Curb Your Enthusiasm: Trailer, certificate and where to watch
Comic Larry David plays a heightened version of himself in this comedy gem
Year: 2000-2024
Certificate: 18
Some fans believe this to be one of the best comedies in history. It is certainly one of the surprise hits of the comedy world, a partly improvised show starring Seinfeld co-creator and comic Larry David as a version of himself. Tactless, curmudgeonly, socially inadequate but strangely loveable, this Larry has also had late success with a hit show called Seinfeld. Not much tends to happen in the episodes themselves - the comedy flows from the minutiae and pettiness of daily life for Larry, who frequently chooses to ignore social conventions and falls out with people left, right and centre.
So it went for 11 glorious series, during which David had a standing agreement with HBO that he'd make new series when he's good and ready, rather than having to respect the traditional grind of an annual production schedule. David called time on Curb more than once during that time but, when he announced the 12th series, it emerged that he actually meant it:
'As Curb comes to an end, I'll now have the opportunity to finally shed this "Larry David" persona and become the person God intended me to be - the thoughtful, kind, caring, considerate human being I was until I got derailed by portraying this malignant character,' remarked Larry about the return of a show he began more than 25 years ago with the one-off special Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The final 12th series opens with David riding the fame of the Young Larry show, the breakout star of which is a smug rising actress who seems tailor-made to irritate him. Irritations are what Curb is all about, of course, and the first episode is full of those, from an incident with a pair of stretched glasses to an argument over nicknames Larry can't seem to let go off, and a dispute with hotel housekeeping about toilet water. It's all vintage, perfectly executed Curb material and, even if it does occasionally feel almost like a parody of itself, it's still hilarious - and that's what counts.
It's since been announced that David will return to HBO with a historical sketch comedy produced by the Obamas. Will Barack himself turn up as a guest star? Curb was certainly known for its guest stars, after all... (12 series)
