Overview

Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy TV series which was broadcast and produced by HBO. It made its debut in 2000. The show stars a fictionalised version of Larry David, who also created the series.

The dialogue is mostly made up on the spot by the actors, in a technique which is referred to as retroscripting. The series itself discusses the small aspects of daily social life in America.

Premise

The premise behind Curb Your Enthusiasm has been described by David as a reflection of his observation that a lot of people appear to go through life projecting a false sense of enthusiasm, which he believes is used to imply they are better than the other person.

The star of the show is a fictionalised version of David, who is known both in the series and in real life as the co-creator and main co-writer of famous sitcom Seinfeld. In the series, he has an office but is rarely seen working and is semi retired.

Cast and characters

Larry David plays himself. He is a neurotic and candid character who tends to pursue what he believes is the right thing to do. He has good intentions, but often finds himself at a disadvantage due to people around him being selfish and stubborn.

Jeff Green (Jeff Garlin) is one of Larry’s best friends and a manager who has marital problems that often land Larry in dangerous water. While Jeff frequently helps Larry with his own problems, he ends up tangled in them too.

Cheryl David (Cheryl Hines) is Larry’s wife, who later becomes his ex wife. She often provides a reasonable voice when he needs it, and gives him social guidelines which he may sometimes not see.

Susie Greene (Susie Essman) is known for having a temper and often using bad language. She often catches Larry and Jeff in their plans when they’ve gone wrong, or works out when they are covering something up. She  often uses Larry as the scapegoat for her marriage troubles.

Leon Black (J.B. Smoove) is the brother of Loretta Black, a single mother whose family was affected by Hurricane Edna. Larry and Cheryl take in Loretta and her family, but Leon also moves in despite living in LA long before the hurricane. When Loretta and her family move out, Leon stays behind, helping Larry with his problems and providing reassurance.

Filming locations

The filming locations for Curb Your Enthusiasm are largely based in Los Angeles, as this is where Larry David lives. There is one exception when Larry goes to New York. Larry’s house is located on Moreno Avenue, and his office interiors are filmed at Broadway & Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Other filming locations include South Fair Oaks Avenue & Green Street (Pasadena), Westwood and Glendale.

Trailer

The season ten trailer for Curb Your Enthusiasm dropped in December 2019. It shows Larry criticising Susie for her fashion choices, telling off a mailman for wearing shorts and stating that the only way to impress someone is by telling lies. Show regulars Jeff Garmin and Susie Essman are seen, and the ending of the trailer shows various characters swearing at Larry as they tell him to get out.

Production

Curb Your Enthusiasm was created by Larry David, who also executive produces and stars on the show. Jeff Garmin and Jeff Schaffer also serve as executive producers. The show was nominated for an Outstanding Comedy Emmy after each season – except the first – made its debut. David has received six nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy.

Episodes and reception

Every season of the series has 10 episodes. The first eight seasons were released between 2000 and 2011. Then the show took a break for six years before returning for season 9 in 2017. It was announced that production had begun on season 10 in 2018, and the trailer was revealed in December 2019 ahead of a January 2020 release.

At the time of writing, Curb Your Enthusiasm has a rating of 8.7 out of 10 on IMDb. Rotten Tomatoes gives it 93%, and TV.com gives it 9 out of 10. 92% of Google users reported that they liked the show.