Actualités

No offense to Billy Crystal and Josh Gad, ostensible stars of FX’s The Comedians, but Stephnie Weir is its breakout performer. Crystal and Gad play themselves playing themselves as the hosts and lead players in an FX sketch series called The Billy & Josh Show. But as their perma-flustered, Über-awkward producer Kristen Laybourne, MADtv vet Weir wrests laughs from the aforementioned heavy hitters with an improviser’s knack (she’s a Second City alum) for playing overwhelmed and anxious. It’s an overdue opportunity for the Texan native who, since leaving MADtv, has guest-acted on assorted sitcoms (Modern Family, ‘Til Death) while writing and consulting for others (The Millers, Raising Hope); produced a two-man show/video series with husband Bob Dassie dubbed WeirDass; and been either cast for or tapped to write/produce several network pilots, including David Wain’s almost-was Brenda Forever and a still-in-process ABC half-hour about an...