Haven't seen it yet, so for those who have, is it just a wannabe 'Louie' series?
All comedians are extremely aware of the success Louis C.K. has had with his fictional, life-like, single camera drama. Is Maron just trying to capitalize on this and have his version? Does it stand up to Louie?
I don't think Maron has Louie CK's likability. Maron comes off as a douchey twat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rToPNSZ7T1U
I disagree Athough Maron is simular to Louie it's not the same Maron is more Indie
shareIs that you, Dragonmaster? I am already sick of all you people who know one comedian and them think everybody is copying him. Great job!
shareWho is Dragonmaster? The reason I don't like Maron's act is I see it everyday at work and I saw it when I was in the Navy. I avoid annoying people and shows with annoying people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rToPNSZ7T1U
So you're on a message board for a show you've never seen...
shareI agree with the sentiment ronnieronb73, though I might've used other words.
shareI love Maron's work on WTF, but a TV show is going to flourish or fail on having a sympathetic character the viewer can relate to. I mean if I'm wrong tell me, but in Wilfred, say, the title character is a dick, but Ryan is a nice guy trying to please everybody. Kenny Powers is an *beep* but he's usually TRYING to do things just to be awesome, he's not trying to be mean.
People have mentioned Louis CK and the two shows couldn't be more different. Louie is about a single parent who does some douchey things but is basically a nice guy.
Maron has all this angry self-loathing - and the self-loathing is fine but when you're the angry guy shouting at a pregnant women, I mean who wants to watch that?
Hopefully it gets better as the season goes on.
Good analysis. I totally agree.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rToPNSZ7T1U
Love Marc... but the pilot was pretty bad.
One dog goes one way the other goes the other way and this guy's sayin ‘Whadda ya want from me?'
If its trying to be like Louie, it fails.
Louie is self-centered without being narcissistic. It's dark, but deep. It has heart. Plus, it's hilarious. It's *beep* poetry.
This show? I came in ready to love it, but I'm left feeling frustrated. It's mean-spirited. It's narcissistic in a way that completely lacks the self-awareness that Louie has. Even the moments that feel designed to make us think Maron has the ability to mock his self feel false and prideful.
I don't really think it's fair to compare shows, though. Each should be judged on their own. And on its own merits, Maron ultimately fails because it's not funny.
Are you basing "Maron ultimately fails" off one episode? If you are, I think its a little early to judge.
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I wholeheartedly disagree. That's exactly what a pilot is for, to judge the potential of a series.
A pilot has in its favor the capability of being the best episode of a series, because it's often been mulled over to perfection long before ever being greenlit. Network execs use the pilot to decide whether to purchase a season. Everyday TV watchers will generally always make their decision on whether to continue watching a tv show or not based on their first viewing.
It makes perfect sense that someone judges a show based on that first episode. With that said, there's been plenty of shows that require a handful of episodes to pick up steam. In that case positive reviews might pull a viewer back for a second chance.
They didn't have a pilot. The season is done. They won't be able to tweak the season based on the reception of a pilot. That's kinda unfortunate, though I am still largely optimistic - which is ironic for a fan of Maron.
shareThe show had a pilot. The first episode is not the pilot.
Shaka Da Gnu
Did you watch all the shows? I agree with your analysis. Though it did have it's moments. Maron isn't Louie and isn't trying to be, but there is going to be some overlap in shows about comedians and there lives (fictionalized).
The first couple shows were awkward but okay. Then I thought it had found it's stride and was much better. Especially, when the kid showed up. Then the last few episodes, it was just Maron hooking up with hot women and dumping them. Those shows weren't very funny or insightful about much of anything.
For some reason probably because of the stories I keep coming back. The thing that annoys me is his acting. When he's talking to another character he speaks ay that one volume level that sounds like he's giving a speech on his podcast. He doesn't sound like he is in a conversation, it's like he is too aware of his own voice.
shareI get more of a Wilfred type humor from the show, not so much Louie. I enjoy the show, but unlike many of the posters I didn't go into it assuming it was ripping of my favorite scripted show. It's not much like Louie in my opinion and it doesn't seem to be trying to do so. It's not like the title is Maren.
shareI thought the previews were funny. But when I watched the show, I was disappointed, because I had already seen all the funny lines. For me, its all about the "pilot". I give them my time for free once. They either earn it, or lose it.
shareIt's pretty obvious that Louie's critical acclaim will make many comedians 'dare' to make a show about themselves. That's where Louis CK opened doors, the small budget, personal dark comedy show which I haven't seen before.
You could argue Seinfeld was somewhat like that, but Seinfeld was a big budget TV sitcom with a lot of colorful sitcom characters. Yes it was atypical for the time in a lot of ways, but it still looked like a sitcom, it had a team of writers, etc... Louie is just its own thing.
From the pilot, right off the bat I got a 'Louie' vibe from 'Maron'. Even the name itself alludes to Louie. Granted, when I saw stand-up in Louie I immediately got a Seinfeld vibe, but then Louie turned out to be an original thing. It's up to Marc Maron now to take something that exists and transform it into its own thing. I wish him the best of luck.
I didn't like the pilot. But watching more, I ended up liking the series. It's really very different from 'Louie,' which I've also watched. The difference IMO is that Louie seems to be 'thinking out loud' and trying to pull in characters that kind of supplement or demonstrate that thinking. It's still VERY funny. But Marc Maron's show doesn't work that way for me. After the pilot, I liked the show much more because the humor comes from his interacting with other people and his 'thinking out loud' isn't the loudest thinking in the room.
shareGosh ... now I've gotta see this pilot!
I think I started at Episode 1 on Netflix and did feel I was being dunked right into something ... I figured it out, but the pilot might have made more sense of things.
Anyway ... Louie? I drew comparisons, but only in structure. I stopped watching Louie when he got the dog, because I didn't think I could take it if he took the dog back. I also felt Louie got ... I don't remember exactly what my complaint was, but grosser and grosser or more out in left field. They both do funny things with gay characters and other types we meet in life. I liked Louie all right and would probably keep watching if someone would tell me what happened with the dog. But I loved Maron, weird as some of his relationships are. Like the Danny Trejo episode, the last one (I think) with Eric Stolz, how that wraps up ... priceless. Plus it does have going for it as someone else alluded to here that it is a forum for lots of comics. Part of the joke I think is that the interviews keep coming back to Maron, who is a force in and of himself and I guess that's the comment. Like *spoiler* Adam Scott saying, "I thought you were going to interview me ... ?" (paraphrased). Remember, too, that Maron is Jewish. He reminds me so much of a Jewish boyfriend I had whom everyone compared to a young Woody Allen only this guy was pretty good-looking, like Maron.
The dog dies lol
Who's scruffy lookin'?
Maron is not a Louie wannabe. They are friends, so not surprised there's a similar sensibility.
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