The Larry Sanders Show is a satirical television sitcom that originally aired from August 1992 to May 1998 on the
HBOHBO is a premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner, offers two 24/7 pay television services to over 38 million U.S...
cable televisionCable television is a system of providing television to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through fixed optical fibers or coaxial cables as opposed to the over-the-air method used in traditional television broadcasting in which a television antenna is required...
network in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It starred stand-up comedian
Garry ShandlingGarry Shandling is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work in It's Garry Shandling's Show and The Larry Sanders Show....
as vain, neurotic
talk showA talk show or chat show is a television or radio program where one person or group of people come together to discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host...
host
Larry SandersLawrence "Larry" Sanders is a fictional character played by Garry Shandling on the American television series The Larry Sanders Show.-Personal history:...
, and centered on the running of his TV show, and the many people behind the scenes. It is notable for featuring celebrities playing exaggerated, self-parodying versions of themselves, and for its character-based humor. Other series which subsequently aired on HBO, such as
Curb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy series starring Seinfeld writer, co-creator, and executive producer Larry David as himself. It is produced and broadcast by HBO....
and
EntourageEntourage is an American comedy-drama that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004. The series was created by Doug Ellin and chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase, a young A-list movie star, and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City, as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of Hollywood,...
, shared these traits.
The series, in which Shandling used his experience as a guest host on
The Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show is an American late-night talk and variety show airing on NBC since 1954. Tonight is the third longest-running entertainment program in U.S...
, is ranked by various critics and fans alongside
SeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. The eponymous series was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, with the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
as one of the best TV comedies of the 1990s. The series ranked #38 on
TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All TimeThe 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time is a list of American TV series compiled by TV Guide as a cover story for the week of May 4, 2002. It coincided with an ABC primetime special that aired on May 13, 2002. The list garnered much national attention at the time, as the magazine was simultaneously...
, the only HBO comedy to make the list. It was also included in
TimeTime is an American newsmagazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong. As of 2009, Time no longer publishes a Canadian advertiser edition...
magazine's list of the "100 Best TV Shows of All Time." In 2008, it was named the 28th Greatest Shows of All Time for the past 25 years.
The show has won 24 Awards, including three Primetime Emmy Awards, five CableACE Awards four American Comedy Awards, two British Comedy Awards, a BAFTA Award and a Satellite Award. It also received 86 nominations, including 53 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, five Directors' Guild of America nominations, six Writers' Guild of America nominations, six American Comedy Awards nominations, three Golden Globe nominations, three Satellite Awards nominations and a GLAAD Award nomination.
Plot
The show revolves around Larry Sanders, (Gary Shandling) host of the fictional late night talk show
The Larry Sanders Show. It chronicles the daily life of Larry; the show's producer, Arthur "Artie" (
Rip TornRip Torn is an American actor. His work includes the role of Artie on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated for six Emmy awards, winning in 1996. Torn won an American Comedy Awards for Funniest Supporting Male in a Series, two CableACE Awards for his work on The Larry Sanders Show...
); Larry's sidekick, Hank (
Jeffrey TamborJeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps most known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. on the television series Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Personal life:...
); and the production staff, as they attempt to produce a successful talk show each night while dealing with celebrities, the network and everything in between. Episodes focus on both the professional and personal lives of the characters, with most shows focusing on Larry Sanders. However, ancillary characters are also prominently featured, among them Jerry, the show's head writer for the first and second seasons; Phil, the head writer beginning in season two; Beverly, Larry's assistant; Darlene, Hank's assistant until the fourth season; Brian, Hank's assistant beginning in the fourth season; Paula, the show's booker until the fifth season; and Mary Lou, the assistant booker and then booker starting in the fifth season.
Different kind of sitcom
The Larry Sanders Show mixed video-taped footage of the fictional broadcast show (which was recorded in front of an actual live studio audience) with "behind the scenes" footage shot on
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
(for example, Larry talking to his guests during the commercial break or the everyday workings of the office between shows). As such it featured real-life celebrities guest as they appear on the talk show, but also they appeared behind the scenes. This gave writers and the celebrity guest the opportunity to send up their media image while making the show more realistic.
Guests
Most episodes featured celebrity guests who usually played themselves appearing on the fictional
Larry Sanders Show, and who were often the primary source of conflict between Sanders and his co-workers. This gave the writers and the celebrity guests the opportunity to send up their media images while making the show appear more realistic. Guests included
Robin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian.Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
,
David DuchovnyDavid William Duchovny is an American actor. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
,
Roseanne BarrRoseanne Cherie Barr is an American actress, comedian, writer, and television producer.Barr won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her work on Roseanne...
,
Elvis CostelloElvis Costello is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s, and later became associated with the punk rock and New Wave musical genres...
,
Mimi RogersMimi Rogers is an American movie actress and competitive poker player.-Personal life:Rogers was born Miriam Spickler in Coral Gables, Florida, the daughter of Philip J. Spickler, a civil engineer. Rogers, whose father was Jewish and mother Episcopalian, became a member of the Church of...
,
Chris FarleyChristopher Crosby "Chris" Farley was an American comedian and actor. He was a member at Chicago's Second City Theatre and the cast of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live...
,
Pat SajakPat Sajak , born Patrick Leonard Sajdak on October 26, 1946, is a television personality, former weatherman and a former talk show host, best known as the host of the American television game show, Wheel of Fortune.-Early life:...
,
Alex TrebekGeorge Alexander "Alex" Trebek is a Canadian-American television personality and game show host. He has been the host of the game show Jeopardy! since 1984. He has hosted numerous game/quiz shows and has appeared in television series, usually as himself...
,
Billy CrystalWilliam Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian, and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the box office successes When Harry...
,
Sharon StoneSharon Yvonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She first achieved international recognition for her performance in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
,
Jon StewartJonathan "Jon" Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
,
Danny DeVitoDaniel Michael "Danny" DeVito, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer, who first gained prominence for his portrayal of "Louie De Palma" on the ABC and NBC TV series Taxi...
