Quote: DougWonnacott @ 2nd July 2015, 1:10 PM BSTLarry David is 68 today. Happy birthday Larry
Have a 'pretty pretty pretty good birthday' Mr David.
Is it just me, or is he a dead ringer for Sam The Bald Eagle from The Muppets?
Curb Your Enthusiasm Page 21
Quote: TheBlueNun @ 2nd July 2015, 7:08 PM BSTHave a 'pretty pretty pretty good birthday' Mr David.
Is it just me, or is he a dead ringer for Sam The Bald Eagle from The Muppets?
I'd never noticed before but you're right. It was Richard Lewis' birthday on 29 June. 68 as well. Happy birthday Richard Lewis.
Talking of look-a-likes, Lewis looks like a slightly bug eyed version of Michael Douglas
Quote: DougWonnacott @ 2nd July 2015, 8:53 PM BSTI'd never noticed before but you're right. It was Richard Lewis' birthday on 29 June. 68 as well. Happy birthday Richard Lewis.
Talking of look-a-likes, Lewis looks like a slightly bug eyed version of Michael Douglas
Indeed he does. Do you think he wears a green v-neck jumper to nightclubs?
I hasn't a clue who RL was until I Googled him.
Quote: TheBlueNun @ 2nd July 2015, 9:40 PM BSTIndeed he does. Do you think he wears a green v-neck jumper to nightclubs?
I hasn't a clue who RL was until I Googled him.
I think he's great in Curb. Constantly mentioning that he's a recovering alcoholic. He's pretty well known I n the States but I don't think he's really been in much that's played over here.
Quote: DougWonnacott @ 2nd July 2015, 10:21 PM BSTI think he's great in Curb. Constantly mentioning that he's a recovering alcoholic. He's pretty well known I n the Syates but I don't think he's really been in much that's played over here.
Absolutely. Also because I've tried watching Seinfeld and given up I think I'm missing some of the background.
Seinfeld takes a while to get going. Season 3 is where it starts to really pick up. By season 4 I loved it.
All you really need to know about Seinfeld to enjoy Curb is that Seinfeld was a massive success and the character of George Costanza (Jason Alexander) was based on the real Larry David.
I'm currently re-watching Series 8 of 'Curb'.
TV doesn't get any better than this.
Curb Your Enthusiasm is a great series, if you have not seen it you should check it out.
Quote: DougWonnacott @ 2nd July 2015, 11:11 PM BSTSeinfeld takes a while to get going. Season 3 is where it starts to really pick up. By season 4 I loved it.
All you really need to know about Seinfeld to enjoy Curb is that Seinfeld was a massive success and the character of George Costanza (Jason Alexander) was based on the real Larry David.
I must admit I have never seen the big deal about Seinfeld. It's an above average ensemble comedy, but I never thought it deserved its "groundbreaking" U.S. reputation.
I think the thing that tarnished it for me was, way back in the dark ages, BBC2 used to show a weekly comedy double bill at around 11pm of Seinfeld followed by Larry Sanders. That's the sitcom equivalent of watching a gig where Hank Marvin is playing guitar onstage alongside Jimi Hendrix. Seinfeld was pleasant enough on it's own, but Larry Sanders would just blow it off the screen every week, so in my personal experience Seinfeld suffered by comparison. I bought and re-watched the complete series, but it still felt like a 7.5/10 comedy at best.
Curb on the other hand is hilarious! It's strange, I cannot align the writer of curb with the writer of Seinfeld (maybe because he can take more risks on HBO?).
P.S. I've always thought Arjen Robben looks like Larry Davids secret love child.
Quote: Lazarus Goldfinger @ 15th September 2015, 11:08 PM BSTI must admit I have never seen the big deal about Seinfeld. It's an above average emsemble comedy, but I never thought it deserved it's "groundbreaking" U.S. reputation.
I think the thing that tarnished it for me was, way back in the dark ages, BBC2 used to show a weekly comedy double bill at around 11pm of Seinfeld followed by Larry Sanders. That's the sitcom equivalent of watching a gig where Hank Marvin is playing guitar onstage alongside Jimi Hendrix. Seinfeld was pleasant enough on it's own, but Larry Sanders would just blow it off the screen every week, so in my personal experience Seinfeld suffered by comparison. I bought and re-watched the complete series, but it still felt like a 7.5/10 comedy at best.
