I think the best comedian working today is Louis CK - no one even comes close. The 44 year old has long been referred to as a "comedian's comedian" a very polite way of saying that he was well respected, but not very well known. That all changed last year when his superb FX series, Louie, picked up a barrage of Emmy nominations.
This year, CK broke the record for individual Emmy nods, picking up a staggering seven nominations for his show and stand-up special "Live at the Beacon Theatre." He also pioneered a new way of selling tickets, and filmed stand-up specials - to staggeringly successful results. Grosses for both are now well into the millions.
In an interview with The New York Times, he pondered that his recent record breaking success at the Emmys was "a lot of nominations." While the show itself wasn't nominated this year in Outstanding Comedy series, he adds "It feels selfish, because I was really rooting for everybody on my show, so I feel a little selfish." He added in his typically matter-of-fact fashion, "It’s my second season on television. I would have loved to see it nominated, for everybody that works for me. But I don’t think I got robbed or something. That’s all craziness and I don’t believe in that. We’re a little show on FX. Anything you get is great."
The first season is available now on DVD and I can't recommend it highly enough. CK's stand-up specials are also available, for a paltry $5 on his website, Louisck.net.
