Good news awaits fans of FX’s comedy series The League. Coming off of strong ratings for season four, the network announced today that they have ordered a 13-episode fifth season of the heavily improvised show.  Quality-wise the series has showed no signs of slowing down, and the stellar ensemble of Mark Duplass, Stephen Rannazzisi, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, Katie Aselton, and Jon Lajoie continue to kill it week after week, not to mention those glorious way-too-brief appearances of Jason Mantzoukas’ Raffi.  The show’s fourth season wraps up tonight with back-to-back episodes, while production on season five will begin next summer for a fall 2013 debut.  Hit the jump to read the full press release. 

Rather quietly, Steve Dildarian’s The Life And Times Of Tim has become one of the subtlest, funniest, and crudest (in terms of the animation, but the writing team isn’t afraid of getting saucy) animated series on television. The show has built up a cult audience on HBO that should be much larger and might be were it part of the Adult Swim lineup. Dildarian’s talent lies in the comedy of the cringe, creating situations of excruciating embarrassment that provokes nervous giggles building to crippling bursts of laughter. Chances are it’s the funniest show on television that you’re not watching or if you’re one of the converted, it’s that show you keep trying to get your friends into. Regardless, the newly released second season DVD deserves to be watched by everyone who enjoys laughing and awkward conversation. Hit the jump for my review of the second season of The Life and Times of Tim on DVD.

The League fans rejoice! FX has renewed the comedy for a fourth season. THR reports that the network has ordered 13 episodes of the series from creators Jackie and Jeff Shaffer. The semi-improvised comedy centered around a fantasy football league has had a stellar third season thus far, averaging series-high ratings with 1.7 million total viewers and 1.5 million in the all-important 18-49 demographic. FX exec vp original programming Nick Grad had nothing but high praise for the show, saying “The League continues to be one of our most successful comedy series both creatively and from a ratings standpoint.”

The show stars Mark Duplass, Nick Kroll, Stephen Rannazzisi, and Paul Scheer and has drawn a considerable number of guest stars including Seth Rogen, Wil Forte, Sarah Silverman, Matthew Berry and Chad Ochocinco. Season three is currently winding down on FX now, with a few more episodes left until the season finale on December 22nd.

I didn’t want to write this review because it would involve me giving more thought to repulsive, selfish characters who populate a comedy that’s almost entirely devoid of laughs.  There’s something fascinating about a movie that sets up jokes and then forgets to deliver a punchline.  And because awful character delivering non-jokes isn’t enough, the film is saddled with limp, thoughtless direction that misses every opportunity for a laugh.   When A Good Old Fashioned isn’t being clichéd, it’s being dull, and sometimes it’s both, but it’s hardly ever funny.

Samuel Goldwyn Films has sent us over seven new images from A Good Old Fashioned Orgy.  The movie is about a bunch of friends who have had a lot of good times at a beach house but when the house is about to be sold, they decide to go out with a (gang)bang.  The ensemble cast features Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Bibb, Lake Bell, Michelle Borth, Nick Kroll, Tyler Labine, Angela Sarafyan, Lindsay Sloane, Martin Starr, Lucy Punch, and Will Forte.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  A Good Old Fashioned Orgy opens September 2nd.

Two important facts to remember about Childrens Hospital: 1. It’s the funniest show about doctors currently on air (2^nd was the now defunct Off the Map) 2. Practically nobody has ever heard of it. The latter is rather hard to understand given the show features a who’s who lineup of comic personalities: Rob Corddry (The Daily Show), Rob Huebel (Human Giant), Henry Winkler (Happy Days), Megan Mullally (Will and Grace), Ken Marino (Party Down), David Wain (The State) and the voice of Michael Cera (Arrested Development) to name just a few.

At UCLA Tuesday Night, select cast and crew (Huebel, Corddry, Mullaly, Marino, Wain, Nick Kroll (The League), Malin Akerman (The Comeback), Erin Hayes (Kitchen Confidential) and writer/producer Jon Stern screened the opening third season episode and then held a Q&A, wherein they discussed “special” guest stars for the upcoming season, the deference to non-continuity on the show, casting, endometrial cancer and their favorite porn stars, among many other topics of conversation. For more, hit the jump.

Sony Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films have picked up the distribution rights to A Good Old Fashioned Orgy.  According to Variety, the story–co-directed by Pete Huyck and Alex Gregory (Frasier)–centers on “a group of 30-somethings who spend every summer weekend throwing elaborate theme parties and eventually throw one final bash – an orgy.”  The comedy will star Saturday Night Live‘s Jason Sudeikis who’s poised to have a breakout year.  He’ll next be seen in theater in the comedy Hall Pass and again later this year alongside Jason Bateman and Charlie Day in Horrible Bosses.  Sony and Goldwyn plan to release Orgy in late summer.

According to THR, the film has an outstanding cast that not only includes Sudeikis, but also Tyler Labine, Leslie Bibb, Will Forte, Lucy Punch, Lake Bell, Michelle Borth, Martin Starr, Nick Kroll, Lindsay Sloaneand, and David Koechner.

The League’s based on a premise unimaginable only a couple years earlier. No, The League has nothing to do with superpowers, it’s a fantasy football league that Pete (Mark Duplass) has won for three years straight. But, regardless of the thing that brings them together, the idea of men getting together to compete and act stupid is timeless and The League has assembled some crack comic performers and improv vets to pull it off, including Paul Scheer, Nick Kroll, Stephen Rannazzisi, Jonathan Lajoie and Katie Aselton. The results show more promise than actual results in the first year (often the case with comedies), but there’s enough here to think that the show might come together eventually, there’s no lack of talent, and it regardless of if you play fantasy football or not. My review of The League follows after the jump.

Up until a few years ago, FX was home to dramas, action movies and re-runs. Then It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia came along and changed the whole equation. Last summer FX ordered pilots for three new comedy series’: Archer, Louie, and The League. All were successful enough to warrant second seasons but it was The League that was most talked about. Take a subject all guys love (fantasy football), mix in adults acting like teenagers, add some hilarious improvised banter, throw in some more football references for good measure and you have The League. Continue reading for my review of the first season as well as information about the DVD and special features. Season 2 of The League currently airs Thursdays at 10:30 on FX.

Today I had the privilege of participating in a roundtable with the creators and cast of Adult Swim’s Childrens’ Hospital. Initially a web series on TheWB.com, the hilariously over-the-top primetime drama parody is crossing platforms, and will premiere its second season on Adult Swim on August 22nd. Members of the show participating in the interview included: creator Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine), Lake Bell (It’s Complicated), Erinn Hayes (Parenthood), Paul Scheer (Human Giant), Rob Huebel (The Other Guys), Nick Kroll (Get Him to the Greek), and writer/director David Wain (Role Models).

It probably goes without saying, given the comedic talents of those involved, but the roundtable was a very light, very funny place for the amount of time we were given. Hit the jump for a bulleted breakdown of some of the highlights.