Billy Crystal has a new sitcom that marks his return to television. The New York Times reports that the comedy veteran will star in “The Comedians,” a pilot in the works at FX.

Crystal will play “a once-great comic who tries to keep his career going by pairing up with a younger comic in a late-night sketch comedy show,” the story reports.

The piece adds: “If additional episodes of the show are produced, as is highly likely given Mr. Crystal’s profile, they would be the first regular television work for Mr. Crystal since he was a cast member on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1984.”

One of the project’s creators is writer-director Larry Charles, known for “Seinfeld,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and the feature film “Borat.” Charles is set to direct the pilot for the new project, which is based on a Swedish format.

“FX has recently split its programming genres into two separate channels, with one devoted to comedy,” The Times notes. “The network already gained a reputation for innovative comedy with shows like ‘Louie’ and ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.’”

Billy Crystal