Some might say Larry David doesn’t have much of an imagination when it comes to his new HBO comedy, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
By fictionally tracking the life of producer/ writer/comic David, with celebrities appearing as themselves, it’s “Seinfeld” (which David created with the comedian) mixed with “The Larry Sanders Show.”
But “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” premiering Sunday at 8:30 p.m. and a spinoff of an HBO special from last year, is a fine successor to both comedies, and an insanely funny romp thanks to its unique storytelling technique and an inspired performance by the star.
Co-created by David and former Chicago comic Jeff Garlin, and featuring story lines that are sketched out so the dialogue can be totally improvised, “Curb” is a damning, witty indictment on the embarrassments of life: Getting caught in a lie, suffering for making politically incorrect statements, believing the worst intentions are really the best, struggling with misleading assumptions, etc.
The fictional Larry David, the model for “Seinfeld’s” George Costanza, is a crusty sort persnickety, peculiar and more than a little obsessive. He makes things harder on himself than they have to be.
He is forever at odds with his pretend wife (Cheryl Hines) and looks for solace and acceptance from his blissfully mealy, pretend manager (Garlin).
If “Seinfeld” was about nothing, “Curb” is about the dark side of nothing:
Larry suffers the “double goodbye” after already getting kicked out of a dinner party. Larry’s shoes are mistakenly given away at a bowling alley … the recipient still wears them home. Larry and comic Richard Lewis get roped into moving furniture for a blind man. Larry, on his manager’s car speaker phone, jokingly refers to his wife as Hitler … unaware that his manager’s Jewish parents are in the vehicle.
The show should be called “Larry’s in Trouble Again.”
Sunday
One of the most interesting insights in influential and indomitable Barbara Walters’ two-hour “Biography” is she was insecure and quiet as a young girl, not confident as a young woman, and is somewhat self-conscious even now. The A&E special, set for 7 p.m. and including a sit-down between Walters and host Harry Smith, offers an enlightening account of one of TV journalism’s most enduring stars, colored by interviews with family, friends and colleagues.
Lifetime’s “Strong Medicine” offers a special two-part installment in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Airing at 7 p.m., the episode finds Dr. Dana Stowe’s (Janine Turner) mother (Diane Ladd) having a double mastectomy, and Dr. Luisa Delgado (Rosa Blasi) fighting a patient’s employer so the woman can have life-saving breast cancer treatment.
“Stargate SG-1’s” Richard Dean Anderson goes on an expedition to British Columbia’s Headwall Canyon, an untouched wilderness that environmentalists wish to preserve, on “National Geographic Explorer” at 7 p.m. on CNBC.
TBS’ “First Target,” at 7 p.m., is a sequel to the network’s highly rated “First Daughter” from last year. Daryl Hannah plays Secret Service agent Alex McGregor, who needs her river guide boyfriend’s (Doug Savant) help in protecting the president (Gregory Harrison) from assassins in a national park.
The season finale of HBO’s raunchy “Sex and the City” is at 8 p.m.
Don’t get your hopes up over the second-season premieres of lame action/comedy half-hours “Cleopatra 2525” and “Jack of All Trades.”
Production of “Cleo” has shut down in New Zealand, although enough episodes have been made to last deep into next year. The situation is worse for “Jack”: Star Bruce Campbell says the show will be history after eight episodes.
It’s little wonder WGN-Ch. 9 has them on late Sunday evenings starting at 1:30 a.m.
Monday
Three generations of a Latino family in New York deal with poverty, drugs and crime during a four-year period. Their turmoil was captured on film for “Nuyorican Dream,” a Cinemax documentary set for 7:30 p.m.
The powerful Rockefeller family is the subject of a two-part “American Experience” that starts Monday at 8 p.m. and continues Oct. 23 at the same time, on WTTW-Ch. 11.
“Pet Love” is a look at the bond between animals and their owners at 8 p.m. on the Discovery Channel.
Two diverse and talented musical forces are featured on “Bravo Profiles” this week: rock group supreme Queen on Monday at 9 p.m., and powerful music/multimedia producer Quincy Jones on Thursday at 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday
The final presidential debate, a town hall-style meeting, is scheduled for 8 p.m., and it’s expected that most of the networks, PBS, and cable news shows will air it live.