,
Rob ReinerRobert Norman "Rob" Reiner is an American director, producer, writer, and political activist. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
,
Alec BaldwinAlexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American film and television actor. He has appeared in films such as Beetlejuice and The Hunt for Red October, in addition to the Martin Scorsese films The Aviator and The Departed.He was nominated for the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild...
,
Jon LovitzJonathan M. "Jon" Lovitz is an American actor, comedian and singer. He is best known for serving as a cast member of Saturday Night Live between 1985 to 1990 and voicing Jay Sherman on The Critic.-Early life:...
,
David SpadeDavid Wayne Spade is an American actor, comedian and television personality who first became famous in the 1990s as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and from 1997 until 2003 starred as Dennis Finch on Just Shoot Me!. He also starred as C.J. Barnes, along with Katey Sagal and James Garner on 8...
,
Dana CarveyDana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and comedian, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live and in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...
,
Jim CarreyJames Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and stand-up comedian. Carrey is best known for his performances as multiple characters in the sketch comedy show In Living Color, as the title character in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, as the unlucky TV...
,
John RitterJonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor and comedian perhaps best known for playing Jack Tripper in the ABC sitcom Three's Company.-Early life:...
,
Bob SagetRobert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American actor, stand-up comedian, television host, and filmmaker. Although he is best known for his past roles in the family-oriented shows Full House and America's Funniest Home Videos, Saget is known outside of television for his starkly blue stand-up routine...
,
Bruno KirbyBruno Kirby was an American film and television actor. He was perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally..., Good Morning, Vietnam, and The Godfather Part II....
,
Ellen DeGeneresEllen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television hostess and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and is also a judge on American Idol, having joined the show in its ninth season.She has hosted both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys. As a...
,
Bobcat GoldthwaitRobert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, rabid stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice...
, and
Howard SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio and media personality most notable for his radio show which since January 9, 2006, has been broadcasting on Sirius XM, an uncensored satellite radio service...
, among others.
Jeff CesarioJeff Cesario is an American comedian and writer, who has written for Dennis Miller Live and The Larry Sanders Show. He has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, and others. He attributes his sense of humor to his parents, Bill Cosby records, and...
was the butt of a long running joke, being frequently "bumped" when booked to appear.
In a commentary on the season 1 DVD, Shandling says the guests were invariably happy to parody their media images and generally shared the same sense of humor as himself and the other writers.
Cast and characters
The following is a list of cast and characters who have appeared in all or some seasons of the show.
- Garry Shandling
Garry Shandling is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work in It's Garry Shandling's Show and The Larry Sanders Show....
as Larry Sanders, the show's primary character.
- Rip Torn
Rip Torn is an American actor. His work includes the role of Artie on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated for six Emmy awards, winning in 1996. Torn won an American Comedy Awards for Funniest Supporting Male in a Series, two CableACE Awards for his work on The Larry Sanders Show...
as Arthur ("Artie"Artie" is a fictional character played by Rip Torn on the American television series The Larry Sanders Show. His last name is never mentioned during the run of the show, but his full first name is Arthur.-Personal history:...
"), the show's producer
- Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps most known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. on the television series Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Personal life:...
as Larry's sidekick Hank KingsleyHenry "Hank" Joseph Kingsley, Jr. is a fictional character played by Jeffrey Tambor on the American television series The Larry Sanders Show. The character was known for his "Hey now!" catchphrase, a takeoff on Ed McMahon's "Hi-yoooo!"...
- Penny Johnson
Penny Johnson Jerald is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayals of Beverly Barnes on the HBO comedy series The Larry Sanders Show, Kasidy Yates on the syndicated science fiction series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Sherry Palmer on the Fox action/drama series 24.Trained at the...
as Larry's personal assistant, Beverly
- Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist, writer, and former co-host on Air America Radio's The Majority Report...
as the show's booker Paula (until episode 76)
- Mary Lynn Rajskub
Mary Lynn Rajskub is an American actress and comedian, best known for her leading role as Chloe O'Brian on the Fox action-thriller 24.-Career:...
as the show's booking assistant/booker Mary Lou (from episode 69)
- Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Samuel Piven is an American actor. He is best known for his role of Ari Gold in the hit HBO series, Entourage, for which he has won the Emmy award for Best Supporting Actor on three occasions and a Golden Globe Award....
as head writer Jerry (until episode 25)
- Wallace Langham
Wallace Langham is an American actor who has been seen on many television shows either in guest roles or starring roles. He is probably best known for his role as David Hodges in the American crime drama television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.-Film career:He used to play billed as Wally...
as writer/head writer Phil
- Linda Doucett as Hank's personal assistant Darlene (until episode 48)
- Scott Thompson
Scott Thompson is a Canadian television comedian, best known for his time as a member of the comedy troupe Kids in the Hall.-Early life:...
as Hank's personal assistant Brian (from episode 50)
- Megan Gallagher
Megan Gallagher is an American actress.Gallagher was born in Reading, Pennsylvania and grew up in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Aileen Gallagher, was a model.Gallagher has largely worked in television and theatre...
as Larry's second ex-wife Jeannie (episodes 1-13, 53)
- Kathryn Harrold
Kathryn Harrold is an American television and movie actress.Harrold was born in Tazewell, Virginia. She has appeared in a number of TV series, including The Rockford Files, MacGruder and Loud, The Bronx Zoo, I'll Fly Away, The Larry Sanders Show', and Mister Sterling...
as Larry's first ex-wife Francine (episodes 14-31)
- Deborah May
Deborah May is a television and film actress. She has appeared in such TV shows as ER, Days of our Lives, The Larry Sanders Show, Murder One, St. Elsewhere, The Guiding Light and films such as Disney's The Kid, Nurse Betty, Caged Fear, The Golden Girls, Johnny Be Good and The Woman in Red....
as network executive Melanie Parrish
- Bob Odenkirk
Robert "Bob" Odenkirk is an American comedian, actor, writer, director and producer. Odenkirk is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show.-Early life:...
as Larry's agent Stevie Grant
- Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman is an American comedienne, writer, actress, singer, and musician. Although usually credited as Sarah Silverman, she is sometimes credited by her nickname, Big S...
as writer Wendy (episodes 57, 74, 75)
Social issues
The show centered around lives of the cast and crew of the fictional talk show,
The Larry Sanders Show. They are devided into thee ranks. The network has the highest rank because thay control much of the show's actions. Larry, Artie and Hank hold the second rank because they control the crew, the lowest rank, which consists of Paula, Mary Lou, Beverly, Darlene, Brian, Jerry, and Sid.
