Life with Louie
An animated look at Louie Anderson's 1960s childhood.
Louie Anderson and Matthew O'Callaghan created the animated sitcom Life with Louie for Fox. It dramatizes Anderson's 1960s childhood in the made-up Wisconsin town of Cedar Knoll. Two episodes aired in Fox primetime late in 1994, then the show ran Saturday mornings on Fox Kids from 1995 to 1998. Disney took over the series in 2001 after buying Fox Kids Worldwide.
Quick Facts
- Runtime
- 22–24 minutes
- Creator
- Louie Anderson, Matthew O'Callaghan
- Producer
- Louie Anderson
- Ahmos Hassan
- Matthew O'Callaghan
- Martha Carrol
- John Lanza
- Country
- United States
- Company
- Fox Children's Productions
- Hyperion Animation
- The Anderson/Hassan Company
- Network
- Fox Kids
- First aired
- 2 September 1995
- Last aired
- 2 March 1998
Facts from the source article.
Characters
Louis "Louie" Anderson, voiced by Louie Anderson, is an 8-year-old boy living in Cedar Knoll, Wisconsin. He is sensitive, humorous, impressionable, and intelligent, often using his sense of humor to handle difficult situations and standing up for his own rights and those of others. His catchphrase is "All right!" Jeannie Harper, voiced by Debi Derryberry, is Louie's best friend who often defends him from bullies; Louie has a crush on her. Michael "Mike" Grunewald, voiced by Justin Shenkarow, is a sarcastic friend from a wealthy family, which sometimes causes Louie jealousy. Toddler Tobolinski is another friend, shorter than the others and fond of recess. Scott Jensen appears frequently in the first and third seasons but rarely in Season 2. Andrew "Andy" Mortimer Anderson, also voiced by Louie Anderson, is Louie's demanding yet caring father, a World War II veteran who tells stories of his time in Europe. Andy has a comic superiority complex and is unaware of his limitations, but is secretly a gifted chess player who hid his skill due to past mistreatment. He owns a Rambler sedan and uses catchphrases "For crying out loud!" and "I heard that." Ora Anderson, voiced by Edie McClurg, is Louie's kind and sweet-natured mother who acts as the voice of reason. Thomas "Tommy" Anderson, voiced by Miko Hughes, is Louie's younger brother whom Louie often teases.
Intro and theme song
For Seasons 2 and 3, the introduction shows the main character running to a TV set, turning a dial, and revealing a live-action video of adult Louie Anderson saying, "Let me tell you about my family." Clips follow, including Andy Anderson pulled by sled dogs, Louie with chopsticks in his nose, and Louie jumping off a diving board. The show's pink logo appears in the bottom left corner as the main character, wearing sunglasses, eats a dot while sitting on a raft watching a tire-mounted TV. Season 1 used a live-action intro with Louie Anderson speaking to the audience about his childhood before dissolving into the show.
Home media and merchandise
Merchandise included apparel, episode videos, a "Lake Winnibigoshish" CD-ROM, a comic book, and a six-book series based on episodes. Kids' meal toys were produced for Taco Bell (1996), Hardee's (1997), Jack in the Box (1997), and Dairy Queen (1999). Life with Louie-branded SpaghettiOs in character shapes were also available. In early January 2006, TVShowsOnDVD.com reported that Louie Anderson mentioned on KQRS-FM that a US DVD release was planned, but no further news emerged, and it is unknown if the series will be released in the US following Anderson's death in 2022. Three 2-episode sets were released in the United Kingdom in summer 2007 as Life with Louie: Volume 1, 2, and 3 through Boulevard Entertainment under the Jetix brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of Life with Louie are there?
Life with Louie has 39 episodes across 3 seasons.
When did Life with Louie first air?
Life with Louie first aired on 2 September 1995.
When did Life with Louie end?
Life with Louie last aired on 2 March 1998.
More in Television Series by Fox Television Animation
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