I'm Enthusiastic about "Curb" (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

Member Name: Wezzo

Product:	Curb Your Enthusiasm
Date:	27/07/07 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ingenious idea; Hilarious

Disadvantages: None

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" is perhaps the most original sitcom out there at the moment. OK, so "Malcolm In The Middle" and "Scrubs" proved network US sitcom didn't need a laugh track and "Arrested Development" proved they could pull of story arcs just as effectively as a serial drama. But in terms of ingenuity, none compare to "Curb Your Enthusiasm": a sitcom that has no script - it's improvised. And guess what? It's actually brilliant.

The brainchild of Larry "Seinfeld" David, this series - made for HBO in the States, so be warned of graphic language and sex references ahead - sees an exaggerated version of himself go about his daily life, getting into all manner of escalating social faux pas, heated confrontations and cringeworthy situations along the way. Chracters other than Larry himself include his "wife" (not his real wife) Cheryl David (played by Cheryl Hines); manager and friend Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin), willing to stick up for Larry at almost any turn; and Jeff's wife Susie Greene (Susie Essman), prone to exploding with profane tirades of abuse directed at both her husband and Larry when they get themselves in to another difficult situation. Richard Lewis (himself) is also a regular, a stand-up comedian and an old friend of Larry both within the show and in real-life.

The show is set in a Los Angeles somewhere in-between real life and fiction; while the Larry of the show is portrayed as the "Seinfeld" creator he truly is, he has an obstinate, prickly personality David claims to wish he had but doesn't due to his "sensitivity and adherence to social conventions", and his family and friends on the show don't reflect their real-life counterparts. It's really something of an alternate reality.

Plots tend to follow Seinfeld's "show about nothing" mandate, albeit on a more subversive, controversial level - example storylines include a very unfortunate typographical error in the obituary of a "beloved aunt"; a bulge in Larry's trousers that he feels looks suspiciously like an erection; a chef with Tourette's Syndrome; hiring a prostitute to allow Larry to use the car pool lane; and suspicions that a weatherman's forecasts may have an ulterior motive. Seasons 2 onwards also featured a storyline which ran throughout the season - for example Larry's starring role in a Broadway show, and his venture into restaurant shareholding. Guest stars range from the likes of David Schwimmer and Ben Stiller to Mel Brooks and Jorge Garcia (Hurley on "Lost") - many of whom play themselves.

As I pointed out earlier, this is a show without a script - but of course, while scripts are improvised, episodes have _some_ structure; Larry and co can't create such a winningly hilarious sitcom by the seat of their pants alone. Instead, Larry David produces a scene-by-scene synopsis ahead of time, briefly outlining what route the scene should take and where it needs to conclude; the cast then play out the scene as they wish, attempting to adhere to the rough guidelines ("retroscripting"). You'd be forgiven for refusing to believe this at first, though - while this show isn't home to multitudes of witty one-liners (nor should it be) the dialogue is always funny, due largely to the camaraderie of the core cast and their superb ability to converse realistically on-demand (sounds easy, I know, but try it - it's far harder than you think!).

Adding to the natural, improvisational feel is the fly-on-the-all documentary-style camerawork. It's never overly jerky and you can easily maintain focus on a character or set-piece but it's not as smooth as something like, say, "Seinfeld". It really gives the show an additional air of spontaneity, as does the superb theme music (Luciano Michelini's "Frolic" which is bouncy and circus-like in tone. The incidental music walks a similar line, and makes the hilarious showdowns and conflicts Larry inevitably ends up involved in all the more comical.

Each season of this show features ten episodes - not a huge amount compared to most US network shows, but it does compare favourably with most British shows, many of which are limited to just six episodes per run. Also remember that as this show airs on the premium channel HBO in the USA, episodes actually run the full 30 minutes (well, 28-31 minutes or so) as there are no advert breaks.

Seasons 1 to 5 of the show are available on DVD now (the R2 sets are roughly £10-15 each in the UK from Amazon and Play). More4 also sometimes air the show over here - usually around 10pm Sunday evenings. Season 6 begins in the USA on HBO later this year - you can expect a UK airing, and hopefully a DVD release, to follow early next year.

It's no wonder Larry David is adored by so many of his TV comedy counterparts - Ricky Gervais in particular admits to adoring the man. With this and "Seinfeld", David has sealed his place in the TV comedy canon for generations to come. "Shows about nothing"? Maybe, but they're damn good shows about nothing.

(This show contains very strong and frequent language and sex references. [BBFC: 3 episodes rated "18", 1 episode rated "PG", remainder rated "15" and "12"])

Summary: Brilliantly executed