Louie | |
---|---|
Intertitle from seasons 1–3 & 5
|
|
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 Ian Lloyd (seasons 1–3 & 5) |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 61 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Louis C.K. Dave Becky M. Blair Breard |
Producer(s) |
Pamela Adlon Tony Hernandez |
Location(s) | New York City |
Editor(s) | Louis C.K. David Abel Susan E. Morse |
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 19–41 minutes |
Production company(s) |
3 Arts Entertainment Pig Newton, Inc. FX Productions (2010–15) FXP |
Distributor | 20th Television |
Release | |
Original network | FX |
Original release | June 29, 2010 | – 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, comedian Louis C.K. He 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") that revolve around Louie's life, punctuated by live stand-up performances.
The show has been met with critical acclaim and was included in various critics' 2010s top-ten lists of TV shows. 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.
In August 2015, FX announced the series would go on an extended hiatus and return when Louis C.K. is ready to continue working on the series. In an interview with Howard Stern, C.K. claimed that though he didn't want to close the door on the series, he didn't want to have any obligation to FX to do another season.
Louie is loosely based on comedian Louis C.K.'s life, showing segments of him doing his stand-up routine onstage, and depicting his life offstage 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 stories of all episodes revolve around Louie.
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.