Normally, I don't go for the type of sitcom made in the United States. As I'm English, the usual classics like "Friends" and "Seinfield" don't tend to match out against things like "The Office" and "Peep Show". Now, it's probably because I'm British that I've developed these comedy tastes, but I am in no way against the sort of stuff the USA turn out. "Scrubs", "Home Improvement" and "South Park" are some of my favourite shows of all time, all funny in their own ways. Recently I invested in series one of a very different show, something that I thought I'd buy after seeing a few clips on a TV special. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is the king of sitcoms - and here's why.
The idea is simple. Larry David (writer and co-creator of Seinfield) plays himself as he goes from place-to-place on life's adventures with a great supporting cast, including his wife Cheryl and best friend Jeff. As he goes, realistic situations develop, and here lies the comedy; Larry says and does the exact opposite to what a normal person would do - in essence, he says what you'd be thinking instead of pretending to be humble, polite or well-mannered. Of course, Larry can be humble, polite and well-mannered, but only to those who treat him the same way.
First off, the tagline "deep down you know you're him" is totally spot-on. The character of Larry is (secretly) somebody you know you are, it's just Larry tends to voice his opinion, state what's true and stand up for himself when things aren't his fault. Isn't this somebody we all wish we could be? I sure do, but it's Larry's lack of feelings for anybody but himself that sets him apart. Sure, he's a nice guy too - I'd be pals with him, and even more so for speaking his mind.
Of course, the comedy develops from a variety of other areas too. Our poor protagonist is normally punished in some way for speaking his mind, as it seems you can't get through life by simply saying what's right. Take the first episode for instance, Larry jokingly refers to his wife as "Hitler" whilst on the phone to his friend Jeff - little did he know, he was on speaker phone and Jeff's parents have heard. They're outraged, and why? ...they've got a cousin who was a gay holocaust survivor. Geesh! That's just one example however, and as the series develops, the plots and little stories tend to get better and better. The characters are very, very well done - and you have to remember, a lot of the show is improvised from a simple script outline. The actors were auditioned with Larry David himself and it shows that he's put time and effort into getting the show perfect - it really does.
In a nutshell, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is as realistic as "The Office", and in the same way, a very similar show. Where "The Office" used cringe-comedy to get us laughing, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" gets us laughing at what we know is true. It's a look at a character who we can love and adore, and yet still distance ourselves from because deep down, we know we're him... we just don't want to admit it.
The idea is simple. Larry David (writer and co-creator of Seinfield) plays himself as he goes from place-to-place on life's adventures with a great supporting cast, including his wife Cheryl and best friend Jeff. As he goes, realistic situations develop, and here lies the comedy; Larry says and does the exact opposite to what a normal person would do - in essence, he says what you'd be thinking instead of pretending to be humble, polite or well-mannered. Of course, Larry can be humble, polite and well-mannered, but only to those who treat him the same way.
First off, the tagline "deep down you know you're him" is totally spot-on. The character of Larry is (secretly) somebody you know you are, it's just Larry tends to voice his opinion, state what's true and stand up for himself when things aren't his fault. Isn't this somebody we all wish we could be? I sure do, but it's Larry's lack of feelings for anybody but himself that sets him apart. Sure, he's a nice guy too - I'd be pals with him, and even more so for speaking his mind.
Of course, the comedy develops from a variety of other areas too. Our poor protagonist is normally punished in some way for speaking his mind, as it seems you can't get through life by simply saying what's right. Take the first episode for instance, Larry jokingly refers to his wife as "Hitler" whilst on the phone to his friend Jeff - little did he know, he was on speaker phone and Jeff's parents have heard. They're outraged, and why? ...they've got a cousin who was a gay holocaust survivor. Geesh! That's just one example however, and as the series develops, the plots and little stories tend to get better and better. The characters are very, very well done - and you have to remember, a lot of the show is improvised from a simple script outline. The actors were auditioned with Larry David himself and it shows that he's put time and effort into getting the show perfect - it really does.
In a nutshell, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is as realistic as "The Office", and in the same way, a very similar show. Where "The Office" used cringe-comedy to get us laughing, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" gets us laughing at what we know is true. It's a look at a character who we can love and adore, and yet still distance ourselves from because deep down, we know we're him... we just don't want to admit it.