Louis C.K.

This past weekend, Louis C.K. dropped yet another surprise for fans in the form of a new 67-minute episode of Horace and Pete, seemingly the first in a star-studded new series. Now, the comedian reveals that a second episode will drop as early as this weekend, and for a reduced price at that.

FX’s Louie may be on extended hiatus, but Louis C.K. himself is taking no breaks. The revered comedian surprisingly released the first episode of a new Cheers-type comedy over the weekend, Horace and Pete, starring the likes of Steve Buscemi, Alan Alda, Jessica Lange and more.

Late last year we learned the saddening, if expected news that Louis C.K. would step back from Louie once again, perhaps taking a Curb Your Enthusiasm approach with periodic returns. It doesn’t seem as if a few months have changed the comedian’s mind, as both he and FX “just don’t know” if and when Louie will return.

Amazon Studios scored an early Christmas present with Friday’s renewal of controversial alt-history drama The Man in the High Castle, but that’s just the beginning. The streaming service has also picked up five new dramas, including Tig Notaro and Diablo Cody’s One Mississippi, while renewing Red Oaks and Hand of God.

FX’s Louie auteur Louis C.K. famously handles most aspects of the Emmy-winning series himself on a minuscule budget, but did you know the comedian even provides his own cameras? Or that it only shoots three days a week, to accommodate custody of his real kids? Reload your morning misery with the 31st episode of ‘You Think You Know TV?’ which hits the Comedy Cellar for ten misanthropic facts of FX’s Louie.

Amazon original series have been picking up steam over the last year or so, between Emmy and Golden Globe wins for Transparent, and more high-concept launches like The Man in the High Castle, so who’s ready for 2015? Even more talent populates the next crop of Amazon pilots to choose from, including Iron Man 3 director Shane Black, Sacha Baron Cohen, and a can’t-miss comedy from Tig Notaro, Louis C.K. and Diablo Cody.

A long lead time and hectic schedules for the likes of Zach Galifianakis and Louis C.K. pushed FX clown comedy Baskets to 2016, but with fall finally upon us, the unusual sitcom effort at last has its first footage and an eye on a 2016 premiere.

As fans of Louis C.K. and FX’s Louie have experienced since the third season, the revered comedian’s creativity and hectic schedule occasionally place longer gaps between seasons than fans would like. Bad news, we’re afraid, as Louie may take its longest “extended hiatus” yet, even as Louis C.K. remains in business at FX.

FX has released a flurry of news from the ongoing Television Critics Association press tour, between a renewed Strain and its hottest premieres, but the latest news might prove more worrisome. After six seasons, Archer will move to FXX (gaining a new companion series), while FX has officially granted Louie star Pamela Adlon her own series.

Now that President Obama has come and gone, Jon Stewart’s final round of Daily Show outings will bring out a few more big guns to help send him off. Among the sure to be extensive list, we already have top comedians (and near successors) Amy Schumer, Louis C.K. and even Denis Leary booking slots on Jon Stewart’s final run.