Zach Galifianakis clowns in FX's 'Baskets'

PASADENA, Calif. – FX is sending in the clown – in the person of Zach Galifianakis, the star and co-creator of Baskets (Thursday, 10 p.m. ET/PT).

Baskets focuses on Chip Baskets (Galifianakis, The Hangover franchise),who wants to be a French clown but gets downgraded to rodeo clown back home in Bakersfield, Calif., after money problems and a language barrier deflate his Parisian dream. That leaves Chip to deal with his mother (Louie Anderson) and siblings, including a twin brother (Galifianakis).

Baskets' comedic pedigree includes Louie's Louis C.K. and Jonathan Krisel (Portlandia, Kroll Show) as co-creators and executive producers. (Asked if and when Louie might return, Louis C.K. said, "I don't know.")

The concept that became Baskets originally was going to be a behind-the-scenes story at Galifianakis's Between Two Ferns.

"We could never make sense of it, but the character of Between Two Ferns, who's rude and bitter," was appealing, Galifianakis said Saturday at the Television Critics Association winter gathering. "Rude(ness) and bitterness is funny because it's not self-aware."

That evolved into a rodeo clown who had trained in clown theory in Paris. "I just like self-conflict like that," he said.

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Asked if Baskets has room for improvisation, Galifianakis mock-seriously said, "Everything is word for word." Then, he changed gears. "There's a lot (of improvisation). There's room for that, for sure."

Anderson said he didn't want to play a woman in a cartoonish way.

"From the moment that Louis C.K., called me and told me about Zach and him wanting me to play the mother, I immediately thought, 'What?' " the standup comic said. "I said yes, because I thought, 'What a great opportunity!' I'm playing this as a mom. I really used my mom as the base of it. And then I added mean people I've met through my life. … (Arriving on set), I got into the outfits right away, put a wig on and once that lipstick was on, I was done for."

Louis C.K., an acclaimed standup, praises Galifianakis as "the most Jerry Lewis (kind of) funny guy. He ignites laughter."

Galifianakis, who has known Louis C.K. and co-star and acting newcomer Martha Kelly for some time, said there was a sense of comfort making the show with people close to him.

"It felt like a family situation," he said. "It was an organic thing that came together."

The deadpan Kelly, who described her professional background as "standup comic and really bad secretary," said she was terrified when longtime friend Galifianakis asked her to play an insurance adjuster who becomes Chip's driver and confidante.

"The first day of the pilot, I drove into the parking lot (and thought) this might end in the terrible position of a friend having to fire a friend," she said. That clearly didn't happen.