Louis C.K.—Shameless

The veteran writer, standup comic, and star of the short-lived HBO sitcom Lucky Louie—not to mention a regular guest on the Leno, Letterman, and Conan O'Brien shows—takes center stage in this hour-shy set taped before a live audience in L.A. in January 2007. Louis C.K.'s comedy mainly centers on domestic issues: lying to a spouse, the loss of privacy that accompanies parenthood, the inevitable diminution of passion between long-married husbands and wives, the never-ending battle of the bulge, and so forth. The basic observations here aren't terribly original, but they're expressed rather more vividly than usual by the irreverent and profane Louis C.K. Although Shameless isn't likely to win the comic new converts, fans are likely to enjoy this HBO special. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (E. Hulse)