Backstage Details From 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' That Put The Show In A Whole New Light
Larry David once said nothing gives him more satisfaction than making Curb Your Enthusiasm. If you know David, you’ll know this is saying a lot – his whole comic persona is based on being chronically dissatisfied with everything. Fittingly, behind-the-scenes tales from his HBO comedy classic are as one-of-a-kind as David himself. You might even say that they’re pretty, pretty, pretty good.
40. David was cross about season 11
Curb Your Enthusiasm was renewed for season 11 in June 2020, and David’s reaction was 100 percent grumpy perfection. He complained to Variety magazine, “Believe me, I’m as upset about this as you are. One day I can only hope that HBO will come to their senses and grant me the cancellation I so richly deserve.” Wonderful stuff.
39. All the dialog is improvised
Curb Your Enthusiasm is a highly unusual TV comedy in that none of its dialog is scripted. The actors are given a vague description of where David wants a scene to go, but then they completely improvize all their lines. It lends an unpredictable, spontaneous feel, as none of the actors actually know what their co-stars are going to say before it comes out of their mouths.
38. The whole thing is intricately plotted
The ad hoc dialog may give some people the wrong impression of the show. The spontaneous nature of its scenes can only thrive because of the meticulous plot framework underpinning them. David and his writing collaborators create an outline for each season, so they know exactly which lines and plot points need to be addressed in order to move things forward. So it’s spontaneous, but still structured.
37. Editing is hell
The gap between seasons eight and nine of Curb was six years. One reason for this is that the show takes a long time to put together, precisely because of the singular way in which it is created. When editing episodes, there is simply a ton of footage to work through. Each scene will have multiple different versions, and it’s therefore a tall order for the editor to wrangle everything into a coherent narrative.