Homosexuality was also an issue on the show. In the fourth season, Darlene quits and Hank hires a new assistant, Brian. However, Hank discovers that Brian is gay, but decides to keep him in order to not look homophobic. The episode was nominated for Outstanding Writin in a Comedy Series. Two episodes of season five center on homosexuality. In the first episode, Larry begins to suspect that David Duchovny may have sexual feelings for him. In the second episode, Larry tries to discover if
Ellen DeGeneresEllen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television hostess and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and is also a judge on American Idol, having joined the show in its ninth season.She has hosted both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys. As a...
is a lesbian. The season was nominated for a GLAAD media award and the two episodes where nominated for Outstanding Writing and Directing in a Comedy Series at the Emmys. In the final season of the show, Brian, sues the show for sexual harrasment due to Phil's gay jokes. Phil tearfully apologizes and Brian drops the lawsuit. It ends with Brian and Phil kissing, implying that Phil is actually gay himself. This episode was also nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
Marriage problems were another constant issue on the show. Larry had two wives on the show. Before the show began, he was married to Francine, and during the show he was married to Jeannie, but they both divorced him for the same reason: Larry was paying more attention to his career than their marriage. Hank proposed and married during a live broadcast of the fictional show in its second season; however, on the third season, she divorced him for the same reason Larry got divorced. Artie once mention that he was married three times, but it was never revealed why his first two wives divorced him. Artie never got divorced from his third wife.
Religoin was also a social issue. None of the cast or crew practice religion or go to churches. However, Hank breifly became a jew and keep insisting it was beause he loved the religion, but it was in fact because he was in love with the woman who converted him. As she discovered this, she abruptly expullsed him from the religion.
The show was the first show on television to say the words
fuckFuck is an English word that is generally considered profane, that in its most literal meaning refers to the act of sexual intercourse. However, by extension it may be used to negatively characterize anything that can be dismissed, disdained, defiled, or destroyed, and it is due to the convergence...
,
prickPrick may refer to:* Prick , an album by the rock band The Melvins* Prick , a tool used for marking out* Prick, an industrial musical act created by Kevin McMahon* "Prick", a single by the Australian band Something for Kate...
and
cuntCunt is a vulgarism referring generally to the female genitalia, specifically the vulva, and including the cleft of venus. The earliest citation of this usage in the 1972 Oxford English Dictionary, c 1230, refers to the London street known as Gropecunt Lane...
on the air. It was also the first show to have nudity, which included Jerry's butt, a stripper's butt and Hank's
buttButt may refer to:* Butt , a unit of wine* Butt , a target for practicing archery* Butt , a joint between planks of wood on a ship* Butt * Butt , a tribe from Kashmir in Pakistan and India...
.
Everyone on the show displayed different characteristics. Larry was weak, vain and neurotic, always asking opinions about what other people thought of him, and always backing out of problems, leaving Artie to resolve them. People were afraid of Larry because he could fire them. Artie was respected because of his power. Hank was egocentric, always wanting to be the center of attention. Paula and Phil always got into verbal fights. Beverly was always afraid people hassled her because she was black, instead of because she was not doing her job right. Brian was alway being picked at because of his homosexuality.
Directors
The show had a lot of directors for its run. The most frequent director was
Todd HollandTodd Holland is an American television and film director and producer. He grew up in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and was an honor student, graduating from...
, who directed 52 episodes. Holland is also the only director to have directed episodes in all six seasons. Holland was the head director for season two, three, four and five. Garry Shandling was the primary director for the sixth season, having directed three episodes of the season, while Holland directed only two. Another major director was
Ken KwapisKen Kwapis is an American film and television director and screenwriter. He helped define the single-camera sitcom in the 1990s and 2000s and has directed popular feature films such as Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and He's Just Not That Into You.-Education and early life:Ken Kwapis was born...
; although he only directed episodes of the first and second season, overall he directed 13 episodes. Kwapis was the head director in the first season. Some directors who directed only one episode in show's run are: Dennis Erdman,
Paul FlahertyPaul Andrew Flaherty was an American computer scientist. He was a renowned specialist for internet protocols and the inventor of the AltaVista search engine.-Biography:...
,
John RiggiJohn Riggi is an American television writer, producer, director, and actor who has worked on various television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
,
Michael LangeMichael Lange is an American television director and record producer.-Early life:Born and raised just outside New York City, Michael Lange first developed a taste for drama at school, where he served as both an actor and director in a number of productions...
,
David MirkinDavid Mirkin is an American feature film and television director, writer and producer, known for his work on The Simpsons. He is a native of Philadelphia and an alumnus of Loyola Marymount University. He has won several Emmys along with the Peabody Award.His first job writing for television was on...
, Melonie Mayron and
Judd ApatowJudd Apatow is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is well-known for making a distinct series of critically and commercially successful comedy films, including The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Funny People...
. Directors who directed two or more episodes are:
Michael LehmannMichael Stephen Lehmann is an American film and television director.Lehmann attended Columbia University. His first job in the film industry was answering phones at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film company. Later he supervised cameras on films that included 1983's The Outsiders...
and
Alan Myerson-Career:Myerson began working in theatre in New York City, then directing The Second City in Chicago. He founded The Committee in San Francisco in 1963...
. The show received one Emmy Award for directing. It went to
Todd HollandTodd Holland is an American television and film director and producer. He grew up in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and was an honor student, graduating from...
for directing the series finale
Flip.
