''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', also known colloquially simply as ''Curb'', is an American television

comedy of manners In English literature, the term comedy of manners (also anti-sentimental comedy) describes a genre of realistic, satirical comedy that questions and comments upon the manners and social conventions of a greatly sophisticated, artificial society. ...

created by

Larry David Lawrence Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and television producer. He is known for his dry wit, portrayals of awkward social situations, and brutally honest takes on everyday life. He has received two Prim ...

that premiered on

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

with an hour-long special in October 17, 1999, followed by 12 seasons broadcast from October 15, 2000, to April 7, 2024. David stars as a fictionalized version of himself and it follows his life as a semi-retired television writer and producer in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and, for one season each,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. Also starring are

Cheryl Hines Cheryl Ruth Hines (born September 21, 1965) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her role as Cheryl David on HBO's ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' (2000–2024), earning two Emmy Awards, Primetime Emmy Award nominations. She also ...

as his wife Cheryl,

Jeff Garlin Jeffrey Garlin (born June 5, 1962) is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for playing List of Curb Your Enthusiasm characters#Jeff Greene, Jeff Greene on the HBO sitcom ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', and Murray ...

as his manager and best friend Jeff Greene,

Susie Essman Susan Essman (born May 31, 1955) is an American comedian, actress, producer and writer. She is best known for her role as Susie Greene on ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' (2000–2024), as the voice of Mittens in '' Bolt'' (2008), and as Bobbi Wexler o ...

as Jeff's wife Susie, and J. B. Smoove as Larry's housemate Leon Black. It often features celebrity guest stars, many of them playing fictionalized versions of themselves, including

Ted Danson Edward Bridge Danson III (born December 29, 1947) is an American actor. He achieved stardom playing the lead character Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982–1993), for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe A ...

Richard Lewis Richard, Rich, Richie, Rick, Ricky or Dick Lewis may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Richard Field Lewis Jr. (1907–1957), American radio network owner * Dick "Rocko" Lewis (Richard Henry Lewis III, 1908–1966), American entertainer ...

Wanda Sykes Wanda Yvette Sykes (born March 7, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. She was first recognized for her work as a writer on ''The Chris Rock Show'', for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999. In 2004, ''Entertainme ...

Rosie O'Donnell Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American talk show host, comedian, and actress. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series ''Star Search'' in 1984. After a series of television ...

, and

Jon Hamm Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama series '' Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and tw ...

. The sitcom was developed from a 1999 one-hour special, '' Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm'', which David and HBO originally envisioned as a one-time project. It was shot as a

mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...

, in which the characters were aware of the presence of cameras and a crew. The series, while not in documentary form, was shot in a somewhat similar

cinéma vérité Cinéma vérité (, , ) is a style of documentary filmmaking developed by Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch, inspired by Dziga Vertov's theory about '' Kino-Pravda''. It combines improvisation with use of the camera to unveil truth or highlight subje ...

-like style. As with ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...

'', which David co-created, the humor of ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' often revolves around the minutiae of everyday social life. Each episode's plot and subplot is established in an outline written by David, and the actors largely improvise the dialogue, a technique known as

retroscripting Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv or impro in British English, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted, created spontaneously by the performers. In its ...

. In Season 7, the series began producing and airing episodes in widescreen 16:9. ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' received high critical acclaim and has grown in popularity since its debut. It was nominated for 55

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

s, including Outstanding Comedy Series for eleven of its twelve seasons. It won the 2002

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. It aired for eight mostly consecutive seasons until 2011, and resumed with a ninth season in 2017. The tenth season aired in 2020 and the eleventh in 2021. The series was renewed for a twelfth and final season that premiered on February 4, 2024, and the series finale aired on April 7, 2024.

