How Louie and Other Excellent Shows Hint at a Bright Future for Television

We've gotten pretty used to television networks not taking risks. I mean, that's pretty much their whole M.O., right? Why gamble on something you aren't sure about when Two and a Half Men and its ridiculously cliché jokes and entire format is still one of the highest rated shows ever. But those days may be over.

Louis C.K. is a pretty big name, but mainly amongst comedy nerds and other comedians. If I mentioned him to my mother she would likely have no idea who he was. Of course, she might not even recognize a name like Jerry Seinfeld, but that's besides the point. The point being that FX definitely didn't have a sure bet when they gave him total creative control to spend their money however he wanted. But it didn't matter.

Louie has a pretty modest budget compared to other comedies on TV. The aforementioned Two and a Half Men costs CBS millions per episode, while each episode of the first season of Louie was given a quarter of a million; the second season was increased to 300k. It's more than enough when C.K. is the editor, sole writer, sole director, and main star, and many of the rest of the cast are his comedian friends. Plus, it's shot on the Red camera (the high-quality digital camera known for making Hollywood-level shots more attainable to small-time filmmakers because of its low price point), and many of the episodes Louis edits on his own MacBook Pro.

This is the man you gave complete creative control to, FX? Balls.

Sure, not all television shows can function under the same kind of conditions. I don't think we'd all be so frantic to catch The Walking Dead every Sunday night if it had the same budget and was edited by one dude on his MacBook, but The Walking Dead is a very different type of show. It demands a higher budget, where as most comedies don't. With a comedy, all you really need is the right people. The right writers, the right names, the right creative minds. It all just helps to show that networks are starting to figure it out.

AMC and FX are two of the best examples. They've completely changed their images and forced their way into the mainstream lexicon by smartly placing their money behind true talent. Five years ago you probably didn't give either of them a second thought, or recognize them as a place where you can trust you'll find top-notch programming no matter what. Today, though?

With how much I enjoy Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, and what good things I've heard of Mad Men, I'll easily trust that Hell On Wheels is a show I should check out, just because it's on AMC. I've heard nothing about it, but the network it's on speaks volumes for its worth to me. The same applies for FX; Louie, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, and Archer make me want to watch Wilfred, despite the premise sounding absolutely ridiculous.

So, is this at all like that remake of The Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen?

It's a new day and age, and television networks need to act accordingly if they want to make a profit. It used to be people would watch things based solely on the time slot and successful shows weren't a very hard formula to calculate, you just had to stick it next to some already popular ones. (I came for Boy Meets World and Dinosaurs, I tolerated Step By Step and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper.)

Now if you want anyone to even pay attention you're going to need to be smart about it. I can't go to work on Monday without having caught the latest episode of The Walking Dead for fear of spoiler talk. Quality travels through word-of-mouth and via Internet comment sections, blog posts, and social networking sites more than ever these days. You have a hit on your hands when people are talking about it -- whether on the Internet or in the break room at work -- and no one is going to help spread the word about that new mediocre two-camera sitcom they watched because nothing else was on.

I'm just as confused by your success as you are that turkey.

Even the major networks are starting to figure that out. NBC has worked pretty hard to make their nightly comedy schedule one that people will want to share. With The Office, 30 Rock, Community, and plenty more, the quality is certainly there. Fox isn't as far along in the change-over, but they're clearly trying. It seems like CBS is the only one that is still having success by living in the Stone Age. Shows like Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly, and The Big Bang Theory might still be brainwashing the dim-witted, but I think those days are numbered.

I have hope for the future of Television. Like never before I actually give a shit about what is going to be on and I make a point to catch it, instead of just tolerating whatever is spoon-fed to me. Louie, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and so many other shows have redefined what TV means to me. They are the glimmer of hope for a brighter future for Television. One where quality is sought out, and falling back on the same old thing frowned upon. Do you see it too? Are you excited? Don't you want to live in that future?