Garry Shandling, Jeffrey Tambor, Mary Lynn Rajskub
30 min
TLDR
Whatever your thoughts are on cringe comedy, this is the show you should start pointing fingers at.
What it's about
A workplace comedy that follows late-night host Larry Sanders (Garry Shandling) as he balances love, celebrity, and an unruly but hilarious office staff.
The take
If you’re a comedy fan watching The Larry Sanders Show for the first time, it’s hard not to compare it to some of the classics we’re spoiled with now. Traces of Sanders’ grumpy but likable persona can be found in Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David, while the show’s mockumentary format, while experimental then, is par for the course now. But even on its own terms, without the retrospective insight, The Larry Sanders Show is a genuinely hilarious and incisive take on dysfunctional workplaces, live television, and celebrity culture. There are levels to Sanders’ character, who is neurotic but narcissistic, kind but self-involved, that make every episode a funny and deeply interesting watch.
What stands out
The celeb cameos are always fun, especially since they’re playing a slightly worse version of themselves. Some favorites include Robin Williams, Winona Ryder, Laura Dern, Jon Stewart, and Billy Crystal.