Premise

Larry David has explained the show's name in TV interviews as reflecting his perception that many people seem to live their lives projecting false enthusiasm, which he believes is used to imply that "they are better than you". This conflicts with his dry style. The title also urges the audience not to expect too much from the show; at the time of the premiere, David wanted to lower expectations after his earlier success in the entertainment industry. The series stars David as a fictionalized version of himself. Like the real-life David, the character is well known as a co-creator and main co-writer of the sitcom ''

''. Although Larry maintains an office, he is rarely shown working. Episodes frequently center on his ignorance of or disregard for well-established social conventions and expectations, and his insistence that others adhere to rules of which only he seems to be aware. This social ineptitude, combined with an inability to let even the most minor grievance or annoyance go unexpressed, often leads him into awkward social situations and draws the ire of his friends, family, and total strangers. He is also routinely the victim of labyrinthine misunderstandings wherein people think he has done something immoral or distasteful. For the first half of the series, David is living a married, child-free life in Los Angeles with his wife, Cheryl (

). His main confidant on the show is his manager and friend Jeff Greene (

plays Susie Greene, Jeff's short-tempered wife, who is frequently at odds with Larry. Many of the show's frequent

guest stars The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...

are celebrities and public figures, who usually play fictionalized versions of themselves. Among the more frequently recurring guest stars are Larry's longtime friend

as well as

and his wife

Mary Steenburgen Mary Nell Steenburgen (; born February 8, 1953) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and songwriter. After studying at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse in the 1970s, she made her professional acting debut in the Western comedy film '' Goin ...

. The show is set and filmed in various affluent Westside communities of (and occasionally in downtown) Los Angeles, as well as in the adjacent cities of

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

Culver City Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights to the ea ...

, and

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

. David's hometown of

is featured in some of season 8.

Episodes

''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' premiered with an hour-long special on October 17, 1999, upon which the series was based. The series' first eight seasons aired from 2000 to 2011. The series took a prolonged hiatus before returning for a ninth season in 2017, a tenth in 2020, and an eleventh in 2021. It was renewed for a twelfth season in August 2022, which was confirmed to be the final season in December 2023. The final season premiered on February 4, 2024. The episodes are typically named after an event, object, or person that figures prominently in the plot, much as ''

'' episodes were titled. Unrelated events woven throughout an episode are tied into a climax that resolves the story lines simultaneously, to Larry's advantage or detriment. Each episode has a distinct plot, but most seasons feature a

story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of a plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing narrative, storyline in episode, episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strip ...

that extends across several episodes and culminates in a finale that often features the return of many of the characters who appeared throughout the season.

Characters

Main cast

as a fictionalized version of himself, the show's idiosyncratic, tactless and curmudgeonly protagonist. Larry is a semi-retired television writer and producer. Born and raised in New York, he is the only child of Nat and Adele David. He is Jewish, but he is not observant and is willing to betray his heritage (or overemphasize it) when it suits him. After years struggling as a writer and comic, he gained massive success with the sitcom ''

''. Having made a fortune off the show, Larry now works only occasionally. Stubborn and self-centered, he frequently flouts social conventions he perceives as pointless, inconvenient, or nonsensical. But at the same time, he rebukes friends, acquaintances, and strangers for failing to adhere to his self-imposed (and often equally nonsensical) social rules. Larry often becomes obsessed with minute, insignificant details of others' behavior, and is seemingly unable to let any grievance, annoyance, or inappropriate remark go unexpressed. He is often reluctant to apologize to people he has offended, firmly believing himself to be in the right and going to extreme lengths to prove the correctness of his beliefs and actions. When he does apologize, he usually does so only because he needs something, and he is often more self-defensive than truly apologetic. But Larry is generally well-intentioned, and is often simply a victim of circumstance, finding himself at the center of complex misunderstandings or falling victim to others' selfishness and/or stupidity. He is even at times celebrated by those around him for his candor and his willingness to call others out for their hypocrisy. *

as Jeff Greene, Larry's

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

and best friend. He is married to Susie Greene (Susie Essman), with whom he has a daughter, Sammi (Ashly Holloway). Jeff and Susie have a tumultuous marriage, due in large part to Jeff's frequent extramarital affairs as well as Susie's incessant criticism of Jeff, most often in regard to his weight and cheating. Jeff often recruits Larry in his efforts to cover up his affairs from Susie, though these efforts usually fall apart. Garlin has said that he does not empathize with his character at all, calling him a "pretty evil guy" who has "no morals, no scruples". *

