The long, long, long wait is over, folks: new episodes of Louie are on the horizon. After taking a self-imposed 19-month hiatus, creator/writer/star/executive producer/director/editor Louis C.K.’s FX comedy series will return on Monday, May 5th for its fourth season. The comedian asked the network for some time off after season three in order to prevent the show from getting stale, but Louie is now back with 14 all-new episodes. In an atypical move, FX will air two new episodes a week, back-to-back, for seven straight weeks, finishing out the season on June 16th.
Louie is truly unlike anything else on television, mixing sharp comedy and often times very dark drama, all told through the singular voice of Louis C.K. As a big fan of what came before, I can’t wait to see what he’s put together for this new batch of episodes. Read the full press release after the jump.
Here’s the press release:
LOS ANGELES, March 13, 2014 – Louie’s back!!! After a 19-month hiatus, television’s most-critically acclaimed comedy series Louie will make its season four debut on Monday, May 5 at 10:00 PM E/P, and FX will air two all new episodes of the Emmy Award winning show back-to-back every Monday at 10:00 and 10:30 PM E/P for seven consecutive weeks through June 16, announced John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks and FX Productions.
FX ordered 13 episodes for the series fourth season, but Creator/Executive Producer/Writer/Star/Director/Editor Louis C.K. delivered a bonus 14th episode.
“Louis said he needed extra time between seasons three and four of his show because – even though Louie was the most critically acclaimed television comedy series in America – he needed to make it even better,” said Landgraf. “Based on the first three episodes we’ve seen, remarkably, he accomplished his goal.”
In 2012, Louie made history by becoming the first comedy series on a basic cable network to receive an Emmy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Comedy Series. The show has won two Emmy Awards – Louis C.K. for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (2012), and Melissa Leo for Outstanding Guest Actress in Comedy Series (2013) The series has also won AFI (2012 and 2013) and Peabody (2013), and Television Critics Association (2013) awards. It was nominated for a WGA Award in 2012 and it won the WGA Award in 2013 (Louis C.K., Pamela Adlon and Vernon Chatman). It was also nominated for a PGA Award in 2013.
For his work on Louie, Louis C.K. has received Emmy Award nominations for writing (he won in 2011) and acting in each of the show’s first three seasons, and twice for directing. C.K. received Golden Globe® and SAG award nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, and DGA award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series. He became the first and only actor from a basic cable series to with the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy.
Louie is a comedy filtered through the observational humor of Louis C.K. Each episode puts a spotlight on Louis’ hectic life as a successful stand-up comedian and newly single father raising his two daughters. The single-camera comedy is a mix of Louis C.K.’s stand-up comedy and scripted stories. Louis C.K., M. Blair Breard and Dave Becky are Executive Producers. The series is produced by FX Productions.