HBO has ordered an untitled half-hour sketch comedy limited series from David, who starred, wrote, and produced Curb Your Enthusiasm for the premium cable network from 1999 to 2024. Barack Obama’s Higher Ground production company is executive producing the new project, which is described as an American history sketch comedy.
Details about the David-Obama collaboration on HBO are still emerging. Here is what we know so far.
What’s it about?
The sketch series will focus on U.S. history, leveraging the 44th president’s expertise. HBO explains: “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.“
Who’s in the cast?
HBO revealed that cast members and noteworthy guest stars from Curb Your Enthusiasm will appear on the sketch program, including David himself. Potential stars include Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, J. B. Smoove, Ted Danson, and Mary Steenburgen.
Who’s on the creative team?
The show will be executive produced and written by David and Jeff Schaffer, longtime collaborators on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Schaffer will also serve as director. Higher Ground’s executive producers include Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Vinnie Malhotra, and Ethan Lewis.
What they’re saying
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Barack Obama: “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.”
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Larry David: “Once Curb ended, I celebrated with a three-day foam party. After a violent allergic reaction to the suds, I yearned to return to my simple life as a beekeeper, harvesting organic honey from 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.”
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Jeff Schaffer: “The characters Larry is playing didn’t change history. In fact, they were largely ignored by history. And that’s a good thing.”
How many episodes?
HBO has ordered six half-hour episodes for Season 1 of the sketch series. Though six episodes may seem few, this aligns with HBO’s docu-comedy The Rehearsal by Nathan Fielder, which also produced six episodes for its first two seasons. By comparison, each season of Curb Your Enthusiasm had 10 episodes.
When will it air?
Given that the country’s 250th birthday will be on July 4, 2026, it is expected HBO will schedule the series to coincide with this celebration. More details will be announced later.
Larry David’s accolades
David has been nominated for 31 Emmy Awards, winning twice: for writing and producing Seinfeld in 1993. His most recent nominations were in 2024 for starring in and producing the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Sketch comedy at the Emmys
Sketch comedy programs are a declining genre at the Emmys. This year, only six shows compete in the Best Scripted Variety Series category: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Saturday Night Live, Fantasmas, Studio C, After Midnight, and It’s Florida, Man. A new show from prominent figures like David and Obama could revitalize this category — and that’s pretty, pretty, pretty good.
