Life with Louie
Series, 1995, The mid '90s, Set in Cedar Knoll, the 1960s
Life with Louie is #13 of 22 in release order and #13 of 22 in chronological order in the Fox Kids Classics.
The story
The 8-year-old Louie is doing his best to grow up and cope with a large family, a doting mother, a pesky little brother, and a by-the-book, military veteran dad. Add to that a slew of holiday family squabbles, a flood, an old Rambler and a huge goldfish, and you have the background for Life with Louie. Each episode is a portrait of humor and warmth drawn from Louie Anderson's real-life experience as a child in the Midwest.
Life with Louie recap
Life with Louie (1995) is comedian Louie Anderson's animated memory of being an eight-year-old in Cedar Knoll, Wisconsin, in the early 1960s. Anderson created it with Matthew O'Callaghan; after two episodes aired in primetime on Fox in late 1994, it moved to Fox Kids, running three seasons and 39 episodes from September 2, 1995, to March 2, 1998. Anderson voices both young Louie and his father Andy, a demanding World War II veteran full of war stories and firm opinions who cares more than he shows. Ora Anderson (Edie McClurg) is Louie's patient, kind mother, and Tommy (Miko Hughes) is the youngest brother Louie likes to tease, while most of his many older siblings stay in the background. Around town he has his best friend Jeannie Harper (Debi Derryberry), whom he has a crush on, the wealthy, sarcastic Mike Grunewald (Justin Shenkarow) and the bully Glen Glenn. From the second season each episode opens with the adult Anderson in live action saying, "Let me tell you about my family." When Mary Wickes, who voiced Ora's mother Henrietta, died during the second season, the writers built an episode around Louie coping with his grandmother's death. Anderson won Emmys for his performance in 1997 and 1998, and the series won the Humanitas Prize three times.
Life with Louie ending explained
Life with Louie ends with "Project: Mother's Day," aired March 2, 1998, in which Andy's mother comes to visit for Mother's Day while Ora falls ill, and Louie, doing all of her jobs, runs out of time to buy her a present. The episode serves as the series finale but closes the run quietly, with the Andersons just as they were. Louie is still eight, and the family stays in Cedar Knoll. No revival or follow-up series was made.
Ratings
IMDb 8.3/10
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Tick, before Goosebumps.
- Chronological order: after The Tick, before Goosebumps.
Cast
- Louie Anderson as Little Louie / Dad (voice)
- Edie McClurg as Mom (voice)
- Debi Derryberry as Jeannie Harper (voice)
- Miko Hughes as Tommy Anderson (voice)
- Justin Shenkarow as Michael Grunewald / Glen Glenn (voice)
- Terrence 'T.C.' Carson as Norton Jensen / Gus (voice)
- Liz Sheridan as Mrs. Stillman (voice)
- Benjamin Kimball Smith
- Mary Wickes as Grandma (voice)
- Gregg Berger
- Meagen Fay
- Tommy Hinkley as Mr. Grunewald (voice)
Created by Louie Anderson, Matthew O'Callaghan.