The meteoric success of "Seinfeld" left American culture with a sizable awareness of the often bizarre social etiquette and pleasantries that pepper it, and it is undoubtedly because of that show that "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is allowed to exist. Not so much a spinoff as it is a runoff, Larry David seperates his show from Jerry's in two ways: taking full advantage of HBO's amenities, he runs each show without a studio audience and formally written script, preferring to improvise around a general plotline. Also, focusing less on merely astute observations on society's absurd codes of behavior and more on a constant struggle against them, David places himself in full-throttle victim role. Each seemingly minor faux pas at a social gathering evolves into a life-altering mistake, and it is these Byzantine tragedies on "Seinfeld"-esque topics such as phone call cut-off times and how long one must wait to have sex after a funeral that make "Curb Your Enthusiasm" an intriguing show. It's not about a group of neurotic pals who get themselves into hijinks week after week, but rather a self-referencing parody of human behavior that, dare I say, often surpasses "Seinfeld"'s efforts. It's like, you know ... funny.
Review of Curb Your Enthusiasm
