FX Cuts Ties w/ Louis C.K. after Sexual Assault Claims

[JamesG]

FX Says Louis C.K. is "Under Review" after Sexual Misconduct Claims
by Michael O'Connell
Nov. 9, 2017


In the wake of the latest damning testimonials against a prominent entertainment industry figure, Louis C.K.'s future TV and film prospects are in doubt — and he's got a lot of them.

He has creator and executive producer credit on two current FX comedies, Zach Galifianakis' "Baskets" and Pamela Adlon's "Better Things". (His main series Louie hasn't aired a new episode since 2015 and its future is up in the air.)




A statement from FX Networks and FX Productions reads:

“We are obviously very troubled by the allegations about Louis C.K. published in The New York Times today. The network has received no allegations of misconduct by Louis C.K. related to any of our 5 shows produced together over the past 8 years.

FX Networks and FXP take all necessary actions to protect our employees and thoroughly investigate any allegations of misconduct within our workplace. That said, the matter is currently under review.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...ations-1056707

[JamesG]

FX Cuts Ties with Louis C.K. Following Sexual Misconduct
by Lesley Goldberg
Nov. 10, 2017


FX is cutting ties with Louis C.K. following the comedian and producer's sexual misconduct.

Today, FX Networks and FX Productions are ending our association with Louis C.K. We are cancelling the overall deal between FX Productions and his production company, Pig Newton. He will no longer serve as executive producer or receive compensation on any of the four shows we were producing with him – "Better Things", "Baskets", "One Mississippi" and "The Cops".

Louis has now confirmed the truth of the reports relating to the five women victimized by his misconduct, which we were unaware of previously. As far as we know, his behavior over the past eight years on all five series he has produced for FX Networks and/or FX Productions has been professional.

However, now is not the time for him to make television shows. Now is the time for him to honestly address the women who have come forth to speak about their painful experiences, a process which he began today with his public statement.

FX Networks and FX Productions remain committed to doing everything we can to ensure that all people work in an environment that is safe, respectful and fair, and we will continue our review of all of these productions to ensure that was and is the case.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...onduct-1057201

[TMC]

Late-night’s predominantly white male hosts proved to be “woefully ill-equipped to deal” with Louis CK
“When you benefit from the same system that allows Louis CK to thrive, or when you laughed off the allegations like Jon Stewart—something he had to apologize for this week—who will take you seriously when you lash out at Louis CK?” wrote Ira Madison III, in an article published shortly before Al Franken’s sexual harassment scandal broke. “It was relatively easy for late-night to make jokes about Cosby, perhaps because they were from a different generation than him, his star had already fallen quite a bit, and because, well, they’re not black. It’s easy to make jokes when you’re an outsider, when the target isn’t someone ingrained in your life, when your success doesn’t mirror the success they’ve also enjoyed. There are plenty of R. Kelly jokes that late-night hosts have in their repertoire. Louis CK jokes, not so much.” He adds: “It’s why a diverse array of voices in late-night is so vital these days. Everyone who’s not a straight white male are the ones who’ve found themselves under attack this year, yet there are precious few people who can speak to that experience on late-night TV.”

[TMC]

http://www.vulture.com/2017/11/bette...-louis-ck.html

Despite Pamela Adlon’s working relationship with Louis CK, her FX show benefits from not being like Louie: “Better Things is ultimately an optimistic series about people who muddle through life while sincerely doing the best they can,” says Matt Zoller Seitz. “Louie, in contrast, was a Brechtian laboratory for dramatic and comic experiments, and it often teased audiences with the question of whether CK was better or worse than his similarly named lead character. Better Things clearly separates Adlon from the show’s heroine, an actor and single mom, even giving her an unmistakably different name, Sam Fox. It leaves no doubt that you’re seeing fiction, not a Louie-style confessional blur of drama and stand-up.”

[JamesG]

FX Boss John Landgraf on Louis C.K.'s Involvement with "Better Things": TCA 2018
by Anthony D'Alessandro
January 5, 2018


Following sexual misconduct allegations made against Louis C.K., FX Networks and Productions cut ties with the multiple Emmy winner and said it would conduct a further investigation to see if there was any misconduct on his FX shows.

Today at TCA, CEO John Landgraf said that C.K. won't return to the network in the near future.




With C.K. having significant amount of creative input on his fellow "Louie" co-star Pamela Adlon’s FX series "Better Things", Landgraf said:

“This is Pamela’s show. These are her stories, her life. Louis was her co-writer, and she’s going to have to write the episodes all her herself or find another co-writer. She’s the font, the creative engine of that show. He won’t be involved further in any FX shows including Better Things. I have every confidence in Pamela.”

http://deadline.com/2018/01/louis-ck...on-1202236370/

[TMC]

Pamela Adlon has found a group of Better Things writers after scripting previous seasons exclusively with Louis CK
“It’s been amazing to be in a room with them since February and talk about stories and inspirations," she says. "Now we’re writing drafts and I just hope that everybody loves it as much as we do.”