Horace and Pete is an American web series created, written, and directed by Louis C.K., who describes it as a tragedy.

[1] In addition to C.K., the series stars Alan Alda, Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco and Jessica Lange.

Dealing with the themes of abuse, mental illness, politics and family dynamics, the series focuses on Horace (played by C.K.

[4] The series is set in a run-down bar called Horace and Pete's in Brooklyn, New York.

The bar is old-fashioned and tradition bound, serving no mixed drinks, with the only beer they sell being Budweiser on tap.

had also offered the role to Jack Nicholson and Christopher Walken, before eventually considering and signing Alan Alda.

started writing the show in October 2015 and then as cast members came on board, he held rehearsals in January 2016.

Sections of the show's scripts were kept intentionally blank with placeholders to insert current events, like the upcoming presidential election.

said that what he was going to be doing (i.e., producing shows of varying length, using a theater-based approach to storytelling, distributing the show himself) was going to be so extreme he did not want to have funding from other sources, like FX Networks, even though notable entertainment professionals, including Lorne Michaels, strongly discouraged C.K.

revealed that guest actress Amy Sedaris, a late casting decision, had developed her own character and improvised all her dialogue.

[30] Horace and Pete's production, marketing, and distribution model sparked much debate over the strategic, financial, creative options available to content creators.

's work was compared to Kanye West[32] as both navigate funding singular artistic visions that focus on creative control and in C.K.

[33] C.K., during an extensive discussion with fellow comic Marc Maron, said that he wanted to open source the process by which he created the show, transparently sharing as much information as possible so others might be able to adopt and learn from his experience.

[34] Critics have been generally positive towards Horace and Pete, with a consensus and praise that the show feels like a filmed stage play.

[14][35][36] It was favorably compared to Playhouse 90, with critic Matt Zoller Seitz from Vulture calling it "aggressively classical.

"[37][38] The show has been described as being filmed live, with a realism that reflects technical imperfections that add to subtle moments by a cast of veteran actors.

[39] James Poniewozik of The New York Times called it a "messy experiment that stays just on the good side of pretentiousness.

"[40] Entertainment Weekly's Ray Rahman said of the performances, "Alda is magnetic as he descends into sadness, while Falco injects Horace and Pete with tissue-worthy emotion.

With a mean score of 8.7/10, the site's consensus states, "Horace and Pete creator Louis C.K.

uses his signature blend of awkward humor – and brilliant performances from a top-notch cast – to pull off an engagingly ambitious experiment in TV tragicomedy.

and Steve Buscemi, supporting actors Alan Alda, Steven Wright, Kurt Metzger, Jessica Lange and Edie Falco, and guest stars Laurie Metcalf and Aidy Bryant were reportedly submitted for nomination by C.K.

[47] Horace and Pete won the Peabody Award in 2016; the original announcement began: "Horace and Pete is a true original, a melding of contemporary politics and serialized storytelling with a throwback approach to in-studio drama harkening back to 1950s television.