Writers
More than 40 writers wrote episodes of the show. Garry Shandling and Peter Tolan were the head writers for the entire six season run. Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein wrote the pilot episode of the show. Shandling wrote 38, while Tolan wrote 23 episodes. Shandling and Tolan received an Emmy Award for writing the series finale
FlipFlip may refer to:* Flip , a mathematical operation* Flip , a class of mixed drink* Flip , a colloquial term referring to Filipino people* Flip , a character from the comic strip and cartoon Little Nemo...
. Other writers on the show were Maya Forbes,
Paul SimmsPaul Simms is an American television writer.Paul spent some years of his life in Saudi Arabia, where his parents were school teachers, but began his career in television writing for Late Night with David Letterman. Simms later wrote for the HBO program, The Larry Sanders Show. He was the creator...
,
Judd ApatowJudd Apatow is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is well-known for making a distinct series of critically and commercially successful comedy films, including The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Funny People...
,
John RiggiJohn Riggi is an American television writer, producer, director, and actor who has worked on various television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
,
Jon VittiJon Vitti is a writer who is most noted for his writing for the television series The Simpsons. He has also written for the King of the Hill and The Critic series, and has served as a consultant for several animated movies, including Ice Age and Robots...
,
Chris ThompsonChris Thompson is an English singer and guitarist known both for his work with Manfred Mann's Earth Band and for his solo accomplishments.- Biography :...
, Dennis Klein, Drake Sathers,
Molly NewmanMolly Newman is an Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer who is most known for work on shows such as The Larry Sanders Show "Frasier" "Murphy Brown" "Tracey Takes On..." "Maximum Bob" and Brothers & Sisters....
,
Lester LewisLester Lewis is an American television writer and producer, whose credits include sitcoms such as Flight of the Conchords, Caroline in the City and The Larry Sanders Show. He is currently a supervising producer and writer on The Office . He appeared at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2008 for a The...
and
Jeff CesarioJeff Cesario is an American comedian and writer, who has written for Dennis Miller Live and The Larry Sanders Show. He has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, and others. He attributes his sense of humor to his parents, Bill Cosby records, and...
.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Premiere Date | End Date |
|---|
| 1 |
13 |
August 15, 1992 |
November 7, 1992 |
| 2 |
18 |
June 2, 1993 |
September 29, 1993 |
| 3 |
17 |
June 22, 1994 |
October 12, 1994 |
| 4 |
17 |
July 19, 1995 |
November 22, 1995 |
| 5 |
13 |
November 13, 1996 |
February 26, 1997 |
| 6 |
11 |
March 15, 1998 |
May 31, 1998 |
Catchphrases
The show had two catchphrases used throughout its entire run, the most notable being "hey now," a phrase Hank repeats in the opening credits of the fictional talk show, and whenever he greets someone. In one episode, Hank says he invented the phrase when he accidentally said it to someone and liked it. In 2007, TV Land ranked "Hey Now" as the 87th Best Television catch phrase. "No flipping" is a phrase Larry uses to go to commercial breaks, encouraging the at-home audience not to use their remotes to flip to another channel. In the series finale, the last thing Larry says on the show is, "You may now flip."
Awards won by The Larry Sanders Show
| Award |
Category |
Recipient |
| American Comedy Awards The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films...
1994 |
Funniest Supporting Male in a TV Series |
Rip TornRip Torn is an American actor. His work includes the role of Artie on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated for six Emmy awards, winning in 1996. Torn won an American Comedy Awards for Funniest Supporting Male in a Series, two CableACE Awards for his work on The Larry Sanders Show...
|
| American Comedy Awards The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films...
1998 |
Funniest Male Performance in a TV Series |
Gary Shandling |
| American Comedy Awards The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films...
1999 |
Funniest Male Guest Appearance on a TV Series |
David DuchovnyDavid William Duchovny is an American actor. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
|
| American Comedy Awards The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films...
1999 |
Funniest Female Guest Appearance on a TV Series |
Ellen DeGeneresEllen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television hostess and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and is also a judge on American Idol, having joined the show in its ninth season.She has hosted both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys. As a...
|
| British Comedy Awards The British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
1997 |
Best International Comedy Show |
|
| British Comedy Awards The British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
1999 |
Best International Comedy Show |
|
| BAFTA Awards 1999 |
Outstanding International Program |
Gary Shandling |
| CableACE Awards 1993 |
Outstanding Comedy Series |
|
| CableACE Awards 1994 |
Outstanding Comedy Series |
|
| CableACE Awards 1995 |
Outstanding Comedy Series |
|
| CableACE Awards 1996 |
Outstanding Comedy Series |
|
| Emmy Awards The 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 13, 1998. It was broadcast on NBC. Nominees and winners are listed below, winners are in bold.- Outstanding Comedy Series :*3rd Rock from the Sun, NBC*Ally McBeal, FOX...
1998 |
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Comedy Series |
Peter Tolan Peter Tolan is an American television producer, director, and screenwriter.-Early career:Before leaving Scituate to pursue his creative talents in Hollywood, Tolan founded a theater group called YPST . The group performed broadway musicals and rehearsed at the local church...
& Garry Shandling (for "Flip") |
| Emmy Awards 1998 |
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Comedy Series |
Todd Holland (for "Flip") |
| Emmy Awards 1996 |
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series |
Rip Torn |
| Peabody Awards 1998 |
|
"Flip" |
| Peabody Awards 1993 |
|
|
| Rose d'Or The Rose d'Or is a television award. It has been given annually in spring since 1961 at the Festival Rose d'Or. Since 2004, the festival has been held in Lucerne, Switzerland...
1997 |
Sitcom |
|
| Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
1997 |
Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical |
|
| Television Critics Association Awards 1997 |
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy |
|
| Television Critics Association Awards 1998 |
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy |
|
Season 2
Jeremy Piven grew tired of playing the character Jerry, head writer of the fictional Larry Sanders Show talk show; because his character was not given much of a background. He left during season two on the episode Larry's Birthday, where Artie fired him because of his behavior on the show. Jerry later came back on the series finale to say good luck to Larry on his final show. Eventually, Phil replaced Jerry as the show's head writer.
