Louie | |
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Genre | |
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 Ian Lloyd (seasons 1–3 & 5) |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 61 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Production location | New York City |
Editors |
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Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 19–41 minutes [2] |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | FX |
Release | June 29, 2010 – May 28, 2015 |
Louie is an American comedy drama television series that premiered on FX on June 29, 2010. It is written, directed, created, edited, and produced by comedian Louis C.K., [3] who also stars in the show 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 by FX president John Landgraf as "extended vignettes") [4] that revolve around Louie's life, punctuated by live stand-up performances. The show's comedy consisted of such styles as surrealism, satire, absurdism, and gallows humor.
The show has been met with critical acclaim and was included in various critics' TV show top-ten lists when it premiered in 2010. [5] C.K. has received several Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his acting, writing, and directing and has won for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series at the 64th and 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. It was included in the 101 Best Written TV Series list created by the Writers Guild of America. [6]
During an "extended hiatus" for the show starting in 2015, [7] FX ended their business partnership with C.K.'s production company, Pig Newton, in November 2017, after he confirmed that a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him were true. [8] In 2018, Landgraf discussed the possibility of Louie returning. [9]
Louie is loosely based on the life of comedian Louis C.K., showing segments of him performing his stand-up routine onstage, and depicting his struggles as a divorced father of two girls. Each episode features either two stories (which may or may not connect thematically) or a longer full-episode story (often consisting of numerous connected shorter pieces).
The pieces are interspersed with short clips of Louie's stand-up, usually performed in 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, whereas other times they simply serve to bookend them with a loosely connected topic. In the first season, blunt, socially 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 (e.g. Louie's playdate friend Pamela, portrayed by Pamela Adlon, who was C.K.'s co-star in Lucky Louie ) occasionally provide story arc continuity between episodes. Continuity is not enforced; for example, Louie's mother has been portrayed in two very different ways. [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." [10] Some stories also take place outside of the show's main time frame. For two examples, the episode "God" depicts Louie's childhood, and the episode "Oh Louie" shows the comedian 9 years earlier in his career. Beginning in the third season, Louie has moved toward story continuity within the season, and it includes multi-episode story arcs. [11]
The pilot episode includes segments depicting a school field trip and an embarrassing first date, with subsequent episodes covering a diverse range of material, including divorce, sex, sexual orientation, depression, and Catholic guilt.
C.K. serves as the show's lead and plays the only character who appears 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 City, Louie's social circle on the show consists mainly of other comedians, and many notable comedians (such as Nick DiPaolo, Todd Barry, Jim Norton, Sarah Silverman, Chris Rock, and Jerry Seinfeld) have had 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 Bobby (Robert Kelly); his teenage-looking agent Doug (Edward Gelbinovich); Pamela (Pamela Adlon), his best friend and love interest; Dr. Ben (Ricky Gervais), Louie's juvenile and arrogant doctor; Louie's therapist (David Patrick Kelly); and his ex-wife, Janet (Susan Kelechi Watson).
Since Louie lacks 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 "In the Woods"; and F. Murray Abraham, who plays a swinger in "New Jersey/Airport", Louie's uncle Excelsior in "Dad", and Louie's father in "In the Woods". Furthermore, Louie's mother and sisters have each been portrayed by multiple actresses, although his children have been consistently portrayed by Delany and Parker since the middle of the first season. His ex-wife is portrayed by Brooke Bloom in a flashback scene of "Elevator Part 4".
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
In addition to these guest stars, several notable comedians have appeared in smaller roles, including Chris Gethard, Todd Glass, Ted Alexandro, Amir Blumenfeld, Eddie Brill, Joe DeRosa, Vernon Chatman, Artie Lange, Godfrey, Chelsea Peretti, J. B. Smoove, Dave Attell, Michael Cera, John Lithgow, Big Jay Oakerson, and Steven Wright. Opie and Anthony and Amy Schumer have had voice-only guest appearances.
