Louie season 4 gets 5 May release date after 19-month wait

14 more episodes on the way

Louis C.K returns with his unique brand of self-loathing (FX)

Louis CK is returning to FX with his semi-autobiographical comedy Louie, with season 4 episode 1 set to air on 5 May.

There are 14 new episodes on the way, as Louis continues to try and balance stand-up comedy, fatherhood and the crushing disappointments of everyday life.

The show has been off-air for more than a year and a half now, with FX originally ordering 13 episodes but Louis throwing in a 14th as a thank you to fans for waiting.

"Louis said he needed extra time between seasons three and four of his show because – even though Louie was the most critically acclaimed television comedy series in America – he needed to make it even better," said John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks. "Based on the first three episodes we’ve seen, remarkably, he accomplished his goal.”

C.K. won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the show in 2012, which airs on FOX in the UK.

The comedian recently teamed up with Zach Galifianakis to develop a new show for FX that will star the Hangover actor.