Curb Your Enthusiasm is officially coming to an end with season 12 on HBO.
Larry David, creator and star of every season, says again after every season that he is ending the show, but this time it seems to be for real.
“As Curb comes to an end, I will now have the opportunity to finally shed this ‘Larry David’ persona and become the person God intended me to be – the thoughtful, kind, caring, considerate human being I was until I got derailed by portraying this malignant character,” said David. “And so ‘Larry David,’ I bid you farewell. Your misanthropy will not be missed. And for those of you who would like to get in touch with me, you can reach me at Doctors Without Borders.”
Season 12 premieres on February 4 and the 10-part series airs on April 7. It was a great time for the show, which started in 1999 as a one-hour special Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm (on which David and his then-wife Cheryl had children, by the way).
The first proper season premiered in October 2000. The first eight seasons were fairly regular, coming every year or every other year. But there was a big gap of more than six years between seasons eight and nine and a three-year gap between seasons nine and ten, so it's not out of the question that David might change his mind at some point and return to the scriptless comedy.
Curb stars David as an exaggerated version of himself living in L.A. (and for one fantastic season, New York). It stars Jeff Garlin as his manager and best friend; Susie Essman as Jeff’s expletive-laden wife (who can forget that carwash line in Season 3); Cheryl Hines as his ex-wife; J.B. Smoove as his roommate who never left after his Black family (also featuring Vivica A. Fox) appeared in Season 6 following Hurricane Katrina; Richard Lewis as his oldest pal; Ted Danson as himself, who at one point dates David’s ex-wife Cheryl; Vince Vaughn, who plays Freddy Funkhouser, the half-brother of Marty Funkhouser, played by the late, great Bob Einstein; and Tracey Ullman, who played Irma Kostroski, City Councilwoman (and for a moment his beautiful revolting girlfriend) in Season 11.
The show has been hugely acclaimed as well, amassing 51 Emmy nominations and two wins for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for Robert B. Weide, and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series for Steven Rasch. It has received 10 nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series but never won (c’mon Academy). It also has five Golden Globe nominations and one win as well as multiple nominations and wins across other awards including SAG, DGA and WGA.
Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content, previously said that the network leaves this decision to David and said that more seasons are an “open invitation.”
Bloys added, “It’s hard to say farewell to such a ground-breaking, brilliantly funny and iconic series like Curb Your