Curb Your Enthusiasm ended with a trial and a kicker that put what its inventive group known as a “stubborn exclamation point” on the Larry David-created and -starring collection by revisiting and flipping the ending of Seinfeld for Curb’s ultimate episode. The April 7 series-ender for the long-running HBO comedy closed with a basic callback to the Jerry Seinfeld-starring collection that David co-created and ran years earlier. His Curb companion, showrunner Jeff Schaffer, factors out that the plot was greater than twenty years within the making. “It’s simply cool which you could dangle round lengthy sufficient to have the ability to do a 26-year-old joke,” Schaffer tells The Hollywood Reporter within the under dialog. Whereas Curb, which has acquired four Emmy nominations for its ultimate season, is over as a collection, Schaffer says David hasn’t stopped being perturbed by the human race — which ought to give followers of the improvisational comedy hope. “The present is finished in its present kind, however Larry’s not accomplished,” he says of prospects to return. “We’re speaking about speaking about stuff.”
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How did you retain the collection finale a secret?
I’m so glad nothing leaked. We had these huge courtroom room scenes for 4 days, and the jury was a bunch of extras. Props to them for really doing what they stated they might do — legally, what their NDA stated! They didn’t spill the beans. Larry was nervous. I stated, “Properly, why don’t you speak to them?” At first, he received up and stated, “Hey everyone. You’re going to see loads of stuff right here. Don’t inform anyone. We hate spoilers. Don’t spoil it for everybody else. Don’t be a spoiler.” And none of them had been, to their credit score. We additionally shot scenes with Jerry [Seinfeld] and Larry in the midst of a working resorts in downtown Los Angeles. I by no means noticed any pictures of that come out, which was unimaginable.
How bummed would you might have been if the ending had been spoiled?
What we didn’t take into consideration throughout the course of the season was as quickly as we talked about “trial,” everybody jumped on. That’s once we really received nervous, like we didn’t disguise the ball effectively sufficient. By episode 5, when Larry was going to the lawyer’s workplace speaking a couple of trial, everybody was like, “Oh my gosh, they’re going to do the Seinfeld finale once more. They’re gonna go to trial!” At first, that did bum me out a little bit bit. However then I noticed, “No, that is nice. Let it slowly daybreak on them that that is inexorable. That we’re slowly shifting in direction of the factor they will’t consider we’re gonna do, after which we’ll get there. We’ll get all the best way up till that ultimate second, after which we’ll flip it.”
Do you suppose you underestimated your viewers?
We underestimated the phrase “trial.” However in the long run, the season performed out just like the present performs out in each scene, the place you’ll be able to’t consider Larry goes to do what he’s going to do. The season performed out like that over 10 episodes: “I can’t consider they re doing it.”
How a lot have you ever guys talked concerning the response to the Seinfeld ending over time?
Solely when it was mandatory, like in season seven once we had been doing the Seinfeld reunion on Curb. “We will’t spoil this reunion, we already ruined a finale,” was a straightforward joke. However aside from that, I actually don’t suppose Larry ever considered it.
How is Larry feeling concerning the ending now?
Larry was actually completely stunned by the constructive drive of the response. He was blown away by how a lot individuals received it and loved it. He’s actually, actually glad that we pulled it off. And Jerry is really happy that we pulled it off. And that makes me glad. I’ve been working with them since 1994. So to carry all of it full circle with these two individuals who taught me all the pieces about methods to write comedy was actually particular.
Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David within the Curb Your Enthusiasm collection finale.
John Johnson/HBO
You and Larry got here up with the meta ending after which peppered issues into the season so it will all come collectively in the long run. What needed to work, in any other case the entire thing would disintegrate?
The finale needed to be a humorous Curb episode. As soon as we knew we had been going to recapitulate the Seinfeld finale, as soon as we knew we had been going to flip it, we knew that may work. However we had been actually centered on ensuring that there have been actually humorous Curb tales inside this episode. That’s type of what occurred within the Seinfeld finale — these 4 individuals who you loved a lot once they had been lively in their very own demise had been very passive sitting at a desk. So we made positive there have been very humorous Curb tales. It couldn’t be a clip present.
Have you ever heard from the opposite Seinfeld stars?
Julia [Louis-Dreyfus] despatched me a very nice e mail proper after the finale, saying how much she loved it and the way nice it was, which was tremendous gratifying. It’s simply cool which you could dangle round lengthy sufficient to have the ability to do a 26-year-old joke!
Now you’ve created the Seinfeld–Curb multiverse. There are such a lot of prospects.
I do know what you need. You need Leon [J.B. Smoove] in a Physician Who film. We’ll see.
Whenever you look again on the ultimate season, what tickles you essentially the most?
Larry’s efficiency this season was so good. His face was so expressive. He informed you precisely why it was humorous each time, his face executing the total coloration wheel of lies. He could be mortified that I’m saying this however, it’s a no brainer him successful for greatest actor in a comedy. As a result of he’s doing what nobody else is doing. He’s performing and writing on the identical time.
What would Emmy recognition imply to you for this ultimate season?
