What’s Worth Watching: The Comedians Bring the Laughs

The Comedians, “Pilot” (Thursday, April 9, 10/9c, FX)

FX has found the newest unlikely comedy duo in Billy Crystal and Josh Gad. The two funnymen have teamed up for the new mockumentary series The Comedians, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes antics of a fictional FX variety series, The Billy & Josh Show. Like Showtime’s Episodes, The Comedians dives headfirst into the wild world of Hollywood and the cartoonish characters, meetings and notes that come along with producing a television show. Some scenes are particularly cringe-worthy in their awkwardness—including Billy and Josh’s first dinner meeting that quickly goes off the rails. But The Comedians really hits its stride when the two men drop their walls and participate in some self-deprecating humor, especially when Gad riffs about his experience on the failed NBC sitcom 1600 Penn. Just call them the new made-for-TV odd couple.

Counterpoint? TV Insider’s team doesn’t always agree — see critic Matt Roush’s take on The Comedians here.