Louis C.K. fans might not know when to expect the next season of his FX show Louie, but the actor-comedian just surprised everyone with a brand new show released exclusively online. It's called Horace and Pete, and it looks like this was truly kept under wraps.

Steve Buscemi co-stars in the show, which Louis C.K. released this morning with just a few words of introduction: "Go here to watch it. We hope you like it." The star offers no explaination of the show, merely calling it "a brand new thing from Louis C.K."

The show appears to center around an Irish bar, Horace and Pete's. Alan Alda, Nick DiPaolo, Aidy Bryant, Edie Falco, Kurt Metzger, and Steven Wright all make appearances in the show, which some observers note must have been filmed very recently — according to the Gothamist, there are jokes referring to comments from Donald Trump over the past week or two.

A surprise to everyone

Episode one costs $5 — that's a bit more than the $2.99 that many episodes cost on iTunes, but this is essentially the first showing, not a digital download after the show airs on TV. Releasing a TV show online directly though a personal website is certainly a bold move in an era of hyper-competition from streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, all of which are hungry for original content. But the comedian has gone this route before, releasing comedy specials exclusively on his own website.

Louis C.K. announced he was going on an "extended hiatus" from Louie last August, leaving the show in the lurch after season five wrapped up. The break is expected to last anywhere from six months to two years, so Horace and Pete may be the comedian's TV focus for the time being. We're searching for more details on the show — including how many episodes we can expect — and we'll update when we learn more.