A new comedy is coming to FX in 2016 and it will unite two comedy icons to tell a story that desperately needs to be told: the story of an aspiring clown down on his luck.
The show, titled "Baskets," will have Zach Galifianakis and Louis C.K. on writing duty and Galifianakis also starring. Galifianakis will be playing the lead role of clown-wannabe Chip Baskets. After Chip doesn't make it into his prestigious Parisian clown school of choice, he begins his journey to clowndom by joining a local rodeo. C.K. and Galifianakis will serve as executive producers on the show and wrote the pilot episode with Jonathan Krisel, who will also serve as show runner.
FX, after watching the pilot, has ordered 10 episodes of the clown comedy, with production set to begin next year and expected to air sometime in 2016.
"Zach Galifianakis, Louis C.K. and Jonathan Krisel have created an absolutely brilliant show," Eric Schrier, one of FX's presidents of original programming, says. "To say Zach's portrayal of the lead character Chip Baskets is hilarious/unique/riveting/fascinating would be an understatement. We can't wait for the world to meet him."
FX ordered a pilot for the series as part of C.K's production deal with FX, which allows C.K. to recruit new writing and production talents to create new shows for FX and its other related networks. C.K's own show, "Louie," won an Emmy last week for Outstanding Writing on a Comedy Series, and the show was also nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor.
As for Galifianakis, since his work on the "Hangover" trilogy ended, the actor has been busy in TV and will soon be seen in Alejandro González Iñárritu's upcoming "Birdman" film, which stars Michael Keaton as a washed-up superhero movie star. He's also been involved with Funny or Die as the host of "Between Two Ferns," a show where Galifinakis awkwardly interviews various guest ranging from James Franco to President Barack Obama and just might be one of the best things on the internet.
Galifianakis, as both an actor and comedian, has a special aura of quirkiness about him. Partner that unique brand of strange with C.K. in a story that revolves Galifianakis being a professional oddball and, considering who is involved, it's hard to imagine this show not being funny.
