The Comedians is an American comedy television series starring Billy Crystal and Josh Gad as fictional versions of themselves. A 13-episode first season was ordered by FX, and premiered on April 9, 2015.[1] The series was developed by Larry Charles, Billy Crystal, Matt Nix, and Ben Wexler. On July 23, 2015, the series was cancelled after one season.[2]
Billy Crystal unsuccessfully pitches a show that completely focuses on himself, entitled The Billy and Billy Show, to FX. Network executives agree to pick up the show under the condition that Josh Gad co-stars with Crystal, and it is re-branded as The Billy and Josh Show. Both Crystal and Gad hesitantly agree to work together on the show, but struggle to relate to each other and find common ground.
When FX pushes the premiere date of The Billy & Josh Show, the guys try to fix the show by pulling in opposite directions. Billy attempts to get Mel Brooks to make a guest appearance, while Josh asks Kristen and Robert Lopez to write an original song for the show.
After failing to get Rob Reiner to direct the show, Billy and Josh turn to an indie horror filmmaker, who suggests they do a location shoot in the woods at night.
Billy and Josh start to worry about the future as filming of the show's first season wraps up.
Reception
The Comedians received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a rating of 58%, based on 38 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Though The Comedians' material doesn't break any TV molds, the stars' comic abilities push the show over the median with well-earned laughs."[17] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 57 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[18]