Season 4
Darlene, Hank's loyal assistant left the show at the end of season three. Supposedly she was on vacation, but on the second episode of the fourth season, a note arrived from Darlene telling Hank she decided to quit as his assistant and go to work for his mentor. Later that same episode, Hank hires Brian, learns he is gay, but decides to keep him on in order to avoid looking homophobic. Darlene returned along with Jerry on the show's finale to congratulate Larry on his final show.
Season 5
Jeanne Garafolo decided to leave due to decreasing screen time for her character Paula, the show's booker. Mary Lou, her assistant, replaced her as booker. In this season the show got a writer named Wendy. Also in this season, Jon Stewart become a frequent guest who threatened to replace Larry on the show.
Season 6
Most of the changes of the show occurred offscreen this season. Many of the shows writers left the show (all except Garry Shandling, Peter Tolan, and Judd Apatow), and a new writing staff was hired. Todd Holland, who directed more than 48 episodes of the show, only directed two episodes the sixth season. This season was also markedly less comedic then earlier ones. Sid, the cue card guy at the show, commits suicide on the 8th episode of the season, but this was not considered a huge change, because there were only three episodes left in the series at that point.
Honors
After the show ended, it came to be considered one of the finest TV shows of all time. The biggest honor it received was a spot on Time magazine's 100 Greatest Shows of All Time. In 2008,
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books and popular culture. Unlike celebrity-focused publications US Weekly, People, and In Touch Weekly, EWs primary concentration is on entertainment...
ranked
The Larry Sanders Show the 28th Greatest Show of the past 25 years. Also, TV Guide named it the 38th Greatest Show of All Time, the only HBO comedy to make it to the list. Hank's famous phrase, "Hey now" became part of normal conversations of daily lives. Another phrase "No Flipping" became known in the talk show host community and was sometimes used in different talk shows. During its six year run, The Larry Sanders Show won 24 awards including three Emmy awards.
After the show ended, many other shows used the same concept of The Larry Sanders Show: have a celebrity guest appear on every single episode of the show. Other would be
EntourageEntourage is an American comedy-drama that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004. The series was created by Doug Ellin and chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase, a young A-list movie star, and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City, as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of Hollywood,...
,
Extras and
Curb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy series starring Seinfeld writer, co-creator, and executive producer Larry David as himself. It is produced and broadcast by HBO....
.
Season 1
The first season premiered on August 15, 1992 and ended on November 7, 1992, and was an immediate success. For the first season, the show always began with Hank's introduction, and some early episodes of the show began with the opening credits of the fictional talk show, The Larry Sanders Show. In later seasons, the episodes often began without the fictional opening credits.
Some popular episodes of the season are: "
The Garden Weasel"The Garden Weasel" is the first episode of the television show The Larry Sanders Show. In DVD releases the episode is titled "What Have You Done For Me Lately?"-Synopsis:...
", in which the network wants Larry to do live commercials during the show; "The Spider Episode", in which Larry is afraid to do a sketch which involves spiders; "The New Producer", in which the network wants to replace Artie; "Out of the Loop", in which Artie doesn't want Larry to know that Jerry and Sally have been having sex on his desk; "The Flirt Episode" in which Larry tries not to flirt with
Mimi RogersMimi Rogers is an American movie actress and competitive poker player.-Personal life:Rogers was born Miriam Spickler in Coral Gables, Florida, the daughter of Philip J. Spickler, a civil engineer. Rogers, whose father was Jewish and mother Episcopalian, became a member of the Church of...
; and the season finale "The Hey Now Episode", in which Larry and Artie try to make Hank appreciate the show more.
The season was nominated for 8 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, but lost to
SeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. The eponymous series was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, with the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
. However,
The Larry Sanders Show became the first cable TV series to be nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Garry ShandlingGarry Shandling is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work in It's Garry Shandling's Show and The Larry Sanders Show....
was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
Rip TornRip Torn is an American actor. His work includes the role of Artie on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated for six Emmy awards, winning in 1996. Torn won an American Comedy Awards for Funniest Supporting Male in a Series, two CableACE Awards for his work on The Larry Sanders Show...
and
Jeffrey TamborJeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps most known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. on the television series Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Personal life:...
were nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Dana CarveyDana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and comedian, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live and in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...
and Carrol Burnett was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor and Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Dannis Klien and Garry Shandling was nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the Pilot episode. Garry Shandling,
Paul SimmsPaul Simms is an American television writer.Paul spent some years of his life in Saudi Arabia, where his parents were school teachers, but began his career in television writing for Late Night with David Letterman. Simms later wrote for the HBO program, The Larry Sanders Show. He was the creator...
,
Peter TolanPeter Tolan is an American television producer, director, and screenwriter.-Early career:Before leaving Scituate to pursue his creative talents in Hollywood, Tolan founded a theater group called YPST . The group performed broadway musicals and rehearsed at the local church...
and Rosie Shuster were nominated in for the same category for The Spider Episode.
Season 2
The second season premiered on June 2, 1993 and ended on September 29, 1993. The story arc in this season involved Larry beginning a new relationship with his first wife, after he had divorced his second wife.
Some popular episodes of the season were: "Larry's Agent", in which Larry tries to fire his agent; "Life Behind Larry" in which Larry wants to get into more of the groups activities; "Broadcast Nudes", in which Hank wants Darlene to pose naked in
Playboy magazine (Linda Doucett, the actress who played Darlene and also Garry Shandling's girlfriend, would later actually appear in the magazine); "Larry's Birthday" in which Larry doesn't want anyone throwing a party for his birthday; this is also the episode where Jerry (the head writer of the show) is fired; "Being There", in which Hank tries to promote his new restaurant; "Off Camera", in which Artie has to deal with all the stress that Larry suffers every show; and the season finale "L.A or N.Y?", in which Larry leaves the show and moves to Montana, to protest the network's desire to shift the show's base from New York to L.A.