as Cheryl David (seasons 1–7, 9–12; guest season 8), Larry's long-suffering wife (and later ex-wife). Patient, friendly, and generally easygoing, she serves as a comic foil to the stubborn and nit-picky Larry and often serves as a voice of reason. She is nominally an actress, but is not shown working for most of the series. She is very environmentally conscious and devotes a great deal of her time and money to charitable causes, particularly the NRDC. Unlike Larry, Cheryl is outgoing, enjoys most social functions, and is the primary agent in maintaining many of the couple's friendships. She is also the driving force behind many of Larry's apologies. While she feels a deep affection for Larry and often shows patience with his foibles, she has her limits, particularly with his obsession over unimportant details. She is finally pushed to her breaking point in the season 6 episode "The TiVo Guy" when, aboard a flight experiencing severe turbulence, she calls Larry to tell him she loves him. To her shock and anger, Larry pays no attention to what is ostensibly his wife's final goodbye and instead badgers her with questions about their DVR. In the wake of the incident, Cheryl leaves Larry. They briefly reunite at the end of season 7 before Cheryl is once again driven away by Larry's obsession with details, in particular a stain Cheryl's coffee cup left on Julia Louis-Dreyfus's table. They finalize their divorce at the start of season 8. In season 9, Cheryl begins dating Larry's friend

. Before that, she and Ted had a close, platonic friendship, of which Larry was always suspicious. *

as Susie Greene (seasons 8–12; recurring seasons 1–7), Jeff's loud and overbearing wife, known for her explosive temper. Her interactions with Larry often begin friendly and quickly degrade into vicious arguments. Shrewd and perpetually suspicious of both Jeff and Larry, Susie is often the first to uncover their schemes and wrongdoing and often rebukes them with profanity-laced tirades. Susie and Jeff have an "on-again, off-again" relationship. She often uses Larry as a scapegoat for her marital problems. She often defends traditional moral standards, such as the sanctity of marital vows and fealty to hearth and home, at times against Jeff, at others against Larry, and usually against both. * J. B. Smoove as Leon Black (seasons 9–12; recurring seasons 6–8), Larry's friend, and later, roommate ( casita). He is the brother of Loretta Black, a single mother whose

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

home was destroyed by Hurricane Edna. When Larry and Cheryl take in Loretta and her family, Leon moves in too, despite living in Los Angeles and having been unaffected by the hurricane. When Loretta and her children move back to Louisiana, Leon stays behind. He and Larry develop an unlikely friendship, with Leon frequently offering Larry questionable advice on romance, business, and social interactions. Like Larry, Leon is blunt and often confrontational, although unlike Larry, his confrontations with others end favorably for him. Leon first appears in the season 6 episode "The Anonymous Donor".

Recurring roles

Among the show's many recurring roles,

, and

play fictionalized versions of themselves as old friends of Larry with whom he frequently butts heads.

Shelley Berman Sheldon Leonard Berman (February 3, 1925 – September 1, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, writer, teacher, and lecturer. He was awarded three gold records for his comedy albums and he won the first Grammy Award for a spoken comedy recor ...

plays Larry's father, Nat David.

Bob Einstein Stewart Robert Einstein (November 20, 1942January 2, 2019) was an American actor, comedy writer, and producer. He created and performed the satirical stuntman character Super Dave Osborne, and was also known for his roles as Marty Funkhouser in ' ...

frequently appears as Marty Funkhouser, another of Larry's longtime friends.

Kaitlin Olson Kaitlin Willow Olson McElhenney (born August 18, 1975) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her role as Deandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds in the FX comedy series ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–present). She curr ...

recurs as Becky, Cheryl's sister. In seasons 6 and 7,

Vivica A. Fox Vivica Anjanetta Fox (born July 30, 1964) is an American actress and producer. She began her career on ''Soul Train'' (19821983) and played roles on the daytime television soap operas ''Days of Our Lives'' (1988) and ''Generations (American TV s ...

appears as Loretta Black, a member of the Black family, a family of hurricane evacuees who take refuge in Larry's house upon Cheryl's invitation. Loretta becomes Larry's primary love interest for a time after he and Cheryl split up.

