Curb Your Enthusiasm

[Paul]

I never saw a single episode of Seinfeld and never caught any of this either, first time round. However, More4 are repeating it from the start on Sunday nights and I've been watching it. It's very funny. Like a more sardonic version of Basil Fawlty, but American. And angry. Any other fans out there?

[RedKnight]

I never saw a single episode of Seinfeld and never caught any of this either, first time round. However, More4 are repeating it from the start on Sunday nights and I've been watching it. It's very funny. Like a more sardonic version of Basil Fawlty, but American. And angry. Any other fans out there?

 

I absolutely adore Seinfeld and watched it when BBC2 used to screen three times a week in the early hours. Everyone I knew wouldn't give it the time of day which really used to piss me off(although me and my mates were 16 at the time) and I was made up when they started releasing on DVD. Although everyone claims to have watched it for years and acknowledges it as brilliant.

 

Curb Your Enthusiasm is basically Seinfeld with more of Larry Davids skewed POV and, of course, swearing. For me CYE could be just as great as Seinfeld when it's all said and done. Larry Davids ability to create an argument in an empty room is amazing and you can feel the genuine frustration come across; a testimony to the performers in the show.

 

CYE hasn't shown signs of flagging yet, probably because it takes every day quirks and actions and magnifies them; and lets face it, there's an inexhaustible supply of those scenarios. Every episode is fantastic and, as mentioned before, is a a credit to HBO.

[Captain]

I never saw a single episode of Seinfeld and never caught any of this either, first time round. However, More4 are repeating it from the start on Sunday nights and I've been watching it. It's very funny. Like a more sardonic version of Basil Fawlty, but American. And angry. Any other fans out there?

In that case you missed out on one of the great sit coms of the nineties, of not the sitcom of the nineties.

 

Brilliant stuff imo.

[Paul]

I absolutely adore Seinfeld and watched it when BBC2 used to screen three times a week in the early hours. Everyone I knew wouldn't give it the time of day which really used to piss me off(although me and my mates were 16 at the time) and I was made up when they started releasing on DVD. Although everyone claims to have watched it for years and acknowledges it as brilliant.

 

Curb Your Enthusiasm is basically Seinfeld with more of Larry Davids skewed POV and, of course, swearing. For me CYE could be just as great as Seinfeld when it's all said and done. Larry Davids ability to create an argument in an empty room is amazing and you can feel the genuine frustration come across; a testimony to the performers in the show.

 

CYE hasn't shown signs of flagging yet, probably because it takes every day quirks and actions and magnifies them; and lets face it, there's an inexhaustible supply of those scenarios. Every episode is fantastic and, as mentioned before, is a a credit to HBO.

I think a lot of it is improvised, too. How many times do the characters start laughing and you tell that it's genuine laughter, rather than acted?

[sh#t waffle]

I think a lot of it is improvised, too. How many times do the characters start laughing and you tell that it's genuine laughter, rather than acted?

Actually, from having seen the Ricky Gervais interview with Larry David, surprisingly little of it is improvised. It's still the funniest show on tv though, and Seinfeld is probably the best straight sitcom of all time..

[RedKnight]

I think a lot of it is improvised, too. How many times do the characters start laughing and you tell that it's genuine laughter, rather than acted?

 

I watched a special on Channel4 with Ricky Gervais and Larry David a few months back. Larry David told Gervais that what he likes to do is lay out the storyline and how he want each scene to develop but lets the actors improvise most of the dialogue. Larry David said that he also picks the supporting cast based on whether they will be able to flesh the character they play. It's a very innovative way of doing a mainstream sitcom(although I hesitate to call it that) and would recommend you seek out Seinfeld as well. Set your Sky+ for it on Paramount Comedy, it will take a while to work out the set-up and characters but you'll be rewarded for it.

[Paul]

I watched a special on Channel4 with Ricky Gervais and Larry David a few months back. Larry David told Gervais that what he likes to do is lay out the storyline and how he want each scene to develop but lets the actors improvise most of the dialogue. Larry David said that he also picks the supporting cast based on whether they will be able to flesh the character they play. It's a very innovative way of doing a mainstream sitcom(although I hesitate to call it that) and would recommend you seek out Seinfeld as well. Set your Sky+ for it on Paramount Comedy, it will take a while to work out the set-up and characters but you'll be rewarded for it.

Thought so. There was a moment last week where he's in a restaurant chatting to his manager and they both start pissing themselves after a little bit of verbal jousting and quippery. You could see the genuine laughter in Larry's eyes.

[RedKnight]

Thought so. There was a moment last week where he's in a restaurant chatting to his manager and they both start pissing themselves after a little bit of verbal jousting and quippery. You could see the genuine laughter in Larry's eyes.

 

 

That is what sets it apart from most comedies. If you ever listen to commentaries on Simpsons DVDs the writers will tell you that they lose some really funny jokes in that show because of the writing process. Sometimes a script will be revised and checked so many times that they no longer find the joke funny and take it out; in hindsight the writers realise that dropping certain jokes was an error but they find it diificult to distinguish whats good and bad after seeing it so may times. Obviously that isn't a problem if most of the show is improvised.

[Nunavut Patrick]

I have attempted to model my life on George Costanza.

[Ted]

Curb is probably the funniest sitcom to come out of America in years. Anyone know when series 5 is out on DVD?

[Hoddy]

I've just finished the third series now, and one or two episodes and situations have started to become just a little bit irritating and a tad contrived.

 

The first two series are brilliant though. Best comedy I've seen for years.

[Kev Saunderson]

I've just finished the third series now, and one or two episodes and situations have started to become just a little bit irritating and a tad contrived.

 

The first two series are brilliant though. Best comedy I've seen for years.

 

Fuck you, you carwash cunt.

 

Best comedy on TV by far. What the Sopranos is to Drama TV, this is to funny shows.

[Paul]

Fuck you, you carwash cunt.

 

Best comedy on TV by far. What the Sopranos is to Drama TV, this is to funny shows.

I don't know what this means, but I think I like it (I'm assuming it's not actually as a aggressive as it first appears).

[Hoddy]

I don't know what this means, but I think I like it (I'm assuming it's not actually as a aggressive as it first appears).

 

'Carwash cunt' is an insult laid down right at the end of the third series. Excellent episode, and easily the best of that particular run.

[Vim Fuego]

It's definately one of the best things on tv, my favourite episode's probably the one where he's fitted with a heart monitor.

Has anyone seen a programme on Bravo called It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Saw it for the first time last night, pretty funny in a trying to cross My Name is Earl and Curb your Enthusiasm kind of way.

[Mook]

[Mook]