FX is dropping Brand X from its roster. Newly upped FX Networks and FX Productions CEO John Landgraf announced Thursday that the network won’t be moving forward with the late-night talk show.
Russell Brand will maintain his relationship with the network, however, with Landgraf mentioning a pilot pickup from the comedian and “scripted live-action comedy” in the works.
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Landgraf likened the Brand vehicle to Curb Your Enthusiasm, saying it would be loosely based on the comic’s own life. The project is in the very early stages of development, with no writer attached.
There is good news for FX’s other late-night effort: Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell will switch from a weekly to daily format come September when it moves to comedy-centric network FXX at the September launch.
“We saw more potential and upside in audience response,” Landgraf said of the politically minded show, noting network brass thought Totally Biased was better prepared to go daily. Brand X had already gone through a retool after its first eight episodes aired.
Bell is heading out on a national tour this summer, which FX hopes will help continue to build his audience. Last Thursday saw Totally Biased‘s best ratings to-date with a series high of 577,000 viewers.