Saverio Guerra Saverio Guerra is an American actor, best known for his roles as Bob in the sitcom Becker (TV series), ''Becker'' and List of Curb Your Enthusiasm recurring roles#Mocha Joe, Mocha Joe in ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', along with numerous other roles in ...

plays Mocha Joe, who first appears in season 7 and returns as Larry's nemesis in season 10.

Notable guest appearances

Celebrities, including actors, comedians, authors, musicians and athletes, often make

guest appearance The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...

s on the show, many of them playing themselves or fictional versions thereof. Some who appear as fictionalized versions of themselves include

Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...

Michael York Michael York (born Michael Hugh Johnson; 27 March 1942) is an English film, television, and stage actor. After performing on stage with the Royal National Theatre, he had a breakthrough in films by playing Tybalt in Franco Zeffirelli's ''Romeo ...

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

Lucy Liu Lucy Alexis Liu (; born December 2, 1968) is an American actress, producer, and artist. Widely regarded as a trailblazer for Asian Americans in arts and entertainment, Asian American representation in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, she is t ...

Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known for his blend of slapstick humor and sharp wit, Stiller rose to fame through comedies such as ''There's Something About Mary'' (1998), ' ...

Christian Slater Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor. He made his film debut with a leading role in '' The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakout role as Jason "J.D." Dean, a sociopath ...

David Schwimmer David Lawrence Schwimmer (born November 2, 1966) is an American actor, director, and producer. He gained worldwide recognition for portraying Ross Geller in the sitcom '' Friends'', for which he received a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Pri ...

Rob Reiner Robert Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and liberal activist. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael Stivic, Mike "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitc ...

Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...

George Lopez George Edward Lopez (born April 23, 1961) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is most known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom '' George Lopez''. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including Mexican ...

Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American actor and activist. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ...

Mila Kunis Milena Markovna "Mila" Kunis (born August 14, 1983) is an American actress. Born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, and raised in Los Angeles, she was Jackie Burkhart on ''That '70s Show'' (1998–2006) and has voiced Meg Griffin on ''Family Guy'' since ...

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, singer, filmmaker, rapper, and librettist. He created the Broadway musicals '' In the Heights'' and ''Hamilton'', and the soundtracks for the animated films '' Moana' ...

F. Murray Abraham F. Murray Abraham (born Murray Abraham; October 24, 1939) is an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for a BAFTA Award, four Emmy Awards, and a ...

, and the main cast of ''

'' –

Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version ...

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus ( ; born January 13, 1961) is an American actress and comedian. She has gained acclaim for starring in a string of successful comedy series as well as several comedy films. She has received List of awards ...

Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor and comedian. Over the course of his career he has received an Emmy Award and a Tony Award as well as nominations for four Golden Globe ...

, and

Michael Richards Michael Anthony Richards (born July 24, 1949) is an American actor and former stand-up comedian. He achieved global recognition for starring as Cosmo Kramer on the NBC television sitcom ''Seinfeld'' from 1989 to 1998. He began his career as a ...

. Notable people who fill in fictional roles include

Bryan Cranston Bryan Lee Cranston (born March 7, 1956) is an American actor. After taking minor roles in television, he established himself as a leading actor in both comedic and dramatic Bryan Cranston filmography, works on stage and screen. He has received ...

Bob Odenkirk Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, comedian, and producer. He started his career as a comedian and comedy writer before expanding his career by acting in dramatic works. His List of awards and no ...

Michael McKean Michael John McKean (; born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician. Over his career he has received a Grammy Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...

Wayne Federman Wayne Federman (born June 22, 1959) is an American comedian, actor, author, writer, comedy historian, producer, and musician. He is noted for numerous stand-up comedy appearances in clubs, theaters, and on television; his book on '' The History o ...

