Louis

Louis is on FX Thursday nights at 10:30. I have to admit this show can shock me and it did last Thursday when a long discussion of or** sex between Louis and guest star Melissa Leo took place in her car. It was bold and blush-worthy for me. Yet in a movie, it would not have seemed surprising or novel.

According to a recent article I read somewhere, Louis CK has traded a bigger budget for total control of the show and it reflects his bawdy standup routine. This show is not afraid to be outrageous and not afraid to mimic the ordinariness of life in other scenes.

I think it is probably the most original comedy since Seinfeld and before that Larry Sanders but not just because of its X-rated humor. A breakup played out brilliantly in an earlier scene without any bawdiness. What other TV shows have broke ground like this? Perhaps in their style as well as in their subject?

Incidentally, Phillip Maciak at the LA REVIEW OF BOOKS writes wonderful pieces about TV-mostly recently THE NEWSROOM. I encourage you to read and support this publication which is stepping in for all the newspaper culture pages that have disappeared.