When sitcom writer Larry David received the news that his guinea pig show Seinfeld had been renewed for a second season, set to air January 23 of 1991, he was brought to tears. These were not tears of joy, as you might assume; rather, they were tears of sadness and utter shock and disappointment. David had been reluctant to write the show to begin with, working only on the strong advice of his esteemed colleague and cowriter/star of the show, Jerry Seinfeld. The premise of the “show about nothing” in which simple, everyday situations would be applied to four friends living in the bustling world of 90’s New York City was an original and funny idea to David, but he could not possibly see it working in the public eye. Each episode David wrote during season one he was sure would be the last. Since he thought there was no way the show would actually become popular, he believed it was simply a waste of time and energy, and he impatiently awaited its cancellation. That is why he was so perplexed and dismayed when he learned he would have to write yet another whole season of this show that was sure to be a flop. Little did David know that this “show about nothing” would soon be everything but. Seinfeld would go on to be renewed for nine seasons, and it would go down in history as nothing short of one of the greatest and most beloved sitcoms of all time. From waiting for a table at a Chinese restaurant for hours to being trapped by an angry mob after parking in a handicap spot, David’s consistent relation of real-life scenarios and ability to make them truly hysterical, is nothing short of incredible. However, as he easily could have (and many figured would have) David did not stop there. A few short years after the conclusion of Seinfeld in 1998, he went on to begin writing his next sitcom, Curb Your Enthusiasm, in which he was the star. Curb takes an even more simple, yet doubly hilarious take on the Seinfeldian idea of making everyday life hilarious, and with a touch of dry and inappropriate humor mixed in, which Seinfeld did not have. Curb follows the life of famous writer, Larry David (played by himself), and his life in Los Angeles. He lives in an amazing house, has a beautiful wife, and is friends with a boatload of famous actors and comics. Sounds like a pretty great life, huh? Nothing could be further from the truth. Episode after episode features scenarios in which David greatly offends someone, is offended, or suffers a wild combination of the two, and it always comes back to bite him in the end. No matter how good his intentions may seem, or how insignificant his odd everyday occurrences may appear, they will punish him in any possible number of ways. From garnering hate from the entire city after accidentally tripping basketball star Shaquille O’Neal while sitting courtside, to initiating a manhunt at his golf club after killing the owner’s beloved black swan after it attacked him, each wildly simple situation is more side-splitting than the last. Coupled with the unique sense of humor and impressively shameful yet relatable demeanor of the Larry David character, this show is none other than the funniest sitcom on television in the last two decades.
There are many different pieces of Curb that come together to contribute to its brilliantly hilarious status. The show’s ability to make everyday situations some of the funniest things we’ve ever seen is unmatched, even by Seinfeld, and this is the first and most obvious aspect of the show that makes it so funny. To give an example, in the very first episode, Larry is going to see a movie which his comic friend Richard Lewis and his date are also attending. When Larry tries to squeeze into the aisle to take a seat, the woman who has to move her legs so he can get by puts up a bit of a fuss. Larry then proceeds to confront her about it: “Is there a problem?” He sarcastically inquires. The two then proceed to get in a big fight about who was in the wrong. The situation escalates even further when the woman accuses Larry of looking at her breasts, to which he responds with a demeaning and hilarious knock, asserting that the breasts are fake. Little does Larry know, the woman he just jawed with is none other than his comedian friend’s date to the movie, and this little quarrel sets off a chain of events that will affect Larry’s plans in the next few days and will eventually come back to bite him, despite every ploy of his to rectify the situation while also maintaining his stubborn dignity (refusing to admit he was wrong). This is just one example of a repeating and yet fresh pattern in which an everyday occurrence that the audience can relate to is depicted, a twist is put into the mix of the situation by making it affect Larry in a broader context, a hilarious solution courtesy of our main character is relayed, and then a conclusion is made in which it all blows up in his face, often with a bit of slapstick humor for good measure. This structure makes for a timeless and endlessly funny show, and each new situation is just as original as the last; after all, there is an endless amount of scenarios to work with when you limit them to people’s everyday experiences. This brilliant pattern is coupled with unique dialogue that is remarkably reflective of everyday life. The conversations we hear in the show lack the aura of “resolution” we might typically see on television shows. With each conversation, we’re not sure if progress has been made or a regression has been suffered. But we know one thing for sure: we are really getting a kick out of watching the characters struggle and argue. Finally, the glue that holds the show together, the aspect that truly sets it apart from other shows, is the unique characterization of Larry David. Throughout the show, David takes on a forte in which he is a sort of “social assassin”; in other words, he is always the guy to say what everyone is thinking, and he has no shame or embarrassment at being the center of attention or the one deviant in a room of polite members of society. This relatively simple idea makes for a character that we’ve never seen before. He is so relatable and yet so different from ourselves and everyone we’ve ever met in that he doesn’t follow the typical “rules” laid out by society. Larry David’s portrayal of himself is funnier than any character in Seinfeld, or any character in any show for that matter, and that is what truly sets Curb apart from the rest of what is out there. So, if you haven’t seen the show, I highly recommend that you give it a try. But remember, curtail your excitement, it’s just a television show.