Norm MacDonald out, Louis CK in at FX? Maybe; not yet

When cable network FX announced its fall 2009 slate this week, it said it planned to pair another new comedy with the return of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in the 10 o'clock hour come Sept. 17. But it didn't say what that comedy would be?! That's a curious move. But let's look at what we know. Norm MacDonald had told a Milwaukee reporter this summer that he already was filming a faux-reality show for FX, and even said the network was looking for a companion piece to Sunny, noting: "I really like FX a lot; they don't give you very many notes or anything. So they're finally going to let me do something I want to do. It's called "The Norm MacDonald Reality Show." But when TV Squad asked FX last night about this, they said, nope, not it. So, what then? We do know that Louis CK filmed scenes just last week for an FX comedy pilot, and revealed that he would find out an answer within weeks. Some Sunny fans also hold out hope that the Sunny creators other FOX pilot, Boldly Going Nowhere, might in fact be going to FX. And then there's Terriers, which is a dramedy from Shawn Ryan (FX's critically acclaimed The Shield) about a cop who has become a private investigator, and the pilot for that won't even be filmed until August. Reading between the lines, it appears that FX execs are waiting to see the footage from all of these shows before weighing in with a final decision. But that also doesn't give any of them much time to move forward on a series. So. What gives? And why can't FX bring both Norm and Louis back to TV? If they could only pick one, who would you pick?

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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4 thoughts on “Norm MacDonald out, Louis CK in at FX? Maybe; not yet

  1. Its gotta be Norm! The man is funny as hell, and I think The Norm MacDonald Reality Show will be the first sow starring Norm that will lend well to his style of comedy. I love Louis CK too, and I wouldn’t be disappointed to see him get his own show either, in fact I wish they could both have shows right now, but Norm’s the best out there, and while the world hasn’t been paying attention, his proved his ultimate comic merit time and time again.

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