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., 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") 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. 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.
During an "extended hiatus" for the show starting in 2015, 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. In 2018, Landgraf discussed the possibility of Louie returning.
Synopsis 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.In the first season's seventh episode, "Double Date/Mom", Louie's mother is played by Mary Louise Wilson and is portrayed as a very spiteful woman. By contrast, in that season's eleventh episode, "God", a flashback to Louie's childhood shows the young Louie's mother as a very different woman with a kind-hearted personality, and she is played by Amy Landecker. Landecker also portrayed present-day Louie's date earlier in the season, in episode 9, "Bully". 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." Louis C.K. segment on YouTube: , , 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.
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.
Episodes
Cast and characters
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".
Recurring guests Hadley Delany as Lilly. Louie's older daughter. She is highly intelligent and earnest, but isn't happy at the public school she and her sister attend. Ursula Parker as Jane. Louie's younger daughter. She is precocious and impulsive, with a vivid imagination. She is a talented violinist with a knack for foreign languages. Jane is originally portrayed by Ashley Gerasimovich for four episodes in the first season before Parker took over the role. Pamela Adlon as Pamela. A friend of Louie's and potential love interest. Their children play together at the local playground, which is where Louie and Pamela form a friendship which causes Louie to have unrequited feelings for her. Pamela moves with her son to Paris in the second-season finale, hoping to reconcile with her estranged husband. She returns in the fourth season and is now willing to start a relationship with Louie. Adlon also serves as a consulting producer, has co-written five episodes with C.K. and was nominated for a writing Emmy. Susan Kelechi Watson as Janet. Louie's ex-wife. Todd Barry as Todd. A friend and rival of Louie's who constantly criticizes and patronizes him, albeit in jest. He is single and has no children, once describing for his comedian friends who are married with children (including Louie) what the hell he does all day. Hannibal Buress as Hannibal. A friend of Louie's that he plays poker with on a regular basis. Rick Crom as Rick. Another friend of Louie who plays poker with him regularly. He has dubbed himself "The supreme court judge on everything gay". Nick DiPaolo as Nick. One of Louie's closest friends whom he sees regularly to play poker. He is openly conservative and once got into a heated argument over the merits of President Barack Obama. Robert Kelly as Robbie, Louie's brother who tends to stress or upset Louie. Jim Norton as Jim. One of Louie's poker buddies and close friends. Chris Rock as himself. He appears in various episodes playing himself as a friend and confidant of Louie. He spreads the news about Louie being a potential David Letterman successor. Jerry Seinfeld as himself. Seinfeld portrays a fictionalized version of himself who is a rival to Louie. Seinfeld first appeared in "Late Show Part 3" as another potential replacement for David Letterman. He later appears in "Model", where he invites Louie to open for him at a heart disease research benefit in The Hamptons, but he hasn't warned Louie about the atmosphere and Louie ends up being severely humiliated as a result; he later arranges for a lawyer to help out Louie when a post-appearance tryst goes awry. Sarah Silverman as herself. Another friend of Louie that dates back to their days starting out as comedians in the 1980s.
Guest stars Season 1 Chelsea Peretti as a woman who goes on a date with Louie in the first episode, "Pilot". Matthew Broderick as himself. He is directing a remake of The Godfather, and casts Louie as a police officer but ultimately is stymied by Louie's utter incompetence as an actor. From the episode "Heckler/Cop Movie". Bobby Cannavale as Chris. A personal trainer whose child attends the same school as Louie's children. He attempts to get Louie into shape, but ends up driving Louie to having a near-fatal heart attack. He appears in "So Old/Playdate" and "Gym". Ricky Gervais as Dr. Ben Mitchell, Louie's doctor, who is a sadistic practical joker but considers himself a friend to Louie nonetheless. His death is vaguely implied in Season 4. Gervais appears in "Dr. Ben/Nick" and "Gym". Megan Hilty as a heckler in the episode "Heckler/Cop Movie". David Patrick Kelly as Louie's therapist, who finds him boring and doesn't listen to him. Louie's psychologist appears in "Double Date/Mom" and "So Old/Playdate". Tom Noonan as Dr. Haveford. A mysterious doctor brought in by Louie's Catholic school as a child who graphically describes Jesus Christ's crucifixion. He appears in the episode "God.” Stephen Root as Dr. Hepa. A dentophobic dentist who, it is strongly implied, orally rapes a sedated Louie. He appears in "Dentist/Tarese".
Season 2 F. Murray Abraham as Jonathan. A mysterious swinger from New Jersey in the episode "New Jersey/Airport". Dane Cook as himself. Cook plays a fictionalized version of himself in the episode "Oh Louie/Tickets". Louie meets with him and they wind up addressing a silent feud inspired by real life as to whether or not Dane plagiarized his jokes. Joan Rivers as herself. Louie wanders into one of her shows, and later goes up to her room in the hotel, where she speaks to him about her career before they sleep together. She appears in the second-season episode "Joan". Eunice Anderson as Louie's great-aunt Ellen, whom he visits with his two daughters in the episode "Country Drive". Bob Saget as himself. He plays the "best friend" role of a stereotypical sitcom about Louie, as a parody of the short-lived show Lucky Louie. He appears in the episode "Oh Louie/Tickets". Doug Stanhope as Eddie, an old friend of Louie's and fellow comedian. After 20 years' absence, he and Louie reconnect, where Eddie reveals how he is planning to commit suicide. He appears in the episode "Eddie". Keni Thomas as himself. A country musician who joins Louie on a USO tour in Afghanistan.
Season 3 Gaby Hoffmann as April, Louie's girlfriend, with whom he is trying reluctantly to break up. She appears in the first episode of the season. F. Murray Abraham as Excelsior Szekely, Louie's Mexican uncle, who meets with him at a tea room to order Louie to go meet his estranged father. Abraham appears in the episode "Dad". Maria Bamford as Maria. A friend of Louie's and fellow comic. After a sexual encounter, both she and Louie contract crabs. She appears in "Daddy's Girlfriend" and "Ikea/Piano Lesson". Jay Leno as himself. He appears in the "Late Show" arc when Louie appears on his show. He interviews Louie, and later on when Louie is offered the job of David Letterman's successor, he calls Louie and congratulates him and gives him advice.