Curb Your Enthusiasm

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Season 11 has just released. Episode 1 was very funny. (Larry never seems to change.)

Excited that handsome Reid Scott from Veep is part of this season. Ditto Jon Hamm.
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I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.



I like "Curbed." I actually prefer it to "Seinfeld," and you can see from the show that the real genius behind the success of "Seinfeld" was Larry David.



I like "Curbed." I actually prefer it to "Seinfeld," and you can see from the show that the real genius behind the success of "Seinfeld" was Larry David.
Never liked Seinfeld. Or Friends.



Have just recently gone back to watch Seinfeld from its season 1, courtesy of Netflix. Very funny stuff, fresh and unique for 1989-98, "a show about nothing".

The banter and style is basically NYC Jewish, which, being funny in itself, makes the exaggerated minutia of the subjects even funnier.

The cast works perfectly together. My favorite? Cosmo Kramer.



I found it interesting how many situations, scenarios & gags (or near variations thereof) that Larry David recycled from Seinfeld to use on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Not to mention how many Seinfeld alumni he gave jobs to on Curb.

(Not a criticism. The 2nd item is commendable in the same way that Seinfeld gave a lot of work to older comedians during the show's run.)






Just started binging this show recently and am currently about halfway through season five. This half-hour HBO sitcom reinvented television comedy the same way David's Seinfeld did. This fictionalized look at David's life and career centers on possibly the most politically incorrect character on television ever. I've read for years that the character of George Costanza was inspired by Larry David and you can definitely see that in this show. This guy is such a social moron and totally unaware of it sometimes. Common courtesy and tolerance often goes out the window for this guy and sometimes you wanna do a Cher in Moonstruck: slap him across the face and say "Snap out of it!" Cheryl Hines displays flashes of brilliance as Larry's VERY patient wife. The casting of Jeff Garlin as Larry's best friend and manager, brings an element of squirm to the proceedings, considering the recent allegations that got him fired from The Goldbergs and sometimes Susie Essman is like nails on a chalkboard as his wife. I like the fact that some of the episodes are self-contained within the thirty minute format and there are also long-term storylines that stretch over several episodes, like Larry trying to open a restaurant with Ted Danson and Michael York, or his attempts to develop a new series for Jason Alexander, who he got into a fight with because Jason always wanted to meet at his office instead of at Larry's office. Instead of dropping the idea, he than takes it to Julia Louis Dreyfuss, but he screws that up too because he has made enemies at HBO and every other studio in town. I think my favorite story arc so far was when Mel Brooks decides to have Larry replace Nathan Lane in The Producers initially working with Ben Stiller, but after Larry pisses Ben off, David Schwimmer takes over. The show is also heaven for star-gazers and I love the fact that Larry has no problem casting long absent from the screen veterans in guest roles. I almost fell out of my chair when I realized that comedy legend Shelley Berman was playing Larry's father. As infuriating as Larry might be, this guy NEVER fails to make me laugh.



I watched all the seasons, and I enjoyed most of the episodes although I got a little tired of the language. Also almost every bit devolves into a heated argument, which gets old. Still, I'll probably investigate his last season.



I think this is a truly great show. It's without a doubt my favorite current comedy and I'll be sad to see it go. I'd like it better if it didn't have so much sexualized humor, which I really don't resonate with or enjoy. But, the Larry character is wonderful and the situations he puts himself in, even when not laugh out loud funny, are consistently amusing. I actually feel like this show could go on for even longer, since it seems like a timeless premise, and I'm sure Larry David could continue to come up with social commentary that he could express through his character. I'm not sure why he's quitting, as I'm confident HBO would be interested in keeping it going. He is 76, so perhaps that's the reason why the show is ending.