The show was nominated for four Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, but lost to
FrasierFrasier is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993 to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Paramount Television.A spin-off from Cheers, Frasier stars Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist...
and would continue losing to the same series for the rest of its run. Rip Torn was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy. Todd Holland was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for the episode Life Behind Larry.
Garry ShandlingGarry Shandling is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work in It's Garry Shandling's Show and The Larry Sanders Show....
,
Paul SimmsPaul Simms is an American television writer.Paul spent some years of his life in Saudi Arabia, where his parents were school teachers, but began his career in television writing for Late Night with David Letterman. Simms later wrote for the HBO program, The Larry Sanders Show. He was the creator...
, Drake Sathers, Victor Levin and Maya Forbes where nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the episode Larry's Agent.
Season 3
The season premiered on July 22, 1994 and ended in October 12, 1994. The original title credits of the show appear less frequently this season.
Some of the most popular episodes of the season were: "Montana", in which the show gets back on the air after Larry discovers that life in Montana sucks; "You're Having My Baby", in which a woman claims that she is having Larry's baby; "Hank's Night in the Sun", in which Hank fulfills his dreams of becoming guest host for the show; "The Mr. Sharon Stone Show", which Larry dates
Sharon StoneSharon Yvonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She first achieved international recognition for her performance in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
and finds out what it means to be the less famous member of a show biz couple; and the season finale "Ed of the Seasons" in which Larry gets engaged to
Roseanne BarrRoseanne Cherie Barr is an American actress, comedian, writer, and television producer.Barr won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her work on Roseanne...
.
The season was nominated for six Emmy awards, including, for the third year in a row, for Outstanding Comedy Series, but lost to
Frasier again.
Garry ShandlingGarry Shandling is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work in It's Garry Shandling's Show and The Larry Sanders Show....
was nominated as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Rip Torn was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Todd Holland was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for Hank's Night in the Sun. Peter Tolan was nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for Hank's Night in the Sun. It received another nomination in that same category, Garry Shandling and Peter Tolan for "The Mr. Sharon Stone Show". This season also received a Golden Globe nomination for Gary Shandling for Best Lead Actor in Musical or Comedy. It received one nomination for the Directors Guild of America Award for Todd Holland for The Mr. Sharon Stone Show.
Season 4
The season premiered on July 19, 1995 and ended in November 22, 1995.
Some of the most popular episodes of the show included: "Rosanne's Return", in which Larry has to face
Roseanne BarrRoseanne Cherie Barr is an American actress, comedian, writer, and television producer.Barr won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her work on Roseanne...
after their engagement broke off; "Arthur After Hours", in which it is revealed what Artie does after the show had an unsuccessful broadcast; "Jeanne's Visit", in which Larry's ex-wife, Jeannie, visits the show, "Hank's Sex Tape", in which Hank becomes depressed when a tape of him having sex is leaked to the internet; and the season finale "Larry's On Vacation", in which
Sandra BernhardSandra Bernhard is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy in which she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. She is also known for her relationship with Madonna during the late 1980s...
tries to take over the show .
The season was nominated for 12 Emmy awards for, including for Outstanding Comedy Series, but lost for the third time in a row to
FrasierFrasier is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993 to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Paramount Television.A spin-off from Cheers, Frasier stars Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist...
. But this year
The Larry Sanders Show received its first Emmy award:
Rip TornRip Torn is an American actor. His work includes the role of Artie on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated for six Emmy awards, winning in 1996. Torn won an American Comedy Awards for Funniest Supporting Male in a Series, two CableACE Awards for his work on The Larry Sanders Show...
won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Jeffrey Tambor was also nominated in the same category. Garry Shandling was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and te show received two nominations for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series: One for Todd Holland for Arthur After Hours, another for Michael Leachmann for I was a Teenage Lesbian. The show: one for
Garry ShandlingGarry Shandling is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work in It's Garry Shandling's Show and The Larry Sanders Show....
, Steve Levitan and Maya Forbes for the episode Roseanne's Return, another for Peter Tolan for the episode Arthur After Hours, and another for Jon Vitti for Hank's Sex Tape. Janeane Garofalo was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in Comedy Series.
Rosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, singer, author and media personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
and
Mandy PatinkinMandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. Patinkin is known for his roles in television series such as: Chicago Hope, Dead Like Me and the first two seasons of Criminal Minds...
were nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress and Guest Actor in Comedy Series. Gary Shandling was nominated for the second time in a row for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series at the Golden Globe Award. This season received four Writers' Guild of America Awards, One for Garry Shandling, Steve Levitan and Maya Forbes for Roseanne's Return, another for John Riggi for Hank's New Assistant, another for Peter Tolan for Arthur After Hours and finally one for Peter Tolan for Eight. It received one Director's Guild of America Award nomination for Todd Holland for the episode Arthur After Hours.
Season 5
The season premiered November 13, 1996 and ended on February 26, 1997. There is only one episode that began with the original credit sequence of the series.
Some of the most famous episodes of the series were made in this season: "Everybody Loves Larry", in which Larry starts suspecting that
David DuchovnyDavid William Duchovny is an American actor. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
has sexual feelings for him; "My Name is Asher Kingsley", in which Hank explores his Jewish roots, much to the crew's dismay; "Ellen, or Isn't She?", in which Larry and Artie try to find if
Ellen DeGeneresEllen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television hostess and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and is also a judge on American Idol, having joined the show in its ninth season.She has hosted both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys. As a...
is really a lesbian; "The New Writer", in which Wendy begins working as a writer for the show, much to Phil's dismay; "The Book", in which Larry is convinced to write an autobiography; "Pain Equals Funny", in which Paula leaves the show; and the season finale, "Larry's New Love", in which Hank is afraid the network is trying to replace him.