BET launches a new monthly bio series at 9 p.m., starting with music impresario Russell Simmons.
Wednesday
Fox Sports Chicago and Pax TV team up starting Wednesday to cover the Paralympic Games, the sporting event for athletes with disabilities. Fox Sports will air competitions weekdays through Oct. 27 at 11:30 a.m. Pax will offer a half-hour feature for 12 straight nights at 11 p.m. on WCPX-Ch. 38.
Pacey’s (Joshua Jackson) boat gets caught in a squall in a “Dawson’s Creek” featuring plenty of “Perfect Storm”-like effects. The WB series’ most ambitious episode is at 7 p.m. on WGN-Ch. 9.
Chicago’s Valerie Kennedy is featured in “Critical Condition with Hedrick Smith,” part of a sobering three-hour look at this country’s health-care situation (8 p.m. on WTTW-Ch. 11). Kennedy, diagnosed with breast cancer, received treatment in Tampa, Fla., which was paid for by a special HMO employee plan. This is in stark, sad contrast to Helen Boone of Tampa, whose less-expensive HMO refused to pay for the same treatment.
Mark Harmon and Mary McDonnell star in CBS’ romantic, time-tripping fantasy “For All Time” at 8 p.m. on WBBM-Ch. 2.
Which is worse for Voyager pilot Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill): Avoiding death in a competitive race with aliens or possibly marrying B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson)? Find out on UPN’s “Star Trek: Voyager” at 8 p.m. on WPWR-Ch. 50.
Wednesday’s season premieres include ABC’s “Spin City,” with the debut of Charlie Sheen as the new deputy mayor of New York City, and former star Michael J. Fox’s voice in a special telephone cameo (8:30 p.m. on WLS-Ch. 7); and NBC’s “Law & Order” on WMAQ-Ch. 5 at 9 p.m.
Thursday
Boy band 98o makes a special appearance playing the fictional group 2 Fine that was created by Dennis Finch (David Spade) on NBC’s “Just Shoot Me” at 8:30 p.m. on WMAQ-Ch. 5.
Write this one down in pencil: Texas Gov. George W. Bush visits CBS’ “The Late Show with David Letterman” at 10:35 p.m. on WBBM-Ch. 2.
Friday
Just when you think you were out, Kathie Lee Gifford pulls you back in. The ex-“Live with Regis & Kathie” co-host is scheduled for a live concert to support her new pop album on NBC’s “Today” sometime after 7 a.m. on WMAQ-Ch. 5.
“Survivor’s” Sean Kenniff is a real doctor, but he also plays one on CBS’ “The Guiding Light.” Alphabet Boy is scheduled to make the first of several appearances as a Cedars Hospital doc at 9 a.m. on WBBM-Ch. 2.
UPN, still a week away from premiering sci-fi/action series “Freedom” and “Level 9,” has two reality specials that say it all: “World’s Nastiest Neighbors” at 7 p.m. and “Cheating Spouses Caught on Tape” at 8 p.m. (WPWR-Ch. 50).
The new season of NBC’s Friday night lineup debuts on WMAQ-Ch. 5: Providence” at 7 p.m., “Dateline NBC” at 8 p.m. and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ at 9 p.m.
The sixth annual “VH1-Vogue Fashion Awards” merges style, wardrobe and design with music. Airing live from Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m., Cuba Gooding Jr. and supermodel Gisele Budchen serve as hosts. Uma Thurman, Donatella Versace, Lenny Kravitz, Salma Hayek, Halle Berry, Dylan McDermott, Ellen DeGeneres and others are scheduled to appear.
The many faces of racism are exposed on A&E’s “Investigative Reports” at 9 p.m.
Saturday
In the first of a series of movies for the Odyssey Network, Matt Frewer (“Max Headroom”) portrays Sherlock Holmes in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic “The Hound of the Baskervilles” at 7 p.m.
The coming-of-age drama “The Secret Life of Girls” follows two teens growing up in the 1970s, with “The Terminator’s” Linda Hamilton playing the mother of one of the girls. It’s a Romance Classics world premiere set for 8 p.m.
