The Larry Sanders Show

Avant-garde and iconic in many ways, the Larry sanders show paved the way for later tv comedies like The Office, 30 rock, etc.

The show is about... well, a show. The viewer get a behind the scenes look into show business and the world of Hollywood in the 90s. It's very topical due to the nature of it being a talk show using real guests, but it only ads to the realness of it.

Not quite a mockumentary (the 4th wall is never broken) and seemingly mostly scripted with streaks of improv and natural, overlapping dialogue, the writing at times comes off as intentionally 'regular' before being unexpectedly whipped in a direction of authenticity and cynicism.

The show is mostly carried by the characters of Larry sanders (Gary shandling), Arty the producer (Rip Torn) and Hank Kingsley (Jeffrey tambor) as well as a talented and funny supporting cast.

Hank Kingsley may be the funniest TV character in all of television... And I mean that as no exaggeration. I have never laughed out loud at a singular character more than any other. Out of all the characters he somehow feels the most real, and is somehow so likable despite being such a despicable person. A legendary performance by Jeffrey tambor.

This show is a must see for any comedy aficionado.

Hands down - this is my favorite television program, ever. For me, it replaced "Columbo" (especially the earlier ones) in this regard. Built around Garry Shandling's delightfully diverse character - the extremely-talented on-air Larry, who is equally-neurotic in his personal life, it presents everything one could want from any piece of entertainment. With Jeffrey Tambor and Rip Torn perfectly-cast in their sidekick and producer roles - there is a legion of talented others in terms of supporting cast, and a horde of A-list celebrities appearing as themselves, both as guests on the fictional show and in Larry's personal life.

Whatever the assigned characteristics the writers have provided the supporting cast and guests - sneaky, smarmy, confrontational, naive, insincere, unpredictable, etc,, etc. - it seems that everything, every characterization, every situation is carried-off without fault and is thoroughly amusing. Where the situation or drama had more serious elements, these were also well-done, without detracting from the show's overall humor.

A major affirmation of this show's appeal, for me (if I needed one) is that even where a guest appeared who was far from a favorite of mine (Rosanne would be the best example) even that person was engaging in the role within the program.

This program also was one where the "salty" language, which occurred in abundance, always added to the quality of the programming and stories, never seeming at all gratuitous. And another confirmation of the quality of this series is that in its subsequent re-runs, especially on local outlets, where many words are "bleeped," the programs are still completely entertaining.

Certainly everyone will have certain favorite episodes. However, this is a show which one can enjoy whenever seeing it again, whatever episode(s) are viewed, and irrespective of how many times they may have been seen before.

I know the participants have gone on to other separate endeavors. But I, for one, would love to see, say, a mini-series where HBO would present "the network" luring Larry, Artie and Hank "out of retirement," and having them do a series of retrospective "Larry Sanders Shows" as part of celebration of some sort of network milestone.

One of my local stations used to run two episodes late each Saturday night. I was able to see a few when aired, but made certain I taped all of them to see within the following few days. I'm surprised that I haven't already bought all of the series available on VHS or DVD, but intend to do so in the near future. These shows are the type which, even after multiple viewings, are more entertaining to see again than most alternatives available for the first time

This was a smart,funny and very cynical show that showed Hollywood behind and in front of the cameras. This show may have been about Larry, but some of its funniest moments were all about Hank. Hank Kingsley was one of the most hysterically funny characters in TV history. Hank had such an underlying sense of poignancy and humanity that you had to feel bad for him. One of my favorite scenes from the series is when Artie put Hank into a headlock to keep him from speaking at Larry's roast. Hank actually sat back down at the roast after the headlock as if nothing had happened - imagine the low self worth the man must have had to not just storm out of the banquet hall. Another funny episode is where Hank insists on having Phil write up a script for "Hank's Hot Potato," a backwards, confusing game of Hot Potato. After Phil writes something that includes the audience shouting out a profanity at Hank, all Hank can do is comment on the fact that the audience wasn't supposed to have a line. My favorite episode has to be the one with "Hank's Look Around Restaurant". The tables moved around so you have a different view every few minutes. Everyone knew it was a bad idea, but Hank wanted it so badly. When Larry is eating there, the tables creak and wobble and the glasses tip over...it kills me every time. To quote Artie, "That's great television, my friend." And of course, Rip Torn was superb as Artie, the producer whose years of experience in Tinseltown had made him bitter, over-aggressive, disenchanted to the point of being total sullen, and perhaps more realistic than anyone else in that environment.

Also, as an aside, if you buy the entire series don't let season one throw you. The characters struggle trying to find themselves, and Larry is even married during that first season, still I'd highly recommend the entire series as quite hilarious.

The comedy is on point 90% of the time. The characters are believably insane. The stories are understandable and to the point. The series maintains it's quality (albeit it does get kind of dark in the last season or two). Really a fun watch for the incompetence and insecurities on display. Easy to watch as a main focus and passable for background (you will miss much of the performance, there are a surprisingly large amount of site gags). Recommend to really anyone.

Sufficiently skewers the late-night circuit. The most important names in 21st century comedy were on this show. Forget Seinfeld, this was the funniest show on TV of its time, because it felt so real. Can Garry Shandling ever do another show after this? He may have shot his career in the foot after exposing the true demons that run in entertainment circles. Devastatingly funny and will be influential to many. One of a kind. "I hate you, I hate my audience, I hate this network, I hate this job, I hate myself. So, your show is on Tuesdays at 8:30 on ABC, right? We'll be right back. Stay tuned."