“Lucky Louie” features comedian Louis C.K. playing Louie (big stretch), a muffler shop worker who struggles to be a good husband and father. The half-hour sitcom is shot in three-camera format in front of a studio audience, which is kind of an old-school way of shooting as compared to HBO’s one-camera hits, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Entourage.” Predictably, the show deals with subject matter too “inappropriate” for network television – in the premiere, Louie’s masturbation habits took up much of the half hour. It’s strange to see that type of topic dealt with in front of a studio audience, so it’s a bit of an adjustment to watch the show. So far, the performances are a bit rough, but that’s to be expected to some extent from any new series recorded live. The terrific Pamela S. Adlon plays Louie’s wife. Adlon has been in a ton of stuff, usually playing the role of “sassy friend,” but she’s also known as the voice of Bobby Hill on “King of the Hill.” Comedian Jim Norton appears as Rich, one of Louie’s work friends, but so far, he hasn’t been given much to do. Through the first two episodes, the show has been mediocre, but it’s better than most three-camera sitcoms on network television. I’m not a big fan of the format, so I’m somewhat jaded.
“Dane Cook’s Tourgasm” follows – you guessed it – Dane Cook as he tours the country with three other comedians: Gary Gulman, Robert Kelly and Jay Davis. You might know Gulman as the “cookie guy” from “Last Comic Standing.” This is a reality show that focuses on the interaction between the comics during their travels as well as bits and pieces of the foursome’s standup routines. The group occasionally stops for an excursion (horseback riding, wall climbing, etc.) in order to expose the comedians to experiences they wouldn’t have otherwise attempted. For instance, Gulman had a run-in with an anti-Semitic horse. Of course, Cook is the star of the show, but he’s not always trying to entertain. There are times when he’s forced to mediate a conflict, such as the ball-busting gone bad between Kelly and Davis. Davis is a sensitive guy and he felt Kelly went too far with some needling after the group’s sound check. It actually got to the point where Cook had to console Davis, who was literally crying in his bed on the tour bus. That’s some heavy, uncomfortable stuff – but it’s oddly compelling. Comics are some of the world’s most tortured souls, so it’s interesting to see some of the scars behind their personas.
Nothing to worry about, though, as it turns out the blackout affected the reporting of the numbers more than anything else. In fact, projections now have “Aquaman” pulling in $116 million, news that Ari delivers personally to Vinnie and the boys at a high school party straight out of “Almost Famous.” No surprises there, as we all pretty much figured the film would be a monster hit, but when I suggested last week that a far more interesting path would be to have “Aquaman” tank, I did so because I wasn’t sure how much potential the “blockbuster” storyline held. I mean, I love watching these guys party balls and now that Vinnie’s the biggest movie star on the planet, as Ari told his wife he’d be, even more good times await. But a story needs conflict, and having everyone live the high life for the rest of the season without anything of real consequence happening would get boring. And what about Ari? We only get to see him scrambling for a few episodes before he’s back on top? I don’t know that anyone’s ever pulled themselves up by their bootstraps that quickly.
