The Larry Sanders Show

The Larry Sanders show was the best, nastiest, and funniest comedy program on either side of the Atlantic during the 1990s. Filmed without a laughter track, it features Garry Shandling as TV talk show host Larry Sanders (motto: "No flipping!"), who we follow on and off camera.

On camera, the Larry Sanders Show is slick, professional, and vacant, as celebrities appear pretending to be best of friends with Larry and delighted to be on the show when all they're really doing is plugging their latest product and when everyone in the paranoid entertainment industry actively hates everybody else. Exactly like real talk shows, in fact. As a parody, Larry Sanders is extremely subtle, aided by the fact that many A-list celebs from real life appear, showing a surprising willingness to send themselves up (David Duchovny, for example, features in one episode where the main storyline centres on his crush on Larry!). It's bad, but not obviously: you can really imagine it on air (in sharp contrast to Steve Coogan's Alan Partridge, who in real life would never make it even to hospital radio).

But the funniest material comes backstage. The leading characters (Larry, his loser sidekick Hank, and his alternately tough-talking and sycophantic producer Artie) are all so horrible, the main joke is basically that everyone continually behaves in a manner both in character, and yet also worse than you could possibly expect. The sheer unpleasantness of these individuals is jaw-dropping... you continually wonder "did he really just say that?" Hank, for example, after his agent has been hospitalised and he hasn't been allowed to visit, comments: "It's so unfair! I mean so much to him!" then immediately starts phoning potential successors. The character of Hank is perhaps the best of all, his role on the show is to appear talentless and genial alongside Larry, a role he fulfills with partial success because he is naturally talentless but not in the least genial! But all the cast (including many regulars) are wonderfully portrayed, Shandling is great but at the end of each brief episode you almost wish you had seen more of the others... in fact this is probably just another sign of the show's strength, instead of wheeling out our favourites each week for a familiar laugh, this show is always looking for fresh ways to make us uncomfortable.

In some ways this is a very un-American program (there's not an ounce of sentiment, or a hint of redemption for its characters). In the UK, Peter Kay's "Phoenix Nights" is perhaps the closest thing to a successor. But the Larry Sanders show remains a major loss from the late-night schedules.

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.

Larry Sanders has a broad range of humor. When on camera, the humor comes from how unfunny these characters actually are in front of the camera and how funny the audience finds it. Anyone who watches late night talk shows can relate to the "mock show" portion of each show. The behind the scenes, which makes up most of each episode relies on the situations as well as the dialogue which is usually very funny and well written, like something that would actually be said.

The characters were all very different and well written. Larry Sanders, played subtly and brilliantly by Gary Shandling. Larry is always smiling, whether he's happy or not. He's self centered, but not too much of a jerk. His manager Artie (Rip Torn) is more over the top rude and loud, but he's not an unbelievable character. Then there's Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) who plays second banana to Larry and the talk show, but on this show, often steals the episodes, taking many of the main plot lines, and he is hilarious as the alternate universe Ed MacMahon. Along with these three, there are many other less important characters, all very funny.

Overall, Larry Sanders was usually hysterical, but when not, it was still one of the most brilliant shows on television.

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

The award winning Larry Sanders show is subtle genius. Brilliantly written, superbly acted and hilarious, it took the documentary style comedy of Spinal Tap and re-tuned it to define a new sitcom style that inspired many other shows including Brit comedy The Office.

It ran alongside Sienfeld during the 90s but seems to have been overlooked by the mainstream and is in danger of slipping into obscurity.

The series follows the days in the lives of everybody involved in the production of a popular late night American talk show. The action centers around the three main characters, Larry Sanders the star and host of the show, Rip Torn's hilarious producer, Artie and the wonderful Hank Kingsley, Larry's sidekick.

The action is split into two styles, the behind the scenes docu-drama and the actual broadcast talk show. The two formats cleverly cut to tell the story of the characters. I don't know how they do it but the show is subtle and understated but at the same time fast moving and in your face.

I haven't seen the American version of The Office yet, but I strongly suggest that you don't even bother with it - just watch this instead. There are at least 7 or 8 series of it and you have to watch them in sequence too, because the stories cleverly develop and come to almost apocalyptic climaxes.

Do it!