Larry David returns to TV in new historical sketch comedy

Larry David was last seen on the screen when Curb Your Enthusiasm wrapped up season 12 in 2024. He said that he finally “quits”. But his longtime collaborator Jeff Schaffer, who, in his early 20s, joined “Seinfeld” as a writer before becoming a major force behind the scenes of “Curb,” always knew David would be back on TV.

The series, which premiered on HBO on June 26, is executive-produced by Barack Obama, who also appeared in a sketch. In typical David fashion, the “Curb” star plays selfish, petty, and unfiltered men throughout history. For every Founding Father looking to free the colonies from British tyranny, there was a Larry (often called Lawrence here) who suggested that sharing desserts and umbrellas should be prohibited by the Declaration of Independence.

In this version of history, Larry takes a stand for Rosa Parks when a white bus driver demands she give up her seat, not because Larry cares about civil rights, but because he’s sitting in the aisle and doesn’t want to get up. In other words, the show is a celebration of America’s 250th birthday, but one that smears a little cake on the country’s face.

Ethan Lewis at Higher Ground reached out on behalf of the Obamas. They wanted to do something for the 250th, and Larry, who is an American history buff, was interested in the idea of going through history. The seeds of this started a few years earlier when we did this commercial for FTX’s lovely people. I don’t know what happened to them. Basically, Larry went through world history, dumping on every great invention. He remembered how much he liked being in costume, and he forgot how much he hated being in wigs.

“I guess we’re like a plague of locusts, but you don’t have to wait 17 years,” he says over Zoom ahead of the premiere of “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness,” a historical sketch comedy show that he describes as “‘Curb’ in costume.” (Schaffer co-created the project with David and directed all seven episodes.)