Relationships, contract negotiations, and the familiar Larry Sanders Show theme of paranoia-fueled hyper-competitiveness drive the second season of HBO's popular satire of late-night talk shows. While season one introduced viewers to the sometimes grating character quirks that would become the show's trademark, season two played those quirks to the hilt for maximum comic effect. Starting off with a somewhat introspective two-part cliffhanger in which Larry (Garry Shandling) begins to question his abilities as his ratings begin to slip, the second season also began to reveal the more emotional side of the characters, endearing them to the audience as they became more accessible while simultaneously becoming even more outlandish in many respects. While episodes such as "The Breakdown" and "Artie's Gone" displayed the genuine care that the characters began to develop for one another, episodes such as "Hankerciser 2000" and "Larry's Birthday" provided perfect contrast with their sharp and cynical wit. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Having not watched the Larry Sander Show since it was on HBO, I was surprised how well this held up. The writing is still crisp and funny. The characters are well developed (you have to love Rip Torn as Art), and I had forgotten how many good people were on the show (like Jeremy Piven, Janeane Garofalo, and Kathryn Harrold. His "guests" on the show rival that of any real talk show.
It's all about finding the good premise for a show and then plugging in the right characters that make it funny. You either like Garry Shandling or you don't. Rip Torn is a hoot to watch.
If you like Seinfeld/Larry David type stuff, you will enjoy this.
Having not watched the Larry Sander Show since it was on HBO, I was surprised how well this held up. The writing is still crisp and funny. The characters are well developed (you have to love Rip Torn as Art), and I had forgotten how many good people were on the show (like Jeremy Piven, Janeane Garofalo, and Kathryn Harrold. His "guests" on the show rival that of any real talk show.
It's all about finding the good premise for a show and then plugging in the right characters that make it funny. You either like Garry Shandling or you don't. Rip Torn is a hoot to watch.
If you like Seinfeld/Larry David type stuff, you will enjoy this.