It sounds more like “Bye, I’m Dave,” at least for now.
Dave Burd — Lil Dicky, if you prefer — is taking a step back from his FX comedy after three seasons. It’s not a cancellation, those close to the show are quick to point out, but there are no plans for a return of Dave anytime soon.
“After some back and forth, there are no current plans for a fourth season of Dave right now, as Dave Burd has decided to take an extended break to focus on music and other ventures,” reads a statement from FX, which both aired the series on FXX and Hulu and produced it under the FX Productions shingle. “That does not rule out the possibility of doing something in the future. We love the show and sincerely appreciate the creative excellence Dave, Jeff Schaffer, the cast and crew delivered with every episode. We are excited that our partnership with Dave will continue as he develops future projects for us through his overall production deal with FXP.”
It’s fitting that Dave shared a showrunner with Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. Schaffer, who co-created Dave with Burd, has long worked on the HBO comedy that’s gone off the air for long, ambiguous stretches of time — though Curb‘s 12th run is looking like it may actually be its last.
“Making Dave has been and continues to be a dream come true,” said Burd in his own statement. “But there are other creative ventures that I am dying to pursue as well. For the past five years, I’ve poured every fiber of my being into the show, and after three amazing seasons, this feels like a good time to press pause to give myself the bandwidth to do some of the other things I have always wanted to do. I am beyond excited about what I have planned for the future and am enormously appreciative of FX for their continued partnership.”
When Dave premiered in 2020, the week before the initial COVID-19 lockdown orders, it was an instant hit for FX — courting a very online fan base, if not the same numbers as a What We Do in the Shadows or the platform’s future flagship, The Bear. Dave’s borderline cult status, however, is about as starry as it gets. Each season featured a murderers’ row of guest stars — including Drake, Rachel McAdams and executive producer Kevin Hart — with the third wrapping with a cameo by Brad Pitt.
Accolades to date include back-to-back WGA Award nominations.
As for Burd, he released his sophomore studio LP in January. Penith, which doubles as the Dave soundtrack, debuted at No. 54 on the Billboard 200 and currently ranks as the No. 1 comedy album in America.
