Where to find it: Amazon, I guess
Length: Six seasons of half-hour episodes
Synopsis: Sitcom set around a fictional talk show
Recommendation rating: 3/5
What I like about it: the characters, the humour, the realism, Rip Torn hamming it up
What I don’t like about it: many of the jokes are problematic, more are just dated
Review:
This early comedy success for HBO was foundational to the boom of single-camera sitcoms in the late 90s and early 2000s – shows like Arrested Development, The Office, Extras. It finds a lot of comedy in the duplicity of its characters; avoidant and neurotic host Larry, desperate sidekick Hank and producer Artie, whose sweet and complex nature and variance in tone steal the show in my opinion. You have to be willing to overlook some very mean-spirited jokes and the occasional slur to find the funny stuff though.
Content notes (may contain spoilers): mean jokes and slurs, addiction