In 1999, Seinfeld creator Larry David made a pseudo-documentary comedy special following his (fictionalized) mundane life as he prepared to re-launch his stand-up career. The special received a great reception, and ultimately led to the unscripted comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm, which ran for 12 seasons/120 episodes on HBO, from 2000-2024. The series follows the wacky everyday adventures of a heighted/fictionalized version of Larry David.

As Curb Your Enthusiasm opens, Larry is married to wife Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), living in Los Angeles. His best friend/manager is Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin), whose short-tempered wife Susie (Susie Essman) often gets irritated and annoyed by Larry. Larry has a knack for constantly putting his foot in his mouth, inadvertently insulting people as he speaks unfiltered about what’s on his mind. Which usually gets him into some sort of trouble, and into some hilariously awkward situations.

The series is unscripted, with the actors just working with a minimal outline, and improvising the dialogue. You can often see the natural reactions and smiles of some of the actors, but this leads to some really hilarious moments that feel quite natural. It was fun to revisit the earlier seasons, which I hadn’t re-watched in over a decade. Each of the seasons feels a bit self-contained, telling a complete story arc over the 10 episodes, while also giving some amusing problem-of-the-week for Larry to deal with. The character of George Costanza on Seinfeld was loosely based on David. And this is a similar aspect to this heightened version of Larry David in Curb, who is constantly rubbing people the wrong way.

Some people find Larry annoying or despicable, but either way, he’s so much fun to watch. I may be in the minority, or maybe I’m just getting old, but I found myself often agreeing with Larry on the things he takes issue with, getting just as frustrated as his character when people twist his words and make him out to the one in the wrong. Often I find these other people to be the ones who are in the wrong, and Larry is unjustly being forced to apologize for his actions. Though I must admit that he does also do some despicable things at times.

This series is so funny and addicting. And while it makes a great binge, the series started airing before binging was even a common thing, so the discs for the first 6 seasons don’t even offer a Play All option, forcing you select each episode to watch one-by-one. The writing and situations are so witty and crazy, and feature lots of hilariously awkward twists and turns. I often found myself equally frustrated by Larry as well as by how other people react to his antics. Ultimately, the series builds to a thoroughly satisfying series conclusion that not only comes full circle for Curb, but also addresses Seinfeld‘s almost universally-panned series finale, in a very fun way.

Here’s a quick rundown the show’s 12 seasons:

• The first season introduces viewers to these characters, their relationships and Larry’s world
• The second season finds Larry trying to kick off a new TV project with former Seinfeld stars Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus
• The third season finds Larry investing in a restaurant venture with some of his celebrity friends like Ted Danson and Michael York
• The fourth season finds Larry getting the lead in Mel Brook’s The Producers on Broadway, alongside Ben Stiller
• Larry offers to donate a kidney to help his friend Richard, but then has second thoughts and tries to find a replacement donor.
• Larry and Cheryl host the Black family (Vivica A. Fox, J.B. Smoove) at their home after their house is destroyed by the New Orleans hurricane; Cheryl and Larry decide to separate, and he attempts to get back into the dating game.
• Larry arranges for a Seinfeld reunion, hoping that giving Cheryl a part might win her back.
• After the divorce, Larry joins Jeff and Susie on a three-month trip to New York City.
• A late night TV appearance to promote his comedy musical Fatwa! causes Larry to incur an actual fatwa from the Supreme Leader of Iran, causing him to fear for his life.
• After being banned from Mocha Joe’s, Larry decides to open his own coffee shop right next door. Meanwhile, Larry’s assistant accuses him of sexual harassment, but his attempts to squash the situation only makes things worse
• Larry attempts to avoid responsibility for a burglar drowning in his pool. He offers the daughter (Keyla Monterroso Mejia) of the man extorting him a role in his new Netflix show Young Larry. However, her acting is so horrible that Larry resorts to striking up a relationship with a very unpleasant City Councilwoman (Tracey Ullman) to try to get his negligence case thrown out.
• During a visit to Atlanta for a personal appearance, Larry offers a bottle of water to a woman in line to vote, not realizing it is illegal, and becomes the unexpected poster child for civil rights.

Over the course of the series, there are so many wonderful guest stars, many of whom play fictionalized versions of themselves. Some of the more regular characters include Richard Lewis, Ted Danson, and Wanda Sykes, but also appearing as themselves on the show are Mary Steenburgen, Mel Brooks, Michael York, Martin Scorsese, Lucy Liu, Ben Stiller, Christian Slater, David Schwimmer, Rob Reiner, Rosie O’Donnell, Seth Rogen, Shaquille O’Neal, George Lopez, Michael J. Fox, Mila Kunis, Lin-Manuel Miranda, F. Murray Abraham, and more.