Gina Gershon Gina L. Gershon (; born June 10, 1962) is an American actress and singer. She has starred in such films as ''Cocktail'' (1988), ''Red Heat'' (1988), '' Showgirls'' (1995), '' Bound'' (1996), '' Face/Off'' (1997), '' The Insider'' (1999), '' Dem ...

Elisabeth Shue Elisabeth Shue (born October 6, 1963) is an American actress. She has starred in films such as '' The Karate Kid'' (1984), '' Adventures in Babysitting'' (1987), ''Cocktail'' (1988), ''Back to the Future Part II'' (1989), '' Back to the Future P ...

Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. He is known for starring as a leading man in numerous comedy films during the late 1990s and 2000s. He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award ...

Bobby Lee Robert Young Lee Jr. (born September 17, 1971) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster. Lee co-hosts the podcasts Bad Friends (podcast), ''Bad Friends'' with Andrew Santino and ''TigerBelly'' with Khalyla Kuhn. From 2001 to 2009, ...

Frank Whaley Frank Joseph Whaley (born July 20, 1963) is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, musician and comedian. His roles include Brett in ''Pulp Fiction'', Robby Krieger in ''The Doors'', Jim Dodge in '' Career Opportunities'', young Archie ...

Kaley Cuoco Kaley Christine Cuoco ( ; born November 30, 1985) is an American actress. She starred as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom '' 8 Simple Rules'' (2002–2005), Penny on the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'' (2007–2019), and as the title ch ...

Mayim Bialik Mayim Chaya Bialik ( ; born December 12, 1975) is an American actress, author, and former game show host. From 1991 to 1995, she played the title character of the NBC sitcom ''Blossom (American TV series), Blossom''. From 2010 to 2019, she play ...

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...

Bill Hader William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 20 ...

Catherine O'Hara Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian and American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She started her career in sketch comedy, sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before expanding her career taking dra ...

Nick Offerman Nicholas David Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor. He became widely known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom '' Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015), for which he received the Television Critics Association Award fo ...

Flula Borg Flula Borg (; born 28 March 1982) is a German actor, comedian, and musician. Borg's acting career includes roles in feature films, including '' Pitch Perfect 2'' and '' The Suicide Squad'', as well as in a number of television shows, including ' ...

Chaz Bono Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, ''The Sonn ...

Rebecca Romijn Rebecca Alie O'Connell ( , ; later Romijn-Stamos; born November 6, 1972) is an American actress and former model. She is known for her role as Mystique in the original trilogy (2000–2006) of the ''X-Men'' film series, as Joan from '' The P ...

Melissa McCarthy Melissa Ann McCarthy (born August 26, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Melissa McCarthy, numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Award ...

Tracey Ullman Tracey Ullman (born Trace Ullman; 30 December 1959) is a British-American actress, singer, dancer, screenwriter, producer, and director. Despite being frequently referred to as a comedian, Ullman considers herself a character actress. Critics h ...

Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi (,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself. It is not uncommon for people to pronounce his name or instead. ; born December 13, 1957) is an American actor. He is known for his work as an acclaimed character actor. Mul ...

Greg Kinnear Gregory Buck Kinnear (born June 17, 1963) is an American actor and former talk show host. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in '' As Good as It Gets'' (1997). Kinnear has appeared in many popular films, ...

Dean Norris Dean Joseph Norris (born April 8, 1963) is an American actor. He is known for playing Hank Schrader on the AMC series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013), James "Big Jim" Rennie on the CBS series '' Under the Dome'' (2013–2015), Clay "Uncle D ...

Zachary Levi Zachary Levi Pugh ( ; born September 29, 1980) is an American actor. He starred as Chuck Bartowski in the action comedy series ''Chuck (TV series), Chuck'' (2007–2012), and as Captain Marvel (DC Comics), the titular character in the superher ...

Mindy Kaling Vera Mindy Chokalingam (born June 24, 1979),Additional archive on June 25, 2015. known professionally as Mindy Kaling (), is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Known for her work on television, she has received a Tony Awa ...

