“He’s back. And nothing has changed," touts an HBO promo for Season 10, premiering Sunday. Ben Lindbergh recently rewatched Season 1 and parts of Season 9, and says he "was struck by how little difference the 17 years between them made. Time hasn’t taught TV Larry how to play well with others, and he hasn’t talked others into living like he does. His surroundings have changed in one noteworthy way: Cheryl moved out, and Leon moved in." Curb is able to stay constant because HBO doesn't dictate the pace of production. "David makes new seasons whenever he has new ideas, not when the broadcast schedule says so, so it makes sense that the quality of the output wouldn’t fluctuate wildly," says Lindbergh. "And because Curb comes and goes, it doesn’t wear out its welcome: Its 10-episode seasons last less than three months, and by the time the show returns, the preceding season is distant enough that the old seems somewhat new again. More than that, though, this immutability stems from the fact that for better or worse, David largely hasn’t tried to adapt to shifting tastes, borrow from flavors of the month, overhaul his craft, or comment on current cultural events. His humor, and his series, stay in their well-liked, lucrative lane." ALSO: Curb presents "The Sounds of Susie."
TOPICS: Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO, Larry David