The Comedians (2015 TV series)

The Comedians

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	April 9, 2015 (2015-04-09)
Defunct	July 23, 2015 (2015-07-23)
Fate	Discontinued after initial season
Headquarters	United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Larry Charles, Billy Crystal, Matt Nix, Ben Wexler
Products	Television comedy series

The Comedians is a U.S. comedy television show featuring Billy Crystal and Josh Gad portraying fictionalized versions of themselves. FX commissioned a 13-episode inaugural season, which debuted on April 9, 2015. The series was created by Larry Charles, Billy Crystal, Matt Nix, and Ben Wexler. It was discontinued after its initial season on July 23, 2015.

After the consolidation of Fox Television Studios and Fox 21, The Comedians marked the first project produced under the Fox 21 Television Studios banner.

This program is an American adaptation of the Swedish SVT series Ulveson och Herngren.

Cast

• Billy Crystal portrays Billy, an experienced comedian
• Josh Gad plays Josh, a younger, more provocative comic
• Matt Oberg appears as Mitch, the lead writer for Billy and Josh’s sketch show
• Stephnie Weir acts as Kristen, a producer struggling with anxiety
• Megan Ferguson features as Esme, the show's production assistant
• Dana Delany plays Julie, Billy’s spouse

Guest Stars

• Mel Brooks as himself
• Rob Reiner as himself
• Jimmy Kimmel as himself
• Sugar Ray Leonard as himself
• Larry Charles as himself
• Robert Lopez as himself
• Kristen Anderson-Lopez as herself
• Steven Weber as Jamie Dobbs
• Rick Glassman as Clifford

Episodes

{{Episode list

 EpisodeNumber=10  
 Title=Misdirection  
 OriginalAirDate=  
 DirectedBy=Larry Charles  
 WrittenBy=Eric Ledgin  
 ShortSummary>After failing to recruit Rob Reiner to direct, Billy and Josh enlist an independent horror director who proposes filming in the forest at night.  
 ProdCode=111  
 LineColor=151b1b  
 Viewers=0.390  

}} {{Episode list

 EpisodeNumber=11   
 Title="Red, White & Working Blue"   
 OriginalAirDate=   
 DirectedBy=Richie Keen   
 WrittenBy=Ben Wexler   
 ShortSummary>Billy cancels a sketch penned by Josh; the team shoots a new one on Independence Day.   
 ProdCode=110   
 LineColor=151b1b   
 Viewers=0.532   

}} {{Episode list

 EpisodeNumber=12   
 Title="Overhear"   
 OriginalAirDate=   
 DirectedBy=Larry Charles   
 WrittenBy=Dan Gregor & Doug Mand   
 ShortSummary>Billy catches Josh making fun of him behind his back, leading to friction during production.   
 ProdCode=108   
 LineColor=151b1b   
 Viewers=0.509   

}} {{Episode list

 EpisodeNumber=13   
 Title="Partners"   
 OriginalAirDate=   
 DirectedBy=Larry Charles   
 WrittenBy=Ben Wexler   
 ShortSummary>As the first season concludes, Billy and Josh express concerns about the show's continuation.   
 ProdCode=112   
 LineColor=151b1b   
 Viewers=0.306   

}} }}

Reception

The Comedians garnered mixed critical responses. On Rotten Tomatoes, it maintains a score of 58% from a total of 38 critiques, with an average rating of 7.1/10; reviewers acknowledged that the comedic abilities of the leads enhance the series despite its predictable content. On Metacritic, it achieved a score of 57 out of 100 based on assessments from 30 critics, reflecting "mixed or average reviews."