You must watch..."Louie"

If you read this blog at all, you know I love TV, but that I focus on drama more than comedy.  Nevertheless, I still likes me a good TV comedy and so I wanted to write this post plugging one of my latest addictions, Louis C.K.’s brilliant FX show, Louie.

Why is Louie such a great show?  Honestly, the reasons are kind of inexplicable (sort of like the show itself).  While Louie stars a stand up comedian playing a version of himself, just like Seinfeld, and usually opens with Louis C.K. doing his standup routine, the similarities between the two shows end there (not that there's anything wrong with Seinfeld).  Louie is far from a sitcom, in fact, the episodes are essentially 1 or 2 indie looking short films about all manner of things.  While comedic moments abound, some episodes are actually very dramatic.  In recent episodes, Louis dealt with a down and out friend from his early standup days, creepy NYC thugs scaring his daughters on Halloween, and a USO trip to Afghanistan (a truly amazing episode of TV).  Don't get me wrong though, when the show is being funny, I think it's absolutely hysterical.

This video's kinda not safe for work...or for babies.

Just as Curb Your Enthusiasm takes a viewer into Larry David’s insane and twisted world of faux pas and people (usually Larry) behaving badly, Louie takes its audience into the funny, cynical, and sometimes mundane world of Louis C.K.  It can be extremely funny one moment and bittersweet (even sad) the next.  It’s really not like any other half hour comedy on TV.

I’m not sure what big lessons a writer can take from it, except that like Curb, Louie has a strong voice and Louie's point of view/way he sees the world really shines through in every episode.  Besides the distinct voice, the show is also full of surprises and can be incredibly disarming, so I always keep watching to see what happens next.  I’ve read on the internets that some people hate this show because it's so unusual for a comedy or they don’t like the Woody Allenish short film format, but I say...give it a chance!  Let it grow on you!  I think this is one of those show that once you like it, you’ll really really like it.

Speaking of liking the show, Louie is nominated for 2 Emmys this year (for lead actor in a comedy and for writing).  The show airs Thursday nights on FX...there are only 2 new episodes left this season, but if you like what you see a few others are up on Hulu (and feel free to watch the episodes out of order, with the format the way it is, continuity isn't really an issue).