Previewing Louie

It is easy to compare Louie to Seinfeld because they both start with comedy bits, but what they do after that where the shows diverge into something completely different. Jerry’s bit would then lead into a traditional sitcom of four friends who migrate between his apartment and the dinner the most patron and very few places else. Louie is anything but tradition. His standup is the catalyst for the scripted bits, most of which would not fly on Must See TV.

Louie C.K. is a standup’s standup, he has written for Letterman, Conan, and Chris Rock chat fests, but always seems to miss his big break. He wrote and directed the criminally under watched Pootie Tang, he got his own HBO show that only got one season, and he co-starred along Ricky Gervais in The Invention of Lying that no one seemed to like. Now he has gotten another chance for television stardom, this time on basic cable.

Louie played a slight version of himself and the only permanent actor on the show; both are recently divorced and have two young girls. His stand up routine at the beginning of each segment (there are two separate ones each episode) set up the following storylines that deal with his divorce, dating and volunteering at his kids’ school.

When Louie is funny, it is have to rewind because I was laughing too much funny, mostly during his stand up segments and one or two bits during the scripted part, but the show can also be painfully uncomfortable at points even fans of The Office’s awkwardness will cringe at some bits. While Louie may not be appointment television (even airing after one such show in Rescue Me), but it is worth catch every once and a while if the show ends up on Hulu (which I am assuming it is because there is already a Louie page on Hulu) it would be a great ten minute diversion if you need a short break at your commercial and take in a segment.

Louie airs Tuesdays at 11:00 on FX.