Warner Bros. has only released this complete series of Curb Your Enthusiasm on DVD, despite the fact the the later seasons of the series aired in HD on HBO. The seasons are presented in their original aspect ratio, which means seasons 1-6 are in 4:3 Full Frame format, while seasons 7-12 are in anamorphic widescreen. The audio for these first 6 seasons is also presented only in 2.0 stereo, while second half of the series gets a more immersive 5.1 surround track. The DVD picture quality is generally clean and quite good, and I never found it lacking or distracting. However, it is missing that little bit of extra clarity and detail that you get in the original HD presentation. The original hour-long special, which is included as a bonus feature on the first season, gets quite grainy at times, though I’m not sure if that was intentional to differentiate between the different types of footage. The audio track provides clear dialogue, and showcases the show’s iconic whimsical score. The series is more dialogue driven, so the fact that a stereo track is only provided for the earlier seasons isn’t really an issue.

The 12 seasons are split across 24 discs, 2 per season. The discs are placed in stacks of 2, overlapping on plastic trays in a single large, thick plastic keepcase, which is placed inside a carboard slipcover. This is pretty much a re-packaging of the previous releases, and as mentioned earlier, the first half of the series doesn’t offer any Play All option on the discs. This can be a bit tedious if you want to just sit down and binge through the season.

The discs contain the same bonus material that was found on the original separate season releases, which consists of about 7 hours of material, including behind-the-scenes featurettes, gag reels, deleted scenes, a pilot commentary, the original 1-hour special, and some various panels with the cast/creators. No digital copy included.

What’s Included:

Episodes: (Approx. 60 hours)

• All 12 seasons/120 episodes of the series on 24 discs:
  • Season 1 (2000) – 10 episodes
    “The Pants Tent”, “Ted and Mary”, “Porno Gil”, “The Bracelet”, “Interior Decorator”, “The Wire”, “AAMCO”, “Beloved Aunt”, “Affirmative Action”, “The Group”
  • Season 2 (2001) – 10 episodes
    “The Car Salesman”, “Thor”, “Trick or Treat”, “The Shrimp Incident”, “The Thong”, “The Acupuncturist”, “The Doll”, “Shaq”, “The Baptism”, “The Massage”
  • Season 3 (2002) – 10 episodes
    “Chet’s Shirt”, “The Benadryl Brownie”, “Club Soda and Salt”, “The Nanny from Hell”, “The Terrorist Attack”, “The Special Section”, “The Corpse-Sniffing Dog”, “Krazee-Eyez Killa”, “Mary, Joseph and Larry”, “The Grand Opening”
  • Season 4 (2004) – 10 episodes
    “Mel’s Offer”, “Ben’s Birthday Party”, “The Blind Date”, “The Weatherman”, “The 5 Wood”, “The Car Pool Lane”, “The Surrogate”, “Wandering Bear”, “The Survivor”, “Opening Night”
  • Season 5 (2005) – 10 episodes
    “The Larry David Sandwich”, “The Bowtie”, “The Christ Nail”, “Kamikaze Bingo”, “Lewis Needs a Kidney”, “The Smoking Jacket”, “The Seder”, “The Ski Lift”, “The Korean Bookie”, “The End”
  • Season 6 (2007) – 10 episodes
    “Meet the Blacks”, “The Anonymous Donor”, “The Ida Funkhouser Roadside Memorial”, “The Lefty Call”, “The Freak Book”, “The Rat Dog”, “The TiVo Guy”, “The N Word”, “The Therapists”, “The Bat Mitzvah”
  • Season 7 (2009) – 10 episodes
    “Funkhouser’s Crazy Sister”, “Vehicular Fellatio”, “The Reunion”, “The Hot Towel”, “Denise Handicap”, “The Bare Midriff”, “The Black Swan”, “Officer Krupke”, “The Table Read”, “Seinfeld”
  • Season 8 (2011) – 10 episodes
    “The Divorce”, “The Safe House”, “Palestinian Chicken”, “The Smiley Face”, “Vow of Silence”, “The Hero”, “The Bi-Sexual”, “Car Periscope”, “Mister Softee”, “Larry vs. Michael J. Fox”
  • Season 9 (2017) – 10 episodes
    “Foisted!”, “The Pickle Gambit”, “A Disturbance in the Kitchen”, “Running with the Bulls”, “Thank You for Your Service”, “The Accidental Text on Purpose”, “Namaste”, “Never Wait for Seconds!”, “The Shucker”, “Fatwa!”
  • Season 10 (2020) – 10 episodes
    “Happy New Year”, “Side Sitting”, “Artificial Fruit”, “You’re Not Going to Get Me to Say Anything Bad About Mickey”, “Insufficient Praise”, “The Surprise Party”, “The Ugly Section”, “Elizabeth, Margaret and Larry”, “Beep Panic”, “The Spite Store”
  • Season 11 (2021) – 10 episodes
    “The Five-Foot Fence”, “Angel Muffin”, “The Mini Bar”, “The Watermelon”, “IRASSHAIMASE!”, “Man Fights Tiny Woman”, “Irma Kostroski”, “What Have I Done?”, “Igor, Gregor, & Timor”, “The Mormon Advantage”
  • Season 12 (2024) – 10 episodes
    “Atlanta”, “The Lawn Jockey”, “Vertical Drop, Horizontal Tug”, “Disgruntled”, “Fish Stuck”, “The Gettysburg Address”, “The Dream Scheme”, “The Colostomy Bag”, “Ken/Kendra”, “No Lessons Learned”
• 480i / Full Frame 1.33:1 (Seasons 1-6), Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 (Seasons 7-12)
• Audio: English 2.0 Dolby Stereo (Seasons 1-6), English 5.1 Dolby Surround (Seasons 7-12), French 2.0 Dolby Stereo (Seasons 1-5), French 5.1 Dolby Surround (Seasons 7-9)
• Subtitles: English​ (Seasons 1-8), English​ SDH (Seasons 9-12), French (Seasons 1-9), Spanish (Seasons 1-9)
• Closed Captions: English​

