Plot: What’s it about?
Larry Sanders (Garry Shandling) is the host of a popular late night talk show, but he always has to make sure he is on his toes. He has constant worries about his competition, but even when Leno or Arsenio aren’t on his mind, he has some kind of issues to fuss over. He might be asked to promote the Garden Weasel during the show or work a scene with some giant spiders, perhaps even wear a revealing loincloth in a sketch with Carol Burnett. But when he wants to shake loose of one of these tasks, he simply finds the show’s manager Artie (Rip Torn) and he handles the situations to perfection. Even Artie won’t do some things however, so whenever Larry needs a window of escape, he calls upon his sidekick Hank (Jeffrey Tambor). In between his various commercials, Hank serves as Larry’s right hand man and master of the audience, with his infamous “Hey Now!” line. As if his internal issues with the show weren’t enough, Larry also has to balance his personal life, his relationships with famous friends, and his working partners, but will he last through another season of Hank’s contract negotiations, Artie’s Salty Dogs, and even being plugged back into the office loop?
The first television series released to DVD by Columbia is an excellent one, as they’ve chosen to issue The Larry Sanders Show. It seems like they’ve learned from other studios also, as we’re given the complete first season in one package, as opposed to terrible “best of” discs or themed sets, like Warner Bros. is prone to. But here we have all thirteen episodes from that first season, which means thirteen programs loaded with catch phrases, hilarious moments, and tons of special guest appearances. As a satire on talk shows and famous life in general, The Larry Sanders Show takes aim on all sorts of topics, from bad publicity to friendships in the business to Hank dozing off during a show, all handled with great skill. Garry Shandling is superb as Sanders, while Rip Torn, Jeffrey Tambor, Janeane Garofalo, Jeremy Piven, and others kick in terrific supporting roles. You’ll also see a parade of special guests, such as Dana Carvey, Martin Mull, Billy Crystal, and countless others. This is perhaps one of the funniest, sharpest comedic series in decades, so of course, this first season collection is more than recommended.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame transfers, as intended. I have to admit, I was a little let down in this area, as the image looks soft and worn at times. The show uses two formats, one for the show itself and another for the behind the scenes material, and this is where the video quality varies. The footage from the show looks sharp and terrific, but the behind the scenes stuff looks tattered, though some of this is intentional. There is a lot of grain and softness present in these scenes, not too impressive, to say the least. Even so, the overall result is watchable (especially on smaller screens around 36″) and I don’t think we’ll see this season revisited, so I wouldn’t pass due to the visuals.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is presented via a 2.0 surround option, but with this kind of material, you can’t expect much. There is little surround use here, but the basic elements come through well enough and in truth, there isn’t much need for the rear channels. I think the music might have been enhanced, but aside from that, it wouldn’t have added much to the experience. The dialogue is the main focus and it sounds very good, though a little low at times. So a basic, but effective audio treatment here, no real complaints to be made. This disc also includes subtitles in English and Spanish, should you need to enable those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes an extensive interview with Garry Shandling, who provides endless insight into The Larry Sanders. He talks about how the show was created, how the cast was gathered, how the characters evolved, and even discusses the various special guest appearances. This piece clocks in at just under half an hour and is a real pleasure to take in, as Shandling is candid and really reveals a lot of cool information.
