This excerpt is from No Lessons Learned by HBO and Lorraine Ali (Black Dog & Leventhal). Copyright © 2025. On sale Sept. 30.
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In HBO’s Curb, Larry David’s character consistently finds himself in both humorous and tragic situations, not out of intention, but due to his talent for awkward timing and fumbling apologies. Crafting such a brilliant comedy as Curb requires immense effort to achieve a seemingly effortless humor. This was accomplished over twelve seasons, totaling 120 episodes and spanning 24 years.
These misadventures of Larry on TV necessitated careful planning and the collaboration of a dedicated team of writers, producers, and editors, who together brought the antics of Susie, Jeff, Cheryl, and Leon to vivid life, scene by scene.
Beginning a New Season
JEFF SCHAFFER (WRITER, DIRECTOR, AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, SEASONS 5-12): A new season typically begins at the close of the previous one when Larry claims, ‘Curb is done. It’s over.’ A few months later, he reconsiders and eventually formulates an idea, although he initially resists discussing it. In time, we begin piecing together a season arc, marking the real start of a new season.
LARRY DAVID (CREATOR, WRITER, AND STAR): I maintain notebooks filled with concepts, which I sift through with Jeff. We combine seemingly disjointed ideas until we find premises that truly amuse us. It’s crucial that the story evokes laughter, like an absurd scenario of pee splashing on Jesus in a restroom.
Structuring the Show
David excels at crafting robust outlines that serve as the backbone for each episode and season, supporting the spontaneous improvisations that take place, thus ensuring a cohesive narrative where various subplots blend seamlessly.
DAVID: We constantly pursue inviting story arcs, which can be challenging to develop. The premise for the Seinfeld reunion emerged from a spark of excitement during a creative lull.
SCHAFFER: We chose to sidestep the conventional Seinfeld reunion NBC envisioned, instead opting for a Curb interpretation—Larry’s self-interested pursuit in reuniting the cast to reconnect with Cheryl became the focal point of the narrative.
