FX TO PAIR LOUIE WITH RESCUE ME

FX is pairing its new comedy series Louie with Emmy and Golden Globe nominated drama Rescue Me beginning in June (date TBA). Rescue Me (10 PM) will serve as a lead-in for Louie (11 PM). Louie was previously scheduled to debut in April.

“Louie is a brilliantly funny and original series, and we are excited by the critical response to the show,” said John Landgraf, President and General Manager, FX Networks. “Even though it is a drama, Rescue Me has always been regarded as one of the funniest shows on television and it will provide an outstanding, compatible lead-in for Louie. We successfully used Rescue Me as a lead-in for the majority of the first season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. We believe in Louie and want to provide it with the best possible platform for success.”

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. serves as executive producer, writer and director, and Dave Becky and 3Arts are executive producers. FX has ordered 13 episodes of the series which is shot in New York.

In January, Louis’ stand-up concert film, Louis C.K.: Hilarious, premiered at The Sundance Film Festival as the first stand-up concert film to be presented by the Festival. Directed by Louis C.K., the film received rave reviews with Variety declaring, “Standup comedy cinema has a new star in Louis C.K.: Hilarious.” Producers are fielding offers for a theatrical release.

Rescue Me revolves around the lives of the men in a New York City firehouse, the crew of 62 Truck. Examining the fraternal nature and relationships of firefighters, the series tackles the daily drama of the life-and-death situations associated with being a firefighter, while exploring the ways the men use dark humor to protect their true emotions.

Rescue Me stars Denis Leary, Adam Ferrara, Michael Lombardi, Steven Pasquale, Andrea Roth, John Scurti, Daniel Sunjata and Callie Thorne. The series was created by Leary and Peter Tolan, who along with Jim Serpico serve as executive producers. The show is produced by Apostle, The Cloudland Company and DreamWorks Television in association with Sony Pictures Television.