Tell me about Curb Your Enthusiasm

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Living in continental Europe, I haven't been able to catch 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' on any network. People say that it is as good as Seinfeld, but without Jerry. That sounds VERY interesting to me, to say the least, as I am a huuuge Seinfeld fan.

So what's the verdict? I like to know befor I rush out and buy it on DVD.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

it's basically seinfeld with george as the hero and cursing

― ryan (ryan), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:38 (twenty-two years ago)

and LA!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

and no laugh track/audience and a hand-held camera

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Would Seinfeld have been funnier with cursing?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

this is getting better and better ...

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

When it's good, it's the best show ever, damn straight period.

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

probably not. it's their eccentricity that's funny, not their vulgarity.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:43 (twenty-two years ago)

i like seinfeld better. sometimes it seems that larry is trying to play all the characters of that show in one person (the uncomfortable honesty of kramer mixed with george's self-hatred and neurosis and jerry's sarcasm)

― ryan (ryan), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't start with the most recent season. Pick up the DVD of season #1 and go from there.

― mike a, Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Larry David kicks Jerry Seinfeld's ass!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

metimes it seems that larry is trying to play all the characters of that show in one person

but all those characters exist because they were aspects of his personality

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Seriously, Anthony. I watch Seinfeld reruns now and I see Larry David's indelible stamp in ways I didn't before.

― mike a, Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:46 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah possibly. i do prefer jerry to larry david tho. his non-acting is always hilarious.

are the more conceptual seinfeld episodes (the chinese restaurant, the parking garage) more jarry or more larry?

― ryan (ryan), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

jarry. haha

― ryan (ryan), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:49 (twenty-two years ago)

who is larry david? another stand-upper?

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Larry was a stand-up in the 80s, but by most accounts, never reached any kind of huge success due to his tendency to alienate audiences with his confrontational stage presence. At the same time, what he was doing was the same kind of observational stuff that Seinfeld became known for. The idea for Seinfeld was born when Jerry and Larry were walking around NYC and making snarky comments about everywhere they went; supposedly, Larry said, "This should be a TV show."

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, I describe it as Seinfeld but improvised. I think the improvisation is one of the keys to what I like about the show.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

thanks jaymc. swell. gues i gotta buy it then. any news on when the seinfeld dvd's will be out? (i know about the battle between the actors etc.)

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:58 (twenty-two years ago)

the battle?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:58 (twenty-two years ago)

$$$

― ryan (ryan), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:59 (twenty-two years ago)

suredat.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:59 (twenty-two years ago)

The conceptual stuff is mory Larry. He seems to delight in wild goose chases, cascading mistakes and miscommunication. There's no layer of comfort or cartooning with the Larry show. Kinda like "The Office." Oh and way more Jewish.

― sexyDancer, Tuesday, 23 March 2004 21:01 (twenty-two years ago)

The Office? That shit is sheer genius. You guys are pushing all the right buttons. (or the wrong ones, if you look at my economy)

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

it's not a mockumentary, though, is it?

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 21:03 (twenty-two years ago)

The judaism is key. CYE is for the lapsed Jew in all of us.

(x-post - no, more like "a slice of life")

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 21:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I just watched Sour Grapes. Not so good.

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 21:05 (twenty-two years ago)

That fact is acknowledged in the show.

(also, this is the only TV show I actually watch currently - and one of the best sitcoms ever)

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 21:24 (twenty-two years ago)

There are some repeating themes throughout the show, though, so I find it a bit obvious and repetitive at times:

-If there's a way for Larry to screw up around black people, he will

-If there's a way for Larry to screw up around Jeff's wife, he will

Etc. etc. Obviously Larry loves when storylines dovetail, but it all too often reminds me of the less interesting "Seinfeld" episodes where Everything Comes Together.

That said, I'm finding myself cracking up at least a few times each episode at Larry's picking apart of social foibles, obligations, etc. In the last episode, the whole I-can't-tip-you-because-I-only-have-$20s-but-I'll-get-you-tomorrow was well played. I also liked it on the plane when David Schwimmer talked to the stewardess and Larry kept needling him about it when he got back to his seat.

― Baked Bean Teeth (Baked Bean Teeth), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

it's not a mockumentary, though, is it?
The hour long pilot was a mockumentary, but since then it hasn't been.
It took me about 3 episodes to get it, but when you do you tend to get obsessed with it

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

but all those characters exist because they were aspects of his personality

I thought George was Larry, Jerry was, er, Jerry and Kramer was based on a guy called Kenny Kramer who Larry David lived opposite from for 6 years. He does tours of Seinfeld locations around NYC now.

― Nick H (Nick H), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 21:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Obviously Larry loves when storylines dovetail, but it all too often reminds me of the less interesting "Seinfeld" episodes where Everything Comes Together.

What is "less interesting" about those episodes? That was one of the things that regularly impressed me on Seinfeld.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

It took me about 3 episodes to get it, but when you do you tend to get obsessed with it .
OTM. Because of the improvising you don't get the same comic timing and setup of the jokes that we've become used to with other sitcoms. That takes some getting used to.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 22:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought George was Larry, Jerry was, er, Jerry and Kramer was based on a guy called Kenny Kramer who Larry David lived opposite from for 6 years. He does tours of Seinfeld locations around NYC now.

yeah but they were all filtered through larry david's writing so I think a fair amount of him wound up in each of those characters once they were on the show.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

i agree about all the characters being part of Larry David but there is something about Jerry Seinfeld's personality that is a little different, a little more detached and amused at his surroundings, that I think is funnier. He was the "comedian" in the show but he was essentially the straight man.

― ryan (ryan), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 23:49 (twenty-two years ago)

(also it was funnier to see the habitually dishonest george and jerry juxtaposed with kramer--im am leaving out elaine because i dont know where she fits.)

― ryan (ryan), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 23:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, a lot of really funny moments on Seinfeld arose from Jerry explicitly pointing out the ridiculousness of the other characters. He was often an audience identification figure, articulating what we were thinking.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 23:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't totally decided which is funnier, since I've only seen 4 episodes of CYE.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 23:57 (twenty-two years ago)

He was often an audience identification figure, articulating what we were thinking.

Despite the similarities, my thinking is much more in line with Larry David's character.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Spencer OTM. WWLDD?

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 00:28 (twenty-two years ago)

my fav seinfeld ep, "even stephen," kind of satirizes jerry's character as one where nothing permanent ever really happens to him, and he really pretty much cares about nothing, while his friends go through all sorts of adventures.(another fav is the one where jerry discovers emotion)

god i love that show.

― ryan (ryan), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 01:12 (twenty-two years ago)

"what is this salty discharge?"

― ryan (ryan), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 01:13 (twenty-two years ago)

If you've got a broadband connection, you can try out the episodes on kazaa. They're all over the place. I think soulseek even has a few.

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 02:36 (twenty-two years ago)

These pretzels are makin' me thirsty.

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 02:36 (twenty-two years ago)

the ending of the season finale was terrible

― D Aziz (esquire1983), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 03:23 (twenty-two years ago)

No, it was beautiful

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Ryan OTM. Jerry stands back and laughs at the idiocy of the world; Larry (George) gets mad at it.

― Nick H (Nick H), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 11:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Curb Your Enthusiasm - C or D?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 12:05 (twenty-two years ago)

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