FX remains committed to late night offerings BrandX and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell.
In its bid to expand its footprint in the evening's later and potentially lucrative hours, the network has granted both series 13 additional episodes, with Russell Brand's BrandX expanded from a half hour to an hour. The latter is a tweak to the fledgling format that critics including The Hollywood Reporter's Tim Goodman had recommended, with his initial review stating: "FX's foray into late night is a great idea, and Brand's lightening-quick take on issues of the day is both funny and, yes, insightful. If only the show were an hour."
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As part of the move, BrandX will round out its 2012 run with a one-hour special on Nov. 29, featuring comedian Sarah Silverman and author and new age philosopher Daniel Pinchbeck. When the series returns on Feb. 7 at 11:30 p.m., the show will expand to a full-hour format. For its part, the final 2012 installment of Totally Biased will air Nov. 29 with The Daily Show's John Oliver as Bell's guest. The 11 p.m. series, which is more focused on dissecting politics, race, religion and pop culture, will return for its new cycle on Jan. 17.
“We’re proud to have two of the most strikingly original and funny voices in late night as part of the FX comedy lineup,” said FX's EVP of Original Programming Nick Grad. “Russell’s irrepressible energy and unique style have made BrandX a daring show where anything can happen. Kamau is one of the sharpest, smartest and funniest comedians in the business. The New York Times called him ‘the most promising talent in political comedy in many years,’ and we couldn’t agree more.”
Both entries are produced in-house at the rapidly expanding FX Productions. BrandX is done in association with Branded Films and Dakota Films, with Brand, Troy Miller, Nik Linnen and John Noel on board as executive producers. Totally Biased includes Chris Rock, Chuck Sklar and Keri Smith Esguia as EPs.
Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; Twitter: @LaceyVRose