The show was nominated for 16 Emmy awards, breaking the record for most nominations for a Comedy Series for an individual Emmy year. The record was maintained for ten years, until
30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that currently airs on NBC on Thursday nights. The series takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series depicted as airing on NBC; the name "30 Rock" refers to the address of the GE Building where NBC...
received 17 nominations. The show was nominated for the fifth time for Outstanding Comedy Series, and was considered a front-runner for Primetime Emmy Award, but was defeated again by
FrasierFrasier is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993 to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Paramount Television.A spin-off from Cheers, Frasier stars Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist...
. Garry Shandling was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Rip Torn and Jeffrey Tambor were nominated for Outstanding Suppoting Actor in Comedy Series. Janeane Garofalo was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. It received two nominations for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series; one for Todd Holland for Everybody Loves Larry, another for Alan Myerson for Ellen, Or Isn't She?. It received three nominations for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series; one for Garry Shandling, John Markus and Judd Apatow for the episde Ellen, Or Isn't She?, another for Peter Tolan for My Name is Asher Kingsley, another for Jon Vitti for Everybody Loves Larry. David Duchovny and Ellen DeGeneres received nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor and Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. The show was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Series-Musical or Comedy. It received two Directors' Guild of America Award nominations; one for Todd Holland for Everybody Loves Larry, another for Alan Myerson for Ellen, Or Isn't She?. It was also nominated for two Writers' Guild of America Awards; one for Maya Forbes for The Book and another for Garry Shandling, John Markus and Judd Apatow for Ellen, Or Isn't She?.
Season 6
This was the final season of The Larry Sanders Show. It premiered on March 15, 1998 and ended on May 31, 1998. There is only one episode which began with the original show's opening.
Some of the most popular episodes of the season were: "Another List", in which the network threatens to replace Larry with
Jon StewartJonathan "Jon" Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
unless he makes some changes; "The Beginning of the End", in which the show gets a new creative consultant who wants to make big changes in the show; "Adolf Hankler", in which Hank has to play
Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , popularly known as the Nazi Party...
, while Larry is on vacation and Jon Stewart guest hosts; "Beverly's Secret", in which Beverly tries to tell the father of her baby she's pregnant; "Putting the "Gay" Back in Litigation," in which Brian (Hank's assistant) sues Phil and the show for sexual harassment due to Phil's gay jokes; and the series finale: "
FlipFlip may refer to:* Flip , a mathematical operation* Flip , a class of mixed drink* Flip , a colloquial term referring to Filipino people* Flip , a character from the comic strip and cartoon Little Nemo...
," in which the cast gets ready for their final broadcast and Larry and Artie deal with Hank and the emotions of the crew.
For its final Emmy year, it received 10 nominations, and received its final Emmy for
Outstanding Comedy Series Outstanding Comedy Series is a category for the following awards:*Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series*NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Comedy Series...
, but it lost once again to
FrasierFrasier is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993 to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Paramount Television.A spin-off from Cheers, Frasier stars Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist...
, for the fifth year in a row. Nevertheless, it won two Emmys: one for Todd Holland for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for his direction of the final episode of the show, another for Garry Shandling and Peter Tolan for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series also for the final episode of the show. Garry Shandling was nominated Outstanding Lead Actor in Comedy Series. Rip Torn and Jeffrey Tambor were nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in Comedy Series. It received one nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: Richard Day, Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck for "Putting the "Gay" Back in Ligation." It received only one nomination for Directors' Guild of America Award: Todd Holland for the episode "Flip."
Series finale
After six years on the air, HBO and Garry Shandling announced that the show would not continue for a seventh season. The series finale aired in May 1998.
Garry Shandling says he was very proud of the show's popularity and was sad it couldn't continue. Many of the cast and crew expressed disappointment and even depression with the end of the show. The finale was written by Garry Shandling and Peter Tolan, and was directed with Todd Holland. They both won Emmy Awards for directing and writing the final episode. The episode was filmed in March 1998, the same month the season premiered, with a running time of 53 minutes (90 with commercials), unlike all the other episode with a running time of 22 to 28 minutes.
With only a few hours before the last broadcast of the fictional talk show, Larry is busy preparing for his final speech—similar to the one Ed Sullivan did on his show. He is trying to focus on the speech but keeps getting distracted by his staff's increasing sadness. After the taping, Larry sits in a chair of the audience section; Artie joins him to tell him that his experience on the show was the best experience of his life, and Larry says that he is best friend. Hank confronts them over the way they have treated him over the years and calls the "fucking assholes," but then returns to tearfully apologize. The three of them embrace and leave the show's set. The final scene features Larry looking at the set for one last time before leaving.
The episode aired 16 days after the finale of Seinfeld aired on May 31 and was watched by 2.5 million viewers, which was a significant number for HBO. The finale got very positive reviews from critics, especially in comparison to Seinfeld's season finale. One critic said, "Although The Larry Sanders Show was not as popular as Seinfeld, I consider The Larry Sanders Show's finale to be better than Seinfeld's"; another calling it "one of the greatest series finalse in history". Ironically, Seinfeld appears as himself in the series finale.
The episode was nominated for five Emmy Awards and won two: Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for Todd Holland and Outstanding Writing in Comedy Series for Garry Shandling and Peter Tolan.
Critical Reaction
After the show ended, The New York Post called it "One of the Greatest Achievements in Television". The L.A. Weekly called it "Very Funny". Time Magazine said it was "The Closest Sitcom to Ever Came to Perfect Pitch". The Washington Post called the show "Brutally and Blatantly Hilarious" and USA Today gave it four stars. Many critics alike called it one of the greatest television shows of all time. Metacritic gives the show a metascore of 96%, based on 8 reviews. Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly said "Revisiting former colleagues and friends to find out how they felt about both Larry Sanders and Garry Shandling amounts to a monumental display of ...fearless revelation and humor." Doug Elfman from the Chicago Sun-Times said "It is simply the one of the best sitcoms ever". Ivan Morales calls it "the greatest HBO sitcom of all time".
