh Show who frequently finds herself caught in the middle of Billy and Josh's arguments, Matt Oberg stars as "Mitch Reed," the show's head writer, and Megan Ferguson stars "Esme McCauley," a no-nonsense production assistant.

Larry Charles (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld), Matt Nix (Burn Notice), and Ben Wexler (Community, Arrested Development) are Writers and Executive Producers of The Comedians, along with Crystal. Charles directed the pilot. Josh Gad is serving as Co-Executive Producer. The half-hour, single-camera comedy is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions.

The fifth season of Louie will feature seven or eight episodes from Creator/Executive Producer/Writer/Star/Director/Editor Louis C.K. Season Four of Louie was nominated for a Golden Globe(R) Award is currently nominated for a PGA Award, WGA Award, SAG Award and a DGA Award. Louie has won three Emmy Awards - Louis C.K. for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (2012 and 2014), and Melissa Leo for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2013). The series has also won AFI Awards (2012 and 2013) and a Peabody Award (2013), as well as Television Critics Association Awards in each of the past three years.

Louie is a comedy filtered through the observational humor of Louis C.K. Each episode puts a spotlight on Louis' hectic life as a successful stand-up comedian and newly single father raising his two daughters. The single-camera comedy is a mix of Louis C.K.'s stand-up comedy and scripted stories. Louis C.K., M. Blair Breard and Dave Becky are Executive Producers. The series is produced by FX Productions.

ABOUT FX

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable channel of FX Networks, a business unit of 21ST Century Fox. FX Networks is comprised of FX, FXM and FXX. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 95 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series, including Justified, The Americans, Tyrant, The Strain and the upcoming Taboo; the critically-acclaimed miniseries American Horror Story, Fargo and the upcoming miniseries American Crime Story; acclaimed hit comedy series including the award-winning Louie, Archer, Married and upcoming The Comedians, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll and Baskets. FX is the former home of the critically-acclaimed and award winning hit drama series The Shield, Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me, Damages and Sons of Anarchy. The network's library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX's roster of acquired hit series includes Two and a Half Men, In Living Color and Mike & Molly.

ABOUT FX PRODUCTIONS

FX Productions (FXP) produces FX's newest acclaimed hit drama series The Strain; the comedy series Louie, Archer, Married and the upcoming Baskets, and the FXX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, You're the Worst, Man Seeking Woman and the upcoming comedy The Untitled Tracy Morgan Project (TBD). FXP co-produces the drama series Justified, The Americans, Tyrant and the upcoming Taboo; the miniseries Fargo, which scored 18 Emmy(R) Award nominations and won the Emmy award for Outstanding Miniseries; the upcoming miniseries American Crime Story; and the comedies The Comedians and Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll. In 2014, FXP shows combined to deliver 28 Emmy Award nominations including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Miniseries, and Outstanding Animated Program.

ABOUT FOX 21 TELEVISION STUDIOS

The newly formed Fox 21 Television Studios is responsible for the Emmy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning "Homeland"; the hit series "The Americans," starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys; "The Killing," starring Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman, available on Netflix; "Tyrant," from Howard Gordon; "Graceland," featuring Daniel Sunjata and Aaron Tveit; "Salem," from Brannon Braga and Adam Simon; and "Legends," from Howard Gordon and Jonathan Levin, among others. Upcoming series include Ryan Murphy's "American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson," "The Comedians," executive-produced by and starring Billy Crystal, alongside Josh Gad, and "Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll," created by and starring Denis Leary.