Louie
Opening title from the series shows Louie walking the streets of New York
Genre	Black comedy Comedy-drama Satire Surreal humour
Created by	Louis C.K.
Written by	Louis C.K.
Directed by	Louis C.K.
Starring	Louis C.K.
Opening theme	"Brother Louie" performed by Stories
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	39 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Louis C.K. Dave Becky M. Blair Breard
Producer(s)	Pamela Adlon Tony Hernandez
Editor(s)	Louis C.K. David Abel Susan E. Morse
Location(s)	New York
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	23 minutes
Production company(s)	3 Arts Entertainment Pig Newton, Inc. FX Productions
Broadcast
Original channel	FX
Original run	June 29, 2010 (2010-06-29) – present
External links
Website

Louie is an American comedy-drama television series on the FX network that began airing in 2010. It is written, directed, edited and produced by the show's creator, stand-up comedian Louis C.K.,^[1] who stars as a fictionalized version of himself, a comedian and newly divorced father raising his two daughters in New York City. The show has a loose format atypical for television comedy series, consisting of largely unconnected storylines and segments (described as "extended vignettes")^[2] that revolve around Louie's life, punctuated by live stand-up performances.

The show has met with critical acclaim and was included in various 2010 top-ten lists.^[3] C.K. has received several Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his acting, writing and directing and won for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Each season of Louie contains 13 episodes, and the seasons have been broadcast starting with the first season in 2010. The series has been renewed for a fourth season, which will premiere in May 2014.^[4]

Synopsis and episodes [edit]

The series is loosely based on Louis C.K.'s life, showing him as a comic onstage, and depicting his life offstage as a newly divorced father of two girls. Each episode features either two stories that may or may not connect thematically, or a longer full-episode story (often consisting of numerous connected shorter pieces), all of which revolve around Louie.

The stage of the Comedy Cellar often shown on the series.

The pieces are interspersed with segments of C.K.'s stand-up comedy, usually performed in small New York comedy clubs, mainly the Comedy Cellar and Carolines in Manhattan. The stand-up in the show consists of original material recorded for the series, and is usually shot from the stage rather than from the more traditional audience perspective. Sometimes these comedy segments are integrated into the stories themselves, other times they simply serve to bookend them with a loosely connected topic. In Season 1, short awkward conversations between Louie and his therapist are also shown occasionally. Beginning in the third season, some episodes do not feature any stand-up performances or the opening credit sequence.

Episodes in the series have standalone plots, although some recurring roles (Louie's playdate friend Pamela, portrayed by Pamela Adlon, his co-star from Lucky Louie) occasionally provide story arc continuity between episodes. Continuity is not enforced; there were two very different characters and actresses that served as Louie's mother in separate episodes.^[a] As C.K. explained, "Every episode has its own goal, and if it messes up the goal of another episode, [...] I just don't care."^[5] Some stories also take place outside of the series timeline, such as "God", which depicts Louie's childhood, and "Oh Louie", which shows the comedian 9 years earlier in his career. Beginning in season 3, Louie moves toward story continuity within the season, and it includes multi-episode story arcs.^[6]

The pilot episode includes segments on a school field trip and an awkward first date, with subsequent episodes covering a diverse range of material including divorce, sex, depression, sexual orientation, and Catholic guilt.

Cast and characters [edit]

Louis C.K. serves as the show's star and the only character (the eponymous Louie) to appear in every episode. Louie lacks a regular fixed cast, and instead features many guest appearances by stand-up comedians and actors. As a stand-up comedian in New York, Louie's social circle on the show consists mainly of other comedians, and many notable comedians like Nick DiPaolo, Todd Barry, Jim Norton, Sarah Silverman, and Chris Rock have recurring roles as fictionalized versions of themselves.

Most episodes tend to focus on Louie's interactions with new characters; however the show features a number of recurring characters, including Louie's two daughters, Lilly (Hadley Delany) and Jane (Ursula Parker); his brother Robbie (played by Robert Kelly); his teenage-looking agent Doug (played by Edward Gelbinovich), Pamela, the playdate friend and potential love interest (Pamela Adlon); Ben Mitchell, Louie's crude and inappropriate doctor (Ricky Gervais); Louie's therapist (David Patrick Kelly); and his ex-wife, Janet (Susan Kelechi Watson).

As Louie lacks a strictly enforced continuity between episodes, supporting actors occasionally reappear in multiple roles, as is the case with William Stephenson who appears as a bus driver in the pilot and as himself in "Oh Louie/Tickets," Amy Landecker who appears as Louie's date in "Bully" and as a young Louie's mother in "God," and F. Murray Abraham, who plays a swinger in "New Jersey" and Louie's uncle Excelsior in "Dad." Furthermore, multiple actors have portrayed Louie's mother and children in different episodes.

Notable guest stars [edit]

Production [edit]

C.K. accepted the modest offer of $200,000 (covering his own fee as well as production costs) to do a pilot with FX over prospective production deals with larger networks because they allowed him full executive control of the show. The show is shot on a Red camera setup, and C.K. edits many of the episodes on his personal laptop.^[7][8] In addition to starring, C.K. serves as the series' sole writer and director, an unusual combination in American television production.

"I went [to Hollywood] and I had other networks offering me a lot of money to do a pilot, and I got this call from FX and they said 'Well, we can't offer you a lot of money, but if you do the show for us, you can have a lot of fun.' He was offering me $200,000 as the budget for the whole pilot and I was like 'So, what do I get paid?' and he was like 'No, that's the whole thing, $200,000...' I said 'Look, the only way I'm doing this is if you give me the $200,000 -- wire it to me in New York -- and I'll give you a show. But I'm not pitching it, and I'm not writing a script and sending it to you first.'"

Dave Becky also serves as executive producer.^[2][9] Louis C.K. directed, cast and edited the first episode of the show with a budget of $250,000, provided by FX.^[10] In the second season, the budget was increased to $300,000 per episode.

Production began in November 2009. Louis C.K. said of his show, "It's very vignette-y. It's very vérité. All those French words. I use 'em all."^[9] C.K.'s Lucky Louie co-star Pamela Adlon serves as consulting producer of the series.^[11]

On February 27, 2012, C.K. announced on his Twitter page that he would be handing off some editing duties to longtime Woody Allen collaborator Susan E. Morse beginning with Season 3.^[12]

Critical reception [edit]

Louie has received widespread critical acclaim. The first season earned 70 out of 100 rating based on 20 reviews on Metacritic.^[13] The stand-up segments received strong praise, as did the show's perceived "indie film" style, with some likening the show to the work of Woody Allen.^[14] Criticisms largely centered on the pacing and low-key delivery of the show's jokes, which often include long setups compared to the rapid-fire punchlines of a traditional sitcom.^[15][16]

Critical response to Louie improved since its debut, with the show appearing on 9 of the 28 "top show" lists tracked by Metacritic for 2010,^[3] and 22 of 39 lists in 2011, which included 3 lists where the show was ranked 1st.^[17] The first four episodes of the second season scored 90 out of 100 based on 7 reviews on Metacritic.^[18] The third season has received very positive reviews, scoring 94 out of 100 based on 16 reviews on Metacritic.^[19]

Award and nominations [edit]

Home media releases [edit]

20th Century Fox released Season 1 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in Region 1 on June 21, 2011.^[32] Season 2 was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in Region 1 on June 19, 2012.^[33]

Notes [edit]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Official website
• Louie at The A.V. Club
• Louie at the Internet Movie Database
• Louie at TV.com