At long last, Larry David is returning to HBO…again.
Variety has learned exclusively that the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” creator and star has re-teamed with the premium cabler on a sketch comedy limited series about American history. David is writing the series with Jeff Schaffer, who was the showrunner, executive producer, and frequent director on “Curb.” David will also star in the six-episode series.
Both David and Schaffer will executive produce the half-hour show, with Schaffer also set to direct. Barack and Michelle Obama are executive producing under their Higher Ground Productions banner along with Vinnie Malhotra and Ethan Lewis.
“I’ve sat across the table from some of the world’s most difficult leaders and wrestled with some of our most intractable problems. Nothing has prepared me for working with Larry David,” said former President Obama.
Along with David, the sketch series will feature a mix of some “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actors and other guest stars, with exact casting details to be announced at a later date. The official logline states: “President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America’s 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion…But then Larry David called.”
“Once ‘Curb’ ended, I celebrated with a three-day foam party,” David said. “After a violent allergic reaction to the suds, I yearned to return to my simple life as a beekeeper, harvesting organic honey from the wildflowers in my meadow. Alas, one day my bees mysteriously vanished. And so, it is with a heavy heart that I return to television, hoping to ease the loss of my beloved hive.”
This marks David’s latest return to HBO. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” originally aired for eight seasons at the network between 2000 and 2011. It then returned for a ninth season in 2017, a tenth in 2020, an eleventh in 2021, and what was billed as the twelfth and final season in 2024.
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“The characters Larry is playing didn’t change history. In fact, they were largely ignored by history. And that’s a good thing,” Schaffer said.
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” is one of the most popular comedies of the 21st century. The show has received widespread critical and audience acclaim since its original debut. The show received 55 Emmy nominations across 12 seasons among many other awards and accolades.
“It’s hard to remember a time before ‘Curb,’ or without Larry David’s perspective on modern life,” said Amy Gravitt, executive vice President and head of HBO & HBO Max Comedy Programming. “We’re thrilled that Larry is coming back to HBO, this time with Higher Ground, to give us a glimpse at our shared history as we celebrate our Semiquincentennial.”
David and Schaffer originally worked together on “Seinfeld” before their collaboration on “Curb.” They also worked on the TV movie “Clear History,” in which David starred. Schaffer is also known for co-creating the shows “The League” and “Dave” at FX.
Higher Ground has set up a number of scripted TV projects in recent months outside of the HBO sketch series. Those include the Netflix shows “The Altruists,” about cryptocurrency exchange FTX, and a series version of the novel “All the Sinners Bleed.” The company is currently under a non-exclusive first-look deal with Netflix.
David is repped by WME. Schaffer is repped by UTA and Hansen Jacobson. Higher Ground is repped by CAA and JSSK.
From Variety US