 

Extras:
All of this material has been ported over from the previous individual season DVD releases. Material for the first six seasons is presented in 4:3 format, while the material for seasons 7-12 are in widescreen.

• Season 1
  • Audio Commentary on “Pants Tent” (28:50)
    Commentary on pilot from director Robert B. Weide, and stars Larry David, Cheryl Hines & Jeff Garlin.
  • “Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm” (59:00)
    The original hour-long 1999 HBO special that inspired the series. Larry David and his manager Jeff Greene arrive at the HBO offices in L.A. to pitch the idea for a documentary crew to follow Larry as he prepares his comeback stand-up comedy special after almost 10 years. The special mixes footage from this pseudo-documentary with interviews with actors, comedians, writers, producers, and others who previously worked with David. It also follows the awkward daily life of Larry, which is what would eventually become the Curb series.
  • Interview with Larry David, Conducted by Bob Costas (29:20)
    Bob Costas sits down with Larry David for an entertaining talk. They discuss the special, how it led to the series, working without a script, improvising scenes with just an outline, the cast dynamic, Larry’s style, and more.
• Season 3
  • A “Stop & Chat” with the Cast and Crew at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen (22:02)
    Comedian/Director David Steinberg moderates this panel with executive producers Larry Charles & Robert B. Weide and stars Richard Lewis, Susie Essman, Jeff Garlin & Larry David at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado. They share some entertaining stories about working on the series and working with one another.
  • Favorite Scenes From the Stars and Directors (25:53)
    More footage from the panel, this time discussing and showing clips of the panelists’ favorite scenes from the first three seasons.
• Season 5
  • The History of Curb… So Far (29:35)
    The cast look at back at the origins of the series, the outlines/improvisation, casting the special/series, the characters, the humor, the topics that get made fun of, the yelling, and more. Includes interviews with creator/executive producer Larry David, executive producer Jeff Garlin (“Jeff Greene”), executive producer/director Robert B. Weide, director/executive producer Larry Charles, assistant Laura Fairchild, and stars Cheryl Hines (“Cheryl David”), Richard Lewis, Susie Essman (“Susie Greene”), Ted Danson, Jason Alexander, and many more. Mix of 4:3 letterbox and full frame format.
  • The History of Curb… Even Further (24:13)
    Even more with the cast and crew. They discuss the unscripted nature of the series, the filming process, the editing process, favorite scenes & guests, the audience reactions, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-executive producer Tim Gibbons, producer Erin O’Malley, executive producer/director Robert B. Weide, director David Steinberg, director/executive producer Larry Charles, editor/music supervisor Steve Rasch, editor Jonathan Corn, and stars/guests Jason Alexander, Jeff Garlin, Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, Ted Danson, Shelley Berman (“Nat David”), Richard Kind (“Cousin Andy”), Wanda Sykes, Chris Williams (“Krazee-Eyez Killa”), Kym Whitley (“Monina”), Paul Sand (“Guy Benier”) & Richard Lewis. Mix of 4:3 letterbox and full frame format.
• Season 6
  • A Conversation with Larry David and Susie Essman – Recorded at New York’s 92nd Street Y (22:43)
    Old friends creator/executive producer Larry David and comedienne Susie Essman take the stage to discuss the series, and working with one another. Later they are joined by executive producer/star Jeff Garlin. Presented in 4:3 letterboxed format.
  • On the Set: Curb Your Enthusiasm (11:09)
    A behind-the-scenes look at season 6 with the cast/crew. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Larry Charles, make-up artist Saundra Jordan, director Tom Krammer, executive producer Tim Gibbons, director Robert B. Weide, directory of photography Bill Sheehy, executive producers Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer & David Mandel, director Brian Gordon, associate producer Linda Balaban, producer Erin O’Malley, prop master Dort Clark, and stars/guests Jeff Garlin, Larry David, Susie Essman, Cheryl Hines, Vivica A. Fox (“Loretta Black”), JB Smoove (“Leon Black”), Ellia English (“Auntie Rae Black”), John McEnroe& Bob Einstein (“Marty Funkhouser”). Presented in 4:3 letterboxed format.
  • Gag Reel (5:12)
    Outtake reel featuring the cast breaking and make one another laugh.