, and

Allison Janney Allison Brooks Janney (born November 19, 1959) is an American actress. Known for her performances across the screen and stage, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Allison Janney, various accolades, including an Academy A ...

Reception

Critical response

''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' has received critical acclaim, praised particularly for its writing and the actors' improvisational comedy. The show enjoyed largely positive critical reception since its debut and outgrew its early "cult" status. On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, the first season of the show scored 80 out of 100 (based on 20 reviews), 93 for season 3 (based on 12 reviews), 88 for season 4 (18 reviews), 91 for season 5 (5 reviews), 89 for season 6 (9 reviews), 81 for season 7 (18 reviews), 86 for season 8 (6 reviews), 74 for season 9 (10 reviews), 78 for season 10 (5 reviews), 89 for season 11 (7 reviews), and 82 for season 12 (17 reviews). ''

Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...

'' named the characters Cheryl David and Susie Greene two of the best on television and reasons to look forward to the show's return in 2007. ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' has also received praise from ''Galus Australis'' magazine for being even more unabashedly Jewish than ''

''. Of the show's depiction of Jewish characters, academic Vincent Brook wrote, "''Curb''s commitment to Jewish identification greatly enhances its storytelling capacity, as it lends greater realism and dimension to the characters and opens the show up to episodes with meaningful Jewish themes." The character of Larry is in many ways reminiscent of the '' schlemiel'' character in traditional Yiddish folklore. The ''schlemiel'' is usually a comic character whose actions lead to his inevitable downfall, but also stands as a form of resistance to social and cultural values and norms. David Gillota wrote: In 2013, the

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the name of two American labor unions representing writers in film, television, radio, and online media: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) is headquartered in New York City and is affiliated wit ...

ranked ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' #30 on its list of the 101 Best Written TV Series. In 2016,

Rob Sheffield Robert James Sheffield (born February 2, 1966) is an American music journalist and author. He is a long time contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'', writing about music, TV, and pop culture. Previously, he was a contributing editor at '' Blen ...

of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' ranked ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' the 19th-greatest television series ever made.

Awards and nominations

The series received 55

nominations, winning twice: Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for

Robert B. Weide Robert B. Weide (born June 20, 1959) is an American screenwriter and television producer who served as director and executive producer of the television series ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' from 1999 to 2004. He has also directed several documentarie ...

for "Krazee-Eyez Killa" in 2003, and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series for Steven Rasch for "Palestinian Chicken" in 2012. The series received eleven nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series.

received seven nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

received two nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

and

each received a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. The series also received ten nominations for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. The ninth season received four nominations at the

70th Primetime Emmy Awards The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in US prime time television programming from June 1, 2017, until May 31, 2018, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was held live on September 17, 2018, at the Peaco ...

, for Outstanding Comedy Series, Larry David for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and

and

each for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. The tenth season was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the

72nd Primetime Emmy Awards The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2019, until May 31, 2020, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was originally to be held at the Microsof ...

, and the series received three further nominations in technical categories. The series also received five

nominations (in 2003 and 2006) and won for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2003. Larry David was nominated for three Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2003, 2005, and 2006. It was nominated for four

Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

s, two for Larry David and two for the ensemble cast. It was nominated six times for the

Producers Guild of America Award Producer(s), The Producer(s), or co-producer(s) may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *Producer, a stakeholder of economic production * Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes ...

, winning twice in 2003 and 2005. It was nominated for eleven

Directors Guild of America Award The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Cate ...

s, winning twice for

Bryan Gordon Bryan Gordon is an American film and television director, writer, actor and producer who is primarily known for directing comedy television shows. Early life Gordon was born and raised in Dover, Delaware, Dover, Delaware. He graduated from Do ...

for "The Special Section" in 2003 and

for "Palestinian Chicken" in 2012. It was nominated five times for the

Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...

, winning once in 2006.