Viewers
Since HBO is a pay cable channel that many people didn't receive at the time of The Larry Sanders Shows premiere, it had from one to two million viewers per episode. As the show progresed, the ratings improved more and more with each season reching more viewers than the last one: the second 2 million, the third 3 million and the others 4 and 5 million viewers. The series finale, "Flip," was watched by 2 million viewers.
After the show
After the show ended, many members of the cast and crew enjoyed other success in television or movies. Gary Shandling returned to his roots of stand-up comedy. He also worked as a voice actor in the children's film
Over the HedgeOver the Hedge is a syndicated comic strip written and drawn by Michael Fry and T. Lewis. It tells the story of a raccoon, a turtle and a squirrel who come to terms with their woodlands being taken over by suburbia, trying to survive the increasing flow of humanity and technology while becoming...
. Rip Torn guest-starred on 30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that currently airs on NBC on Thursday nights. The series takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series depicted as airing on NBC; the name "30 Rock" refers to the address of the GE Building where NBC...
, and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance.
Jeremy PivenJeremy Samuel Piven is an American actor. He is best known for his role of Ari Gold in the hit HBO series, Entourage, for which he has won the Emmy award for Best Supporting Actor on three occasions and a Golden Globe Award....
portrayed Ari Gold in the HBO series EntourageEntourage is an American comedy-drama that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004. The series was created by Doug Ellin and chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase, a young A-list movie star, and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City, as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of Hollywood,...
. He has won three Emmy awards, a Golden Globe Award and several other awards for his performance in the show. Jeffrey TamborJeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps most known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. on the television series Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Personal life:...
played George Bluth Sr. in the popular FOX sitcom, Arrested DevelopmentArrested Development is an American television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show is centered around the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, habitually dysfunctional family and is presented in a pseudo-documentary format, incorporating hand-held camera work,...
. He was nominated for two Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He also appeared in the film Hellboy II. Janeane Garafalo, Penny Johnson and Mary Lynn RajskubMary Lynn Rajskub is an American actress and comedian, best known for her leading role as Chloe O'Brian on the Fox action-thriller 24.-Career:...
all appeared on the television show 2424 is an American serial action/drama television series. Broadcast by Fox in the United States and syndicated worldwide, the show first aired on November 6, 2001, with an initial 13 episodes...
. Wallace Langham appeared on CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
.
Judd Apatow, one of the producers of the show and writers, had a successful career after the show, making many adult comedy films such as Knocked UpKnocked Up is a 2007 American comedy film, co-produced, written and directed by Judd Apatow. Starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann, the film follows the repercussions of a drunken one-night stand between Rogen's slacker character and Heigl's just-promoted media...
, Pineapple ExpressPineapple Express is a non-technical, shorthand term popular in the news media for a meteorological phenomenon which is characterized by a strong and persistent flow of atmospheric moisture and associated heavy rainfall from the waters adjacent to the Hawaiian Islands and extending to any location...
, Year OneThe term "Year One" in political history usually refers to the institution of radical, revolutionary change. This usage dates from the time of the French Revolution: after the abolition of the French monarchy , the National Convention instituted the new French Revolutionary Calendar, declaring that...
, The 40-Year-Old VirginThe 40-Year-Old Virgin is a comedy film written and directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by the film's lead star, Steve Carell, though the film itself features a great deal of improvised dialogue...
and currently, Funny PeopleFunny People is an American comedy-drama film, written, co-produced, and directed by Judd Apatow, and starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen as stand-up comedians. The film was released on July 31, 2009 in North America, and on August 28, 2009 in the United Kingdom. Funny People implements more...
. Brad Grey, the show's executive producer, produced the Martin ScorseseMartin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. He is the founder of the World Cinema Foundation, a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the cinema and has won awards from the Oscars, Golden Globe,...
film The DepartedThe Departed is a American crime drama film remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The Departed was directed by Martin Scorsese, written by William Monahan and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga and Mark Wahlberg...
and was the executive producer on The SopranosThe Sopranos is an American television drama series created and produced by David Chase. It premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on January 10, 1999 and ended its original run of six seasons and 86 episodes on June 10, 2007. The show has also been broadcast on A&E in...
.
DVD releases
The Larry Sanders Show - The Entire First Season
was released on February 26, 2002 by Sony Pictures.
The Larry Sanders Show: The Best Episodes was released by Sony Pictures UK in 2000. It is a compilation containing the following episodes: #302, "Montana" (Robin Williams); #403, "Hank's Sex Tape" (Henry Winkler, Norm MacDonald); #408, "Larry's Big Idea" (Courteney Cox, David Letterman); #412, "I Was a Teenage Lesbian" (Brett Butler). Also included are two first season episodes ("The Guest Host," "The Talk Show"), as well as the second season episode, "The List" (#203) which was left out of the US cable syndication package offered to
BravoBravo is an American cable television channel owned by NBC Universal. It is currently seen in more than 80 million homes and was the first service dedicated to film, drama, and the performing arts when it launched by Cablevision as an advertisement-free channel in December 1980...
. However, it is available to local affiliates.
- A DVD set drawn from all six seasons titled Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show was released by Sony Pictures on April 17, 2007. The 4-disc DVD set features 23 episodes and features 8 hours of bonus material. Shandling re-visits the show's cast and guest stars including Jerry Seinfeld, Alec Baldwin, Sharon Stone, David Duchovny, Carol Burnett, Jon Stewart, Ellen DeGeneres, Jeremy Piven, Sarah Silverman, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Greg Kinnear, and Tom Petty.
- The release of additional seasons has been mentioned by Shandling. The first season was re-released to coincide with Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show, and season two is said to be next.
- Select episodes from each season are available for free viewing on Crackle
Crackle is country-limited multi-platform web television network and studio, administrated by Sony Pictures Entertainment and formerly known as Grouper...
.
Books
- Confessions of a Late-night Talk-show Host: The Autobiography of Larry Sanders (ISBN 067102910X) was written by Garry Shandling in-character as Larry Sanders. It was released October 4, 1999. The book was the topic of season five's episode ten, which was also under the same title.
External links