Lucky Louie

Detroit Free PressMike Duffy

"Lucky Louie" is a true original -- a pleasantly twisted variation on "The Honeymooners" or "Roseanne" for the 21st Century.

The New York TimesVirginia Heffernan

The comedy is nifty, light and kind, even as it tries to be real, slitting open the stand-up themes of marital sex, masturbation and dope smoking until it's dirty enough to convince you that you're not being condescended to, but smart enough not to be grim. That's a huge feat.

Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron

There's no shortage of laughs.

Chicago TribuneAllison Benedikt

Subversively hilarious.

SalonHeather Havrilesky

If your family game nights tended to end with someone upturning the Monopoly board, then running to their room in tears, and your family trips hit their low point at a national monument in the middle of nowhere when someone abruptly got out of the car and refused to get back in, you're likely to find "Lucky Louie" fairly entertaining.

New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley

Deep it's not, but funny it often is.

Los Angeles TimesPaul Brownfield

It feels as if you've happened across a British sitcom or a rerun of "MADtv."

Washington PostTom Shales

"Lucky Louie" is not a runaway smash right out of the gate, but neither does it stumble or implode.

Entertainment WeeklyDan Snierson

His underdog charm is often overshadowed by flat jokes and foul one-liners that are all shock and no guffaw. [23 Jun 2006, p.63]

Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen

Often funny when it tackles taboo topics head on, the show walks a fine line between honesty and unnecessary crudeness, and it often goes a step too far.

VarietyBrian Lowry

Wildly uneven.

TV GuideMatt Roush

Uneven.

Chicago Sun-TimesDoug Elfman

Like "Roseanne," it can mine poverty for working-class laughs. It isn't executing that well, yet.

People WeeklyTom Gliatto

It's like a David Mamet parody of Roseanne. [19 Jun 2006, p.37]

San Jose Mercury NewsCharlie McCollum

It doesn't work, largely because there's not enough wit from creator and star Louis C.K. to make the vulgarity anything more than an exercise in blue.

NewsdayDiane Werts

There's certainly comedy to be found in these basic situations, but not in "Lucky Louie's" confounding approach or stilted presentation.

Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert

It's one of HBO's more fascinating series -- but not because it's good, or funny.

Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland

This is comedian Louis C.K.'s attempt to lampoon the classic half-hour sitcom, if by lampoon you mean drown it in toxic failure.

USA TodayRobert Bianco

A show so vile, it makes you think the company's arrogant It's Not TV -- It's HBO slogan isn't a brag -- it's a threat.