Syndication

When aired in syndication, the series is edited from its original HBO broadcast (for running time and without the

TV-MA The TV Parental Guidelines are a television content rating system in the United States that was first proposed on December 19, 1996, by the United States Congress, the American television industry, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ...

scenes). On June 2, 2010, the series premiered on the

TV Guide Network The American cable television, cable and satellite television network Pop (American TV channel), Pop was originally launched in 1981 as a barker channel service providing a display of localized electronic program guide, channel and program listin ...

, making its basic cable debut. The network also recorded a series of related discussions with high-profile guest stars, media pundits, and prominent social figures called ''Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Discussion'', debating the moral implications depicted in each episode. The show was produced by Scott Carter and hosted by ''Curb'' co-star

. The show debuted in syndication on local stations and

WGN America WGN America was an American subscription television network that operated from November 9, 1978 to February 28, 2021. The service was originally uplinked to satellite by United Video Inc. as a national feed of Chicago independent station WGN-T ...

in September 2010, but was removed the following year due to low ratings. It debuted on

TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division's MTV Entertainment Group. It was originally launched as Nick at Nite’s TV Land as a spinoff of Nick at Nite programing block consisting e ...

in February 2013 but was later removed in 2015.

Home media

VHS release

The first season of ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' was released on

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

in a three-volume box set.

DVD releases

''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' seasons come in a two-disc DVD set with ten episodes.

Other media

Book

A ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' book was released on October 19, 2006, published by

Gotham Books Avery Publishing is a book publishing imprint of the Penguin Group, founded as an independent publisher in 1976 by Rudy Shur and partners, and purchased by Penguin in 1999. The current president is veteran publisher William Shinker. Their offices ...

. The book contains stories from Larry David's past, original interviews and commentary, episode outlines, episode guide, and over 100 full-color photographs. The contents of the book span the first five seasons of the show.

Music

The show is punctuated between scenes with music orchestrated by Wendell Yuponce and from a music library company called

Killer Tracks Universal Production Music (UPM), formerly known as Killer Tracks, is a company that produces and licenses production music for use in film, television, advertising and interactive media. The company was founded in Hollywood, California, in 1989 ...

. Frequently heard are instrumental arrangements of the whimsical "

Three Little Maids From School Are We "Three Little Maids from School Are We", sometimes listed as "Three Little Maids", is a song from Act I of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera ''The Mikado''. The song is a trio for three female characters who are schoolmates; at the end of the son ...

" from ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'', and the rhythmic Gypsy dance "Les tringles des sistres tintaient" from ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

''. The opening and closing theme song (not mentioned in the credits) is " Frolic" by Italian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

. Larry David heard the music used in a bank commercial years before the show was created and thought it had a lighthearted, joyful quality. An unofficial soundtrack was released by Mellowdrama Records in 2006.

Documentary

The 2017

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

film ''

Long Shot In photography, filmmaking and video production, a wide shot (sometimes referred to as a full shot or long shot) is a shot that typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surro ...

'' contains raw footage from the filming of an episode of season 4 at

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...

which helped to inadvertently exonerate Juan Catalan, who was accused of murder and faced the death penalty, by giving him an alibi during the time the murder was committed.

In popular culture

The show's main theme has been used as an

internet meme An Internet meme, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...

, paired with clips of people in awkward situations.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Curb Your Enthusiasm 2000 American television series debuts 2024 American television series endings 2000s American black comedy television series 2000s American single-camera sitcoms 2010s American black comedy television series 2010s American single-camera sitcoms 2020s American black comedy television series 2020s American single-camera sitcoms Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners Cultural depictions of American people American English-language television shows HBO sitcoms Jewish comedy and humor Jews and Judaism in Los Angeles Primetime Emmy Award–winning television series Self-reflexive television Television shows about adultery Jewish American television series Television series about marriage Television series about show business Television series by Home Box Office Television series created by Larry David Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Television shows filmed in New York (state) Television shows set in Los Angeles Television shows set in New York City Television shows set in Atlanta Improvisational television series

Premise

Episodes

Characters

Main cast

Recurring roles

Notable guest appearances

Reception

Critical response

Awards and nominations

Syndication

Home media

VHS release

DVD releases

Other media

Book

Music

Documentary

In popular culture

References

Further reading

External links