Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 7 (HBO) [DVD]

CYE 7 is full of good advice like this. I find, more and more, I live my life by Larry's rules.

You all know CYE, by now. What has changed in series 7? Well, Cheryl is back. I had thought I didn't miss her that much, but actually she brings a lot to this series. Oh yes, and the Seinfeld gang are also back. 6 stars for that! Seinfeld and CYE come together. It worked for me. How much fun is it listening to Jerry and Larry doing their riffs? Jerry, still effortlessly laid back and funny. Jason Alexander is such a classy actor - every appearance throughout this series was perfect. I have been trying to get hold of his book 'Acting Without Acting' on Amazon, but have not been able to find it yet. Anyone help?

Larry also waved his magic wand over Michael Richards and brought him some redemption. Only underwritten part was Julia Louis-Dreyfuss's. Shame. Oh well, next time, maybe.

This was the most mellow CYE to date, if that doesn't sound strange. Of course, Larry is still getting up-tight and falling out with everyone etc, but I went back to some of the earlier episodes after watching this series and they seemed much more brutal and shocking. Here, with all the Seinfeld people around, there's a rather warm, jolly feel to most episodes. Lot's of good feeling and in-jokes. Not a duff episode in the lot. One particularly excellent episode - that doesn't involve the Seinfeld gang is 'Denise Handicap.' Woody Allen, Fawlty Towers - it brings to mind many great comic precedents, whilst still being superbly original.

7 series in and still not 'jumped the shark'. Great going. A must buy.

Who would have thought at the outset that the format of 'Curb' could support so many series, and yet still remain fresh and absolutely essential viewing?

The running-story in this series is the `Seinfeld' gang reuniting for a final show - and it's great to see them back together again. Of course Larry has an ulterior motive in making a volte-face and deciding that, yes, a reunion would be a great idea - because he is totally selfish and perhaps the shallowest man alive - but we love him for it.

My favourite example of how shallow he is occurs when he continues dating a woman in a wheelchair after deciding to jilt her. Why? He discovers the benefits of being seen with her: disabled parking spaces, preferential treatment in restaurants, friends thinking he's a nice guy for dating a handicapped woman...

What of the contributions from the other characters/actors? Well, Jerry Seinfeld, plays as ever, Jerry Seinfeld, and Larry's ex-wife Cheryl returns for this series and is her usual sweet self. And while the entire Black family decide to move out en masse from Larry's home, Leon (a fabulous performance by J.B. Smoove) decides to stay. Absolutely NO ONE is funnier or swears better than this guy!

One of the highlights of the entire series is the aforementioned Leon passing himself off as an accountant who's recovered from a serious illness in order to prevent Michael Richards (Kramer in 'Seinfeld') from scuppering the reunion show. Of the other 'Seinfeld' regulars - Julia Louis Dreyfus (Elaine) - who I swear gets even more gorgeous as she gets older - is perhaps underused, but Jason Alexander (George) is beyond superb. There's also a blink-and-you'll-miss-him appearance by Wayne Knight as the mighty Newman!

And it goes without saying that Larry's agent Jeff (Garlin), and his wife, the foul-mouthed Susie (Essman), are also bang on form.

For me the entire series strikes only one false note involving an extended, incredibly obvious, paedophile joke when Larry picks up a rash from the daughter of one of the `Seinfeld' studio floor staff. But other than that, it hardly puts a foot wrong.

As you'd expect, Larry continues to make a stand on a point of principle over trivia. He won't let anything lie, never learning to back off from pointless confrontations, when to act diplomatically or when to remain quiet to avoid unpleasant scenes. He possesses absolutely NONE of the social niceties, and no matter how many times he drops himself in it he's off doing it again at the drop of a hat. The fact that he's in the right most of the time is beside the point!

Larry is a breath of fresh, misanthropic air and this is one of the funniest sitcoms ever: it's brilliant, brilliant stuff. Some have complained of a drop in quality through seasons 5 and 6, but surely no-one could level that criticism against series 7. At least six of the ten episodes are absolute cast iron, 24-carat classics. You don't have to be a massive 'Seinfeld' fan (as I am) to follow this series, but it adds to the enjoyment if you are.

The show just gets better and better. Cannot fault it. Seinfeld reunion is the loose theme, they do about 15 mins of reunion show footage at the end that is unreal. Where LD gets his ideas I do not know but I cannot wait for series 8!!