Curb on the other hand is hilarious! It's strange, I cannot align the writer of curb with the writer of Seinfeld (maybe because he can take more risks on HBO?).
I like Larry Sanders but I don't think it's anywhere near as funny as Seinfeld.
Seinfeld and Curb are quite different on the surface:
Seinfeld: studio based, audience, network (no swearing), fully scripted
Curb: single camera location shooting, no audience, HBO (searing allowed), structured improv (Larry writes a basic treatment/structure, the actors improvise the dialogue on the set)
But the story structure is the same in both. Multiple strands, usually 3 or 4, sometimes small things that don't initially seem significant make a big impact at the end. Characters that can easily switch from antagonist to protagonist.
Graham Linehan (who has said he's a big Seinfeld fan) uses the same structure in most of his work.
Quote: DougWonnacott @ 15th September 2015, 11:34 PM BSTI like Larry Sanders but I don't think it's anywhere near as funny as Seinfeld.
Seinfeld and Curb are quite different on the surface:
Seinfeld: studio based, audience, network (no swearing), fully scripted
Curb: single camera location shooting, no audience, HBO (searing allowed), structured improv (Larry writes a basic treatment/structure, the actors improvise the dialogue on the set)But the story structure is the same in both. Multiple strands, usually 3 or 4, sometimes small things that don't initially seem significant make a big impact at the end. Characters that can easily switch from antagonist to protagonist.
Graham Linehan (who has said he's a big Seinfeld fan) uses the same structure in most of his work.
That's fair enough, each to his own, but watching them back to back at 11pm back then, Larry Sanders just felt like a completely different animal to all other comedies, let alone Seinfeld, it just felt so fresh and unique. It beat The Office by 12 years. It's almost more like a comedy/drama. And most important of all, Hank Kingsley (Jeffrey Tambor) would break me in half laughing.
I will concede the first series isn't that great, but once they found their feet and built it around the main three guys (Larry, Artie, Hank) there was a long run of episode after episode that were 10/10's for me. If pushed I'd say it's not only my favourite comedy, but my favourite Tv show of all time.
Yeah, re curb/seinfeld structure, that's exactly why it seems so weird to me - It's the same bare bones for both series but, to me, it feels like two completely different writers adding the meat to it. I can't really remember ever properly belly-laughing to Seinfeld, whereas every episode of curb would repeatedly crack me up.
Maybe Jerry Seinfeld is the weak link for me? He co-wrote the episodes, and I don't find his stand-up particularly funny.
Re Graham Linehan, he's another example for me of comic schizophrenia. Father Ted is another one of my favourite comedies, but I find Black Books painfully unfunny. (I've never given I.T. crowd a proper go, so can't really judge that yet).
I used to love watching all three of those shows.
But I only ever really rewatch Seinfeld now. I think because Curb and Larry Sanders overall have kind of an uber-cynical, depressing aftertaste. Whereas Seinfeld is quite feel-good.
All three are genius though.
Quote: zooo @ 16th September 2015, 12:13 AM BSTI used to love watching all three of those shows.
But I only ever really rewatch Seinfeld now. I think because Curb and Larry Sanders overall have kind of an uber-cynical, depressing aftertaste. Whereas Seinfeld is quite feel-good.
All three are genius though.
I think you might have hit the nail on the head: It's about what mental filter you are watching them through. You sound like quite a positive, upbeat person, whereas I'm a sour, cynical, bitter old git. 
I remember watching both on BBC2 but would have only been about 10 (this is why you don't let kids have TVs in their rooms). I don't know why 10 year old me enjoyed either especially Larry Sanders but I did.
I still watch Seinfeld because it's such a treat and is easy to watch random episodes here and there, whilst Larry Sanders, well I haven't seen or heard of that in years!
Love Curb, might rewatch soon but I'm waiting for the new series to be announced 
Quote: Lazarus Goldfinger @ 16th September 2015, 12:09 AM BSTI don't find (Jerry Seinfeld's) stand-up particularly funny.
For me, he's one of the most talented stand-ups that have ever lived.
For me (again), his TV show 'Seinfeld' and Larry David's 'Curb' are probably the two best sitcoms ever. The only other that comes close is 'Bilko' and that's a contender for top spot simply because it appeared so early in the history of TV comedy and was driven by the unique comedy genius of Phil Silvers.