Wanted to pop back over because I am now three episodes into season 8 and was troubled by a couple of storyline arcs that I hadn't encountered during my last post. First of all, I found the story of Larry and Cheryl taking in the Black family who lost their home in a hurricane completely infuriating. The family was headed by brother and sister Leon and Loretta, played by JB Smoove and Vivica A Fox, respectively, their mother and Loretta's two kids. It was annoying the way this family wasn't the least bit appreciative of what the Davids were doing for them, complaining about absolutely everything. I knew we were in trouble when Larry asked Loretta not to smoke in the house and she ignored him and before they went to bed, Loretta's smoking caused a fire in Larry's house. It doesn't help that I have never been able to tolerate JB Smoove, I don't know how this guy keeps getting work, one of television's most annoying screen presences. Fox and the rest of the Black family have been written off, but for some unfathomable reason, Larry has chosen to keep Smoove on the show. Not happy at all about Larry and Cheryl separating, though I do understand Cheryl's side. Loved that scene on the airplane with Cheryl and tivo guy. Also loved the episode where Larry somehow ends up as the uber driver for John McEnroe. The story of Larry agreeing to oversee a Seinfeld reunion has been inspired because I've read for years that Jerry has never expressed interest in doing this, but I liked that he agreed to do it in a fictional context, but Larry hasn't made a single correct move in this story because he decided to use the show as a way to get Cheryl back by offering her the role of George's ex without discussing it with anyone. This was one story where Larry got everything he deserved. Also wanted to mention that I'm totally over the character of Marty Funkhauser, played by Bob Einstein, one of the most obnoxious TV characters I have ever seen, every time he appears onscreen, I want to punch him in the face.



Wow. You have gone through this series quite fast! Glad you are continuing to enjoy it. The Black family storyline didn't bother me, but I do agree with you on JB Smoove and Cheryl's separation from Larry. I don't like Smoove either (he remains in the show for the duration, by the way. He is in all the remaining seasons). I actually don't think the divorce seemed warranted either. It was definitely an insensitive thing to do on Larry's part, but to get a divorce over it didn't make sense to me. I understand it may have been building and "the last straw", but in the context of their relationship, when he does insensitive things all the time and she just "gets him" and loves him anyway, I don't think it was true to her character to separate. I think they did this to open up the storyline to more possibilities, like Larry dating and the like, since that brings with it more options for comedy, although I prefer the storylines when they are together than when they are not. I'm hoping they get back together in this final season.



Much to my amazement, I am re-watching the entire 11 seasons prior to the latest season, which I am also watching. Didn’t plan this, it just happened.



Despite the way overuse of language in the series, I think JB Smoove is very funny as a parody of a ghetto black. He can't say a sentence without the liberal use of Fs and MFs. The whole idea of Larry having him live in his home is funny in itself because it's so unlikely. I don't recall the reason that started in the story.

The continual use of language, frank sexual situations and breaking sexual taboos simply seem to me to be saying: "Look, this is HBO, we can be as rank as we want."

But David's writing is generally clever. Oh, I too quickly tired of Marty Funkhauser's use.



Watched a couple of funny episodes last night. One involved a trip to New York for Larry, Jeff, and Sussie where, after an incident on the plane, they attended a performance of a play starring Ricky Gervais called Mr Symington which also involved a $300 bottle of wine, a loaf of very hard French bread, and a memorable subway ride. It began to look like an episode where, for once, Larry might come out on top, but they pulled the rug out from under our boy the final minute of the episode. The other episode involved Larry and Rosie O'Donnell competing for the attentions of the same woman (Amy Landecker) and again, it looked like Larry was going to be a winner until he decides to take some bad advice from Leon (JB Smoove). Can't stand that guy...the character or the actor.



I’m on season 3, episode 4. These funny little episodes are going down very well.

It’s strange how they made Susie a weird “character” in clothes, makeup & hair. She was good-looking at the beginning of the show & gradually got very weird.



Watched season 8, ep 8 this morning which had me on the floor. Larry, Jeff, and Sussie are still in New York and it involved Larry's new personal trainer (Cheyenne Jackson) and featured Aida Turturro as the wife of an inventor trying to get Larry and Jeff to invest $250,0000 in his latest invention. Grant Shaud and Lenny Venito were also featured in guest roles.
Funny stuff



Watched season 8, ep 8 this morning which had me on the floor. Larry, Jeff, and Sussie are still in New York and it involved Larry's new personal trainer (Cheyenne Jackson) and featured Aida Turturro as the wife of an inventor trying to get Larry and Jeff to invest $250,0000 in his latest invention. Grant Shaud and Lenny were also featured in guest roles.
Funny stuff
I don’t think I’ve seen Aida in anything since The Sopranos. Can that be true?



First thing I've seen her in since The Sopranos, which I am also binging right now.
The Sopranos is my fave show ever. Aida was brilliant in it.