FX Orders Russell Brand Series

LOS ANGELES: FX has inked a deal with the British actor and comedian Russell Brand for an unscripted late night series that will debut in spring 2012.

The network ordered six half-hour installments featuring the actor/comedian, known for his roles in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. The series will center on Brand’s take on current events, politics and pop culture. It will be filmed in front of a live audience. The series is produced by FX Productions in association with Branded Films and Dakota Films. Executive Producers are Brand, Troy Miller and Nik Linnen. Miller also serves as director of the series.

“We’re very excited to add Russell Brand’s bracingly funny, original, and honest voice to the FX comedy lineup,” said Nick Grad, the executive VP of original programming at FX. “We look forward to supporting Russell and his partner Troy Miller’s ambition to strip down the hosted comedy format to its most fundamental elements and to create something daring and unfiltered for the FX audience.”

“I am so excited I’m on the point of climax, in fact I will put the ‘O’ into FX, which spells FOX, which is actually the channel’s real name,” said Brand. “That’s the only thing that worries me about all this to be honest. At least I’ll be able to have a Christmas drink with Bill O’Reilly.”