Louie season 1
| Louie (season 1) | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
| File:Louie S1.jpg DVD cover | |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Release | |
| Original network | FX |
| Original release | June 29 – September 7, 2010 |
| Season chronology | |
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.[1]
Louie was created by Louis C.K., who serves as the series' sole writer and director. C.K. 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 season received critical acclaim.
Plot
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 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.
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. Episode 7, "Double Date/Mom" portrays a very unpleasant woman as Louie's mother, played by Mary Louise Wilson. By contrast, in episode 10, "God", a flashback to Louie's childhood shows the young Louie's mother as a very different woman with a nice personality, played by Amy Landecker. Landecker 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."[3] 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.
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
Main cast
- Louis C.K. as Louie
Recurring cast
Guest stars
- Bobby Cannavale as Chris (2 episodes)
- Ricky Gervais as Dr. Ben (2 episodes)
- David Patrick Kelly as Therapist (2 episodes)
- Amy Landecker as Louie's Date/Louie's Mom (2 episodes)
- Adepero Oduye as Tarese
- Matthew Broderick as Matthew
- Megan Hilty as Heckler
- Chelsea Peretti as Date
- Tom Noonan as Dr. Haveford
- Stephen Root as Dr. Hepa
Production
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.[4][5] In addition to starring, C.K. serves as the series' sole writer and director, an unusual distinction in 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.'"
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."[6] C.K.'s Lucky Louie co-star Pamela Adlon serves as consulting producer of the series.[7]
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | June 29, 2010 | XCK01001 | 1.11[8] |
| 2 | 2 | "Poker/Divorce" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | June 29, 2010 | XCK01004 | 1.11[8] |
| 3 | 3 | "Dr. Ben/Nick" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | July 6, 2010 | XCK01002 | 0.72[8] |
| 4 | 4 | "So Old/Playdate" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | July 13, 2010 | XCK01003 | 0.63[8] |
| 5 | 5 | "Travel Day/South" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | July 20, 2010 | XCK01007 | N/A |
| 6 | 6 | "Heckler/Cop Movie" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | July 27, 2010 | XCK01006 | N/A |
| 7 | 7 | "Double Date/Mom" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | August 3, 2010 | XCK01008 | N/A |
| 8 | 8 | "Dogpound" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | August 10, 2010 | XCK01009 | N/A |
| 9 | 9 | "Bully" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | August 17, 2010 | XCK01005 | N/A |
| 10 | 10 | "Dentist/Tarese" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | August 24, 2010 | XCK01010 | N/A |
| 11 | 11 | "God" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | August 31, 2010 | XCK01011 | N/A |
| 12 | 12 | "Gym" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | September 7, 2010 | XCK01012 | N/A |
| 13 | 13 | "Night Out" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | September 7, 2010 | XCK01013 | N/A |
Reception
Reviews
The first season received positive reviews. The season earned 70 out of 100 rating based on 20 reviews on Metacritic.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11][12]
Award and nominations
For the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, Louis C.K. received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and was also nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the episode "Poker/Divorce".[13] For the 16th Satellite Awards, C.K. won for Best Actor – Television Series: Musical or Comedy, and the series received a nomination for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.[14] For the 27th TCA Awards, the series and C.K. himself were nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Comedy, respectively.[15]
References
- ^ Lambert, David (March 28, 2011). "Louie - Fox's Canadian Press Release Gives Street Date, Extras for Season 1 DVD/Blu Combo Set". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (August 19, 2009). "More laffs in FX lineup". Variety. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
- ^ Presenter: Jimmy Kimmel (June 27, 2011). "Monday, June 27, 2011". Jimmy Kimmel Live!. ABC.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) Louis C.K. segment on YouTube: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 - ^ Harris, Adam (October 8, 2010). "How Louis C.K. Shoots and Edits His Own Show". Gizmodo. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ "Episode 112 - Louis CK part 2". WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. October 7, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
- ^ Itzkoff, Dave (August 20, 2009). "New Comedy Series for Louis C.K." The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
- ^ Stanley, Alessandra (June 28, 2010). "Life After Divorce (Don't Ask About the Monkeys)". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Gorman, Bill (July 21, 2010). "Reader Mailbag: How Are FX's 'Louie' Ratings?". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
- ^ "Critic Reviews for Louie Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ Stanley, Alessandra (June 28, 2010). "Life After Divorce (Don't Ask About the Monkeys)". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ Hinckley, David (June 29, 2010). "FX's 'Louie' better than HBO's 'Lucky Louie', but Louis C.K. still hasn't found his niche". Daily News. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (June 26, 2010). "Louie". Variety.com. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ "Louie". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
- ^ "2011 Winners". International Press Academy. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
- ^ "The Television Critics Association Announces 2011 TCA Awards Nominees". Television Critics Association. June 13, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2012.