Curb Your Enthusiasm

Started by Banky, October 06, 2003, 04:47:13 PM

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abuck1220

my favorite part was the bit about how you should have a big friend because you can hit him and he doesn't feel it. and then larry gets cheryl in on the action.

otherwise a pretty lame, predictable story. and it followed such a great episode too...

MacGuffin

Enthusiasm Curbed for "Curb"

Larry David left Seinfeld after six years. Five years into David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, it's viewers who are walking.

Sunday's latest look at Hollywood mis-manners was watched by 1.2 million HBO subscribers, per Nielsen Media Research, up a notch from the previous week's season low of 1.1 million.

Minus its Sex and the City lead in, which Curb enjoyed as recently as 2004, the show has struggled to put up numbers substantially bigger than that of Lisa Kudrow's The Comeback. Make that, Lisa Kudrow's recently canceled The Comeback.

HBO did not return a call Tuesday on the future of Curb Your Enthusiasm, now in its fifth season. The network has already renewed Rome, which brings in more viewers than Curb, and Extras, which doesn't. To date, it has been David, Curb's creative force and lead malcontent, who has made the call as to whether or not the show returns.

Even in its healthiest days, Curb was the weakest ratings link in a powerhouse lineup that included Sex and the City and The Sopranos. Now, it's more a symptom, than a leading cause, of HBO's overall sagging Sunday fortunes. Last month, Daily Variety reported that the pay cable network's viewership levels were down 58 percent on that night from 2004.

The devoted cult of Curb, meanwhile, seems less concerned with ratings, and more concerned with the show's creative direction. Consensus carping has it that something is not quite right in Larry David's neighborhood.

"Has anyone else been noticing how lousy the new episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm are?" Adam Buckman asked in the New York Post on Oct. 10.

Last week, Variety's Brian Lowry noted the show "has lurched out of the starting gate, sinking to its nadir with an episode in which the son of a Japanese kamikaze pilot (he survived; get it?) attempts suicide in response to Larry's insensitivity."

Even on the sports zone of CNNSI.com, columnist Pete McEntegart wondered aloud Tuesday if "Larry David is running out of ideas" and cited a few instances of old Seinfeld gags being recycled on the green-friendly Curb. (David cocreated Seinfeld.)

On JumptheShark.com, the definitive site on the subject of when and how TV shows stop being good, the majority opinion is that Curb actually jumped the shark during season four when David was cast in The Producers. Emmy voters didn't agree with that assessment. They nominated the show that year for eight awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series.

For now, Larry David is undeterred by the bad buzz--or, at least the TV version of Larry David is. Come Sunday, he'll lace up his sneakers, and head off to Seder. With a sex offender in tow.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

elpablo

this season almost seems like all the jokes from the entire season is the same amount as there would have been in an episode from a previous season. like he ran out of jokes so he's trying to spread a couple good ones over the entire season.

Kal

I personally agree that the episodes havent been so good. I liked them, especially the one about the lesbians, jesus, and all of them had their little funny parts. However, they are not as funny as the late episodes of Season 4, like the carpool lane, the 5 wood, etc.

Anyways, I think the main problem is that the show has been 'gone' for almost two years. Season 4 ended in Jan-Feb of 2004, and the problem is that people that were not very into it, forgot about it. And people who were really into it were expecting something so much better, and it didnt happen. It's what happens many times with sequels of movies, that are not necessarily bad, but cannot compete with the original.

Anyway, I hope they dont cancel the show, but I also hope they dont take forever if they decide to greenlight the 6th season. Also, I think DVD sales are probably doing pretty good for them.

pete

I just saw the smoking jacket episode--why did all the playmates cover themselves up at the sight of Larry?
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

Reinhold

so who was stealing the paper?
Quote from: Pas Rap on April 23, 2010, 07:29:06 AM
Obviously what you are doing right now is called (in my upcoming book of psychology at least) validation. I think it's a normal thing to do. People will reply, say anything, and then you're gonna do what you were subconsciently thinking of doing all along.

abuck1220

the doctor.


what would jesus do?

abuck1220

great, great, great episode. best of the season, and one of the best ever.

abuck1220

minor spoilers, i suppose...

the clip for next week's season (?) finale shows larry on a plane. i hope he doesn't die in a plane crash (like the seinfeld gang almost did), ending the series.  :ponder:

Bethie

Television
Not long ago, Larry David was out of work. He left "Seinfeld," and was just bumming around, playing golf and counting his residuals. Then he was asked to do a special for HBO, which eventually evolved into a half-hour comedy called "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Believe it or not, that quirky, cringe-inducing sitcom, which is mostly improvised, has reached its 50th episode. In the finale of season five, Larry ventures into the wine country and comes back a changed man. I can't give any more away, other than to say Larry encounters conflict and frustration at every turn and is dumped on along the way. Enjoy while you can, because this show can't last much longer. No man can endure what Larry has put himself through lo these 50 episodes. (HBO, Sunday night, 10 p.m.)  -msnbc

who likes movies anyway

abuck1220

uh oh...

the season finale is titled...





'the end'



shit.

Pubrick

5 seasons is plenty. i havn't seen the new season yet but if it's like the others, he's already done enuff to enter the pantheon of seinfeld, prime simpsons, and futurama with 5 seasons of pure gold. worthy to redeem mankind, should the need arise.

and if there's another season comin, that's great too. let's not get greedy  :yabbse-sad:.
under the paving stones.

abuck1220

from hbo...

QuoteOnly one episode left, don't miss the final episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm this Sunday December 4th at 10pm ET.

cine

i was just looking at that on hbo now.. :(

Redlum

This is disttressing. The possibility of Arrested and Curb going in the same month...I dunno what I'd do. I'm sure I'd figure something out but...I love those freakin' shows.
\"I wanted to make a film for kids, something that would present them with a kind of elementary morality. Because nowadays nobody bothers to tell those kids, \'Hey, this is right and this is wrong\'.\"
  -  George Lucas