Fans of FX’s “Louie” will have to wait a while for Season 6.
FX chief John Landgraf told reporters on Friday that Louis CK is taking another “extended hiatus” from his critically beloved sitcom, just as he did following Season 3.
“After writing, directing, producing, starring in, and mostly editing 61 episodes of television over five seasons, Louis is anxious to take a break from the show and work on other things,” Landgraf said. “He’s currently prepping a movie he wrote and will direct, and he’s producing two shows for us.”
Those series are “Baskets” starring comedian Zach Galifianakis and “Better Things” with Pam Adlon. The latter was announced Friday morning.
When asked for clarification during the Q&A portion of the morning’s Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour executive session panel, the FX Networks and FX Productions chief executive officer said it could be six months — or it could be two years before “Louie” returns to the cable channel.
“It’s really going to be his choice and I can’t tell you,” Landgraf stated.
He also agreed with an assertion that the future of “Louie” could be best compared to Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” — a comedy whose future seems perpetually up in the air.
“I think ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ is the right analogy,” Landgraf added.
The aforementioned “Better Things” landed a 10-episode order from FX just before Landgraf’s media panel.
Adlon co-created the series with CK and stars as Sam, a single mother of three daughters. She is described as “a working actor with no filter trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters’ lives, have fun with a friend or two, and also — just maybe — squeeze in some private time once in a while. Her life is funny to watch, but you wouldn’t want to live it (except sometimes).”
Mikey Madison, Riley Watson and Olivia Edward will play her daughters. Adlon will executive produce with CK, Blair Breard, Dave Becky and 3 Arts Entertainment. Adlon and CK wrote the pilot, which was directed by CK.