Louie will return for season five on April 9th, FX announced yesterday. Louis C.K., the show's writer, director, and star, has said the eight-episode run will take on a lighter tone than the fourth season that wrapped last June. He's described it as "laugh-centric" and less dramatic, owing to "a goofy and playful feeling" that C.K. held onto while writing each episode.

They may be in for more laughs, but fans are also getting less episodes; season four contained 14 episodes, with two airing in succession each week. Five will be slightly over half that, but at least the wait between new seasons isn't quite so long as what fans endured prior to season four. Louis C.K. has been propelled by his show's critical success; the comedian has sold out a string of performances at New York's Madison Square Garden that continue this week.

Louie will air at 10:30PM, and its lead-in is one of FX's most promising new shows. The Comedians stars Billy Crystal and Josh Gad; over a 13-episode season, it will pair Crystal, who (appropriately) portrays a comedy legend, with a younger hopeful in Gad. From there, viewers can expect "an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at a fictional late night sketch comedy show." C.K. is also collaborating with Pamela Adlon, who Louie fans are already well familiar with, on her new series Better Things, which FX has picked up for a pilot.