Rather than accepting a bigger-budget production deal with a larger network, C.K. accepted the modest offer of $200,000 (covering his own fee as well as production costs) to do a pilot with FX, since FX allowed him full creative control. The show is shot on a Red camera setup, and C.K. edits many of the episodes on his personal MacBook Pro. [13] [14] In addition to starring, C.K. serves as the show's sole writer and director, an unusual combination in American TV production. Referring to John Landgraf, who convinced C.K. to accept a deal with FX, C.K. said:
He had a very loose idea of what he wanted. I said, "Let me shoot a pilot and you don't have anything to do with it. I won't even pitch you the idea or show you the script or show you the footage or show you the casting. Just wire me the money and let me do the show." And he was willing to do that. One of the reasons it was done that way was he only gave me $200,000 for the thing all in. Since I was able to prove this was a way to do it and they liked what they got, I was able to keep doing it that way. [15]
Louis C.K. directed, cast, and edited the first episode of the show with a budget of $250,000, provided by FX. [16] In the second season, the budget was increased to $300,000 per episode.
Production began in November 2009. C.K. said of his show, "It's very vignette-y. It's very vérité. All those French words. I use 'em all." [17] Pamela Adlon, who had starred in C.K.'s prior semi-autobiographical HBO sitcom Lucky Louie , served as a consulting producer of the series. [18] Adlon and C.K. would later create another semi-autobiographical comedy-drama TV series on FX, Better Things , starring Adlon.
For the third season, C.K. announced that he would be handing off some editing duties to longtime Woody Allen collaborator Susan E. Morse. [19]
Steven Wright joined the series in the fourth season as a consulting producer. C.K. and Wright became friends when Wright was visiting Manhattan and C.K. asked him to consult for the series. Wright said regarding his role, "I'm like a sounding board for the stories ... He bounces ideas off of me, like what could happen during different episodes, and I give him my opinion. I'll go to the set when they’re shooting. I'll watch it and give him my opinion on whatever was happening and how it went, whether it was funny or not. Then I'll go to editing and watch while he edits it and give him my opinion on changes and cuts and perversions and everything." [20]
In a 2013 interview with The New York Times , C.K. mentioned various influences for the show, which include Allen, Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling and John Waters. [21]
Louie has received acclaim from critics. 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. [22] 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. [23] [24]
Of the "top TV" lists tracked by Metacritic, Louie appeared on nine of 28 in 2010 [5] and 22 of 39 in 2011, the latter of which includes three lists where the show was ranked 1st. [25] On Metacritic, the first season scored 69 out of 100, based on 20 reviews. [26] The second season scored 90 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 7 reviews. [27] The third season received critical acclaim, scoring 94 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 16 reviews. [28] The fourth season also received critical acclaim, scoring 93 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 30 reviews. [29] The fifth season received acclaim as well, scoring 91 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 20 reviews. [30]
Television critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz ranked Louie as the 18th best American television show of all time in their book titled TV (The Book) , stating that unlike other sitcoms which kept their tone and format the same throughout their respective runs, the series "morphed from week to week, episode to episode, sometimes minute to minute. In doing so, it translated the thought-processes of stand-up comedy into cinematic terms, and in a way that was new to commercial television." [31]
Louie has an average rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. [32]
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released Season 1 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in Region 1 on June 21, 2011. [33] Season 2 was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in Region 1 on June 19, 2012. [34] Seasons 3, 4, and 5 were exclusively released on DVD via Amazon.com's manufacture on demand program. [35] [36]
Season | Episodes | Release date | Bonus features |
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The Complete First Season | 13 | June 21, 2011 |
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The Complete Second Season | 13 | June 19, 2012 |
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Pamela Adlon is an American actress, writer and director. She is known for voicing Bobby Hill in the animated comedy series King of the Hill (1997–2010), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award. She also voiced Baloo in Jungle Cubs (1996–1998), the title role in the Pajama Sam video game series (1996–2001), Lucky in 101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997–1998), Margaret "Moose" Pearson in Pepper Ann (1997–2000), Ashley Spinelli in Recess (1997–2001), Otto Osworth in Time Squad (2001–2003), and Brigette Murphy in Milo Murphy's Law (2016–2019), among numerous others.