• Season 7
  • Rebuilding the Seinfeld Sets (11:10)
    A look at rebuilding/repairing the sets from Seinfeld from the Warner Bros. archives. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with construction coordinator Mark Berline (CYE), production designer Michael Whetstone (CYE), production designer Tom Azari (Seinfeld), executive producer Larry David, set decorator Jane Shirkes (CYE), and actor Wayne Knight.
  • Larry David as George Costanza (2:45)
    The cast/crew discuss how the character of George Costanza was based on Larry, and teaching Larry David how to do an impression of George. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with actors Jason Alexander, Jeff Garlin, Michael Richards, Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Larry David.
  • The Seinfeld Reunion: It Could Only Happen on Curb… (8:14)
    The cast and crew talk about hosting a Seinfeld reunion on the series. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander, Cheryl Hines, Wayne Knight, Ted Danson & Jeff Garlin.
  • A Seinfeld Moment on Curb (7:38)
    Michael Richards, Jason Alexander, Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld & Julia Louis-Dreyfus sit down together to discuss reuniting on Curb. Includes some behind-the-scenes footage.
• Season 8
  • Leon’s Guide to NYC (9:35)
    Actor JB Smoove takes viewers on a tour of New York City as his character Leon.
  • Roundtable Discussion with Larry and the Cast – Recorded Live at New York’s 92nd Street Y (1:28:29)
    News Anchor Brian Williams hosts this live on-stage panel discussion with cast members Susie Essman, surprise guest Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, and Larry David. Recorded live at Manhattan’s famous 92nd Street Y.
• Season 9
  • Deleted Scenes (9:57)
    Collection of a dozen short deleted scenes play back-to-back.
  • Cast Memorable Moments (6:16)
    Cast members Bob Einstein, JB Smoove, Susie Essman & Cheryl Hines talk about their favorite scenes with Jeff, Susie & Larry.
• Season 10
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm S10: What Finally Broke Them (1:02)
    Cast members Susie Essman, Cheryl Hines, JB Smoove talk about how Larry is always the first to break. Includes footage.
• Season 12
  • Larry-isms (1:57)
    Montage of Larry’s various made up words for situations and actions.
  • Larry’s Favorite Episodes (2:58)
    Montage of clips from some of Larry David’s favorite episodes from the series.
  • First & Last Scenes (:46)
    The pants tent appearances in the very first and final scene of the series.
  • BTS of the Last Day on Set: Speeches (1:22)
    Richard Lewis and Cheryl Hines give farewell speeches thanking Larry and the crew after the series wraps filming.
  • BTS of the Last Day on Set: Gifts (:42)
    The crew presents Larry with a gift.
  • BTS of the Last Day on Set (3:41)
    Montage of behind-the-scenes footage from the final day of filming. Also includes the same two BTS clips from above and a cast/crew photo.
  • A Farewell from Susie (:39)
    Susie Essman provides a goodbye message from the Greene’s boudoir.
  • Leon’s Bungalow Tour (2:26)
    J.B. Smoove provides a tour of Leon’s room.

Final Thoughts:

Curb Your Enthusiasm is a highly entertaining series that is more than just Pretty Pretty Pretty Good. I always looked forward to new seasons of this show and will miss not getting anymore new episodes. However, the series is highly re-watchable, and does an excellent job of sticking the landing with a satisfying series finale. Warner Bros has repackaged all 12 seasons/120 episodes of the series in one big DVD boxset, along with hours of previously-released bonus material including the original HBO special that started it all. The episodes are presented in their original aspect ratio, which means the first 6 seasons are in Full Frame format. While it would have been nice to have a Blu-ray release offered, the presentation is more than sufficient to fully enjoy this series, which still holds up quite well over 22 years since it originally premiered! Fans of Larry David or his style of humor will definitely want to pick this up. Though if you already own the previous seasons on DVD, there is nothing new here, and perhaps just grabbing season 12 to complete your collection is the better option.

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Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Series (DVD)

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Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Twelfth Season (DVD)

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