FX Renews Louie, Orders Pilot From Reno 911 Team

After just five weeks on the air, FX has renewed Louis C.K.'s dark 11 p.m. comedy Louie for a second season.

FX President John Landgraf also announced Tuesday that the network had ordered Alabama, a comedy pilot set in outer space from Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon, the creators of Reno 911. Like Reno, the project will be partially improvised. It will follow a crew of astronauts aboard the USS Alabama who "may not be too much brighter than the cops of Reno 911," Landgraf said. Garant and Lennon will also star in the project.

Elijah Wood signs on for first starring TV role with Wilfred pilot

As for Louie's early renewal, Landgraf said that the series has been a solid performer for the network, noting that DVR numbers account for a significant portion of its audience; in its fourth week, DVR numbers lifted the live rating by 66 percent.

"It's been very stable on our air, and in a late-night timeslot," Landgraf said. Thirteen new episodes will premiere next summer. Louis C.K. tweeted his own excitement shortly after receiving word: "Folks, FX has picked up LOUIE for a second season. 13 more eps. Holy hitlers mothers t--s. This is very good news."

The network plans to have five or six original comedies on the air by 2011. Its current lineup includes returning series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Archer, The League, and Louie.

Damages to continue on DirecTV

Also in contention is Wilfred, a pilot starring Elijah Wood that executive producer David Zuckerman describes as a series "about a guy, Ryan [Wood], the girl next door, and mixed-breed dog Wilfred [Jason Gann], who is part Labrador retriever and part Russell Crowe on a bender."

Elsewhere during the FX executive session at Television Critics Association fall previews, Landgraf said that there are no plans to air the forthcoming fourth season of Damages on FX. A deal was struck last month moving a new season of the Glenn Close legal drama to DirecTV.