FX Orders Billy Crystal Comedy Pilot ‘The Comedians’ to Series
Billy Crystal is coming back to the small screen, and not just via his upcoming HBO special. Crystal’s new comedy pilot, “The Comedians,” has received a series order from FX, according to Deadline. The premise finds Crystal’s veteran comic character teaming up with Josh Gad’s young up-and-comer for a sketch show.
The pilot was written and directed by Larry Charles (“The Dictator,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), who also serves as the show’s executive producer along with Crystal, Matt Nix (“Burn Notice”) and Ben Wexler (“Community”). Based off the Swedish series “Ulveson and Herngren,” “The Comedians” is a half-hour, single camera comedy that will certainly bring in an older demographic than FX usually attracts with shows like “Archer” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
Crystal guest starred on Lisa Kudrow’s Showtime show, “Web Therapy” last year. He appeared with the “Friends” star in “Analyze This” and “Analyze That” in the late ’90s and early aughts after appearing with Robin Williams in a cameo role on the hit NBC sitcom early on. Crystal hasn’t been a regular on television since “Saturday Night Live” in 1985 and “Soap” from 1977-1981, but his 2012 film “Parental Guidance” turned out to be a sleeper hit with families.
