Lucky Louie is an American television sitcom about a family headed by Louie, starring Louis C.K., and Pamela Adlon. It premiered in the United States on HBO on June 11, 2006. HBO ordered 12 episodes of the series which aired during the 2006 summer season. In addition, eight scripts for a second season were ordered. In September 2006, however, HBO announced that the show had been cancelled. This cancellation was unusual because it was not related to ratings, as the show steadily built in ratings, and had a supportive fan-base. More likely, it was the result of a poor response by critics and press, which HBO feels are important to its image. In Canada, Lucky Louie can be seen on Movie Central on Sunday evenings at 9:30pm PT and on The Movie Network at 10:30pm CST.
Lucky Louie is, at first glance, a classic-style situation comedy. Unlike many of its contemporaries, it features a three-camera shoot in front of a live audience with no artificial laugh track, much like the classic sitcoms of the 1970s, like All in the Family. In premise, Lucky Louie is similar to other classic sitcoms like All in the Family or Roseanne (TV series), telling the story of an unsophisticated lower class family. However, the show aired on HBO, a subscriber-supported network without content restrictions, and deals with serious mature topics like sex, as well as using adult language. Episodes have occasionally displayed male nudity. Louis C.K. stated on his message board that there would not be female nudity on the show, claiming "Female nudity isn't funny" because you can't "laugh and jerk off at the same time".
The cast of Lucky Louie is notable for including many people more known for stand-up comedy than acting, including Jim Norton, Laura Kightlinger, Nick DiPaolo, and Rick Shapiro. This is likely because Louis C.K. is himself a popular stand up comic, but also because Louis wanted people that knew how to perform for a live audience.
Tagline: Some men have a dream, Louie has a family.
The first HBO sitcom to be taped before a live audience.
