Pilot (Louie)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Pilot (Louie)

Pilot is the first episode of the American comedy-drama Louie. It aired on FX on June 29, 2010. Louis C.K. wrote, directed, and edited the episode, and also stars as Louie. The running time is 23 minutes. Chelsea Peretti appears as Louie’s date, and William Stephenson plays the bus driver.

Plot
Louie C.K. is a divorced comedian with two daughters who loves being a father. He volunteers for his kids’ field trip to the New York Botanical Garden. The bus trip goes wrong when the driver can’t find the way, they drive onto an illegal route, and the bus nearly breaks down. Louie helps calm the chaos and eventually arranges for the kids to get home safely. In his stand-up bits, Louie jokes about his lack of optimism and his struggles with dating. He goes on a date with Chelsea Peretti, which ends badly after a series of misunderstandings. The episode closes with Louie telling a story about his dog and then taking his daughters back to their mother.

Reception
The episode was watched by about 1.11 million people in the United States. Critics generally praised the premiere: The A.V. Club gave it an A−, noting that it showcases Louie’s blend of short filmmaking and sharp stand-up. IGN gave it 8 out of 10, calling the episode bold and innovative for combining performance and storytelling.

Quick facts
- Series: Louie
- Episode: Pilot (Season 1, Episode 1)
- Original air date: June 29, 2010
- Running time: 23 minutes
- Director/writer/editor: Louis C.K.
- Guest stars: Chelsea Peretti (Date); William Stephenson (Bus Driver)