A nomination is an actual praise. However I feel I communicate for each of us once I say that Larry and I haven’t discovered methods to take compliments. We haven’t actually parsed our odds. We simply determine it’s cool we received nominated once more, no matter occurs, occurs. As for what the Finest Comedy class appears to be like like, I hope whoever wins is the funniest present. I used to be on Seinfeld for 4 years and we misplaced to Frasier all 4 seasons, and I’ve by no means heard anyone say, “I simply had the craziest Frasier second!” Actually humorous issues are like plutonium, they’ve an extended half-life. And I feel Curb tales are going to be radioactive for a very long time.
How do you are feeling about Curb’s legacy?
I actually really feel like we caught the touchdown. It makes me very glad that everybody appears to have actually preferred it, as a result of we type of went out on a limb and it labored. And it’s one thing no different present may have accomplished, as a result of no different present has the tie-in. It was a novel and lazy factor to attempt. (Laughs.) Everyone actually preferred it, and Larry by no means thought that was going to occur. He was preparing, in typical Larry kind, to go, “Properly, in the event that they prefer it I’ll take credit score, in the event that they don’t prefer it, I’ll simply blame you.” (Laughs.) To me, the legacy is the quantity of people that say, “I simply had a Curb second.” Or, “My cousin is Larry.” Individuals who now have the braveness to say they’re too good for a text chain, or the truth that at each Bruce Springsteen concert now, he has to cope with somebody holding an indication saying, “I’m a floor fucker, too.” That’s value an Emmy proper there. Or at the very least a Critic’s Alternative award.
Larry at all times finally ends up lacking the present after you might be accomplished. Is he nonetheless writing in his notepad?
We’re nonetheless in an workplace collectively, subsequent to one another. Issues are nonetheless taking place. It’s actually a testomony to all of the individuals on the west aspect of Los Angeles. We’re not working out of concepts, as a result of individuals are nonetheless horrible. And also you’re confronted with that on daily basis you stroll out of your own home. In actual fact, Larry stated to me the opposite day, “What are we going to do with all these concepts?” I stated, “Let’s determine it out.” So, we’re going to determine it out.
What does that imply?
I don’t know! It means we’re speaking about speaking about stuff.
When would that be… in months, years… weeks?
Not weeks. Perhaps months. Undoubtedly years.
Do you think about the present as accomplished?
I’d say the present is finished in its present kind, however Larry’s not accomplished. If comedy had been beer, he’s a grasp brewer. I feel he’s going to nonetheless make beer, however what are we going to pour it into? I don’t know but.
What about any character spinoffs?
I’ve positively been chatting with J.B., who has 1,000,000 concepts. I don’t suppose we’ve seen the final of Leon. I don’t know the way or when, however Leon goes to get his.
Judd Apatow, Jeff Schaffer, Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Larry David, Susie Essman and J.B. Smoove at Paley Fest LA in April 2024.
Kevin Winter/Getty Photographs
A technique you possibly can come again is with a reunion fundraiser. These had been big the last election cycle and now Kamala Harris has people in Hollywood fired up. Have you ever and Larry talked about getting concerned or getting the Curb crew concerned for 2024?
We’ve positively talked about being concerned on a political stage, we’ve not talked about doing it via Curb. My guess is that’s one thing loads of reveals are going to do, and I very a lot doubt Larry needs to be the ninth present to try this. However I’m fairly positive he’s going to be lively in elevating cash and serving to with the marketing campaign. I haven’t been again [in Hollywood] because the announcement, however simply from my group of individuals, it’s a brand new world. It’s nice. It’s a loopy story, and I actually hope it has a cheerful ending.
It was vital to you that the ultimate shot of the season was with all the forged. You known as “wrap,’ and Jeff Garlin cried. The late Richard Lewis was there. How do you look again on that second now?
I want I had ready one thing to say. (Laughs.) I used to be so centered on the shoot that once we had been accomplished, I noticed, “Somebody goes to must say one thing.” I went as much as Larry and stated, “Are you good?” He stated, “Yeah, we’re good.” So, we’re accomplished. And I noticed I didn’t put together for this second. I ready for each second of this whole season aside from this one. And, this one appears vital! However I didn’t actually take into consideration what I used to be going to do. So I simply stood there and stated, “That’s the tip of the funniest present on tv.” Trying again, I’m pondering, “Oh, you’re so lame.” That, I ought to have prepped for.
Are you all nonetheless in contact… is there really a gaggle chat?
There was a textual content chain for a little bit, after which all of us realized we’re too good for it. However we now have talked and seen one another. We’ve had dinner and gotten collectively. Everybody feels actually happy with how we ended. It’s onerous to finish a present and have everybody go away glad, and we did.
What’s your rewatch suggestion for Curb now — watch all of Seinfeld after which all of Curb?
Who has that a lot time? That’s like 300 episodes of tv. As a result of the Seinfeld stuff was so within the air, you don’t must have seen it to benefit from the Curb [ending]. But when I used to be going to rewatch Curb, you can start anywhere and at any season, it is going to make sense.
When you consider or miss Curb now, what involves thoughts?
The factor I miss essentially the most is being on set with the actors making one thing out of nothing. And laughing so much on daily basis, and laughing at one thing that you simply didn’t have any concept existed three hours in the past, and now it’s this good thing all of us made collectively. That’s what I miss.
Are you able to recreate that lightning in a bottle?
So long as Larry continues to be being perturbed by his fellow man, there’s nonetheless a shot.
A model of this story first appeared within the Aug. 7 concern of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click here to subscribe.
