Comedian Louie C.K. has done something undeniably special with his self-titled FX series, Louie. Over the course of five seasons he’s managed to craft a semi-autobiographical show that continuously strikes an impeccable balance between comedy and overwhelming darkness. The tone and style of Louie resonates with audiences in a major way, but lack of concrete details about the show’s future has left us wondering if a sixth season will ever come to air. New details have just come forward that may prove somewhat disheartening for Louie fans, so prepare yourselves.
A new report from TVLine has indicated that FX CEO John Landgraf discussed the future of the series – and Louie C.K.’s willingness to do so – during the TCA winter press tour yesterday:
He certainly hasn’t promised me further seasons, so I’d have to say that’s a possibility [that the show will not return].
We know: that answer is ambiguous as hell. Landgraf goes on to admit that he and the powerhouse standup comedian talk regularly about the possibility of bringing Louie back to air, but they have yet to sit down in order to officially develop any new seasons. Although demand for more seasons of Louie – from fans as well as FX – has become incredibly apparent, C.K. himself has taken a major step back from the series in order to focus on other facets of his life and career.
This essentially leaves Louie in the same place as another beloved comedy series: Curb Your Enthusiasm. Similar to Louie, Larry David’s critically acclaimed HBO show is in limbo; it has not ended in any definitive fashion, but also has shown no guaranteed signs of returning. FX has granted Louie C.K. freedom to come and go from the series as he pleases because they care about the show and are more than willing to work around him. During the TCA panel for his upcoming FX series Baskets, C.K. himself admitted that he feels unsure as to when Louie will return to FX. He even went so far as to joke that it’s not outside the realm of possibility that he could simply wait until he becomes an old man to call up FX in order to get the ball rolling on more seasons – although none of us want that joke to become a reality.
So if you’re a fan of Louie, this news will likely come as bittersweet. While the show has not decisively come to an end or experienced any sort of cancellation, the ball remains firmly in Louie C.K.’s court as to when it will return. This could be years, or it could be decades. We will bring you any and all details related to a possible return for Louie as they become available to us.