Louis Alfred Székely, known professionally as Louis C.K., is an American stand-up comedian, actor and filmmaker. C.K. has won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award as well as numerous awards for The Chris Rock Show, Louie, and his stand-up specials Live at the Beacon Theater (2011) and Oh My God (2013). In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked C.K.'s stand-up special Shameless number three on their "Divine Comedy: 25 Best Stand-Up Specials and Movies of All Time" list and ranked him fourth on its 2017 list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.
Lucky Louie is an American television sitcom created by Louis C.K., which aired on HBO for one season in 2006. As the show's creator, writer and executive producer, C.K. also starred as the eponymous central character, a part-time mechanic at a muffler shop.
Sarah Baker is an American actress and comedian, best known for roles in movies such as The Campaign and Mascots, and TV shows like The Kominsky Method and Louie.
The first season of the American television comedy series Louie premiered on June 29, 2010, and concluded on September 7, 2010. It consisted of thirteen episodes, each running approximately 23 minutes in length. FX broadcast the first season on Tuesdays at 11:00 pm in the United States. The season was produced by 3 Arts Entertainment and the executive producers were Louis C.K., Dave Becky and M. Blair Breard. The first season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on June 21, 2011.
The second season of the American television comedy series Louie premiered on June 23, 2011, and concluded on September 8, 2011. It consisted of thirteen episodes, each running approximately 23 minutes in length. FX broadcast the second season on Thursdays at 10:30 pm in the United States. The season was produced by 3 Arts Entertainment and the executive producers were Louis C.K., Dave Becky and M. Blair Breard. The second season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on June 19, 2012.
The fourth season of the American television comedy series Louie premiered on May 5, 2014, and concluded on June 16, 2014. It consists of fourteen episodes, most running approximately 23 minutes in length. FX broadcast the fourth season on Mondays at 10:00 and 10:30 pm in the United States with back-to-back episodes. The season was produced by 3 Arts Entertainment and the executive producers were Louis C.K., Dave Becky and M. Blair Breard.
The fifth and final season of the American television comedy series Louie premiered on April 9, 2015, and concluded on May 28, 2015. It consists of eight episodes, each running approximately 23 minutes in length. FX broadcast the fifth season on Thursdays at 10:30 pm in the United States. The season was produced by 3 Arts Entertainment and the executive producers were Louis C.K., Dave Becky and M. Blair Breard.
Better Things is an American comedy-drama television series created by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K. for FX, starring Adlon as a divorced actress who raises her three daughters on her own. FX gave a 10-episode order on August 7, 2015. The series premiered on September 8, 2016. The series was renewed for a fifth and final season which premiered on February 28, 2022. The series concluded on April 25, 2022.
Dave Becky is an American comedy talent manager and producer. He works with 3 Arts Entertainment and has more than 100 production credits. He has received nine Emmy nominations for his work as an executive producer on the Netflix series Master of None and various productions with comedian Louis C.K. He has shared in two Peabody Awards for his work as an executive producer on two FX series, Louie (2012) and Better Things (2016). Becky also serves as an executive producer on Russian Doll on Netflix and Insecure on HBO.
"So Old/Playdate" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. The episode was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on July 13, 2010.
"Gym" is the twelfth episode of the first season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. The episode was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on September 7, 2010, airing back-to-back with the follow-up episode, "Night Out".
"Bummer/Blueberries" is the second episode of the second season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 15th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, from a story he co-wrote with Pamela Adlon. It was released on FX on June 30, 2011.
"Subway/Pamela" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 19th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on July 28, 2011.
"Niece" is the twelfth episode of the second season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 25th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on September 1, 2011.
"Daddy's Girlfriend" is the fourth and fifth episodes of the third season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. They are the 30th and 31st overall episode of the series and were written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, with Pamela Adlon getting a story credit for "Part 1". They were released on FX, with "Part 1" airing on July 19, 2012, and "Part 2" airing on July 26, 2012.
"Ikea/Piano Lesson" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 33rd overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, with Pamela Adlon receiving a story credit. It was released on FX on August 9, 2012.
"A La Carte" is the second episode of the fifth season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 55th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, with producer Pamela Adlon receiving a co-story credit. It was released on FX on April 16, 2015.
"Bobby's House" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 57th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on April 30, 2015.
"Sleepover" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 59th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, with producer Pamela Adlon receiving a story credit. It was released on FX on May 14, 2015.