British airing for Louis CK's sitcom

Louis CK’s critically acclaimed American sitcom is to air in the UK for the first time.

Entertainment channel FX has snapped up the rights to the show, Louie, which it will air from next year.

The show – which won the Emmy for best comedy writing this year, is based on the comic’s own life, as a 42-year-old divorced stand-up in New York. As well as starring, Louis is the series' sole writer and director, and even edited most of the episodes – giving him a creative control unusual in TV.

Over the three series, guest stars have included Jay Leno, Chris Rock, Joan Rivers, Ricky Gervais, Jerry Seinfeld and Dane Cook – with whom he had an uncomfortable scene echoing the real-life accusations CK made about him stealing material.

The show will form part of FX’s new schedules as it rebrands as Fox in January, strengthening its ties to its US sister station.

Also on its roster is the second series of The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, starring David Cross and Sharon Horgan. The first series ran on Channel 4 in 2010.

The new Fox channel will also air the sitcom Men at Work alongside its current US hits such as Dexter, The Walking Dead and American Horror Story.

Here is a scene from Louie:

Published: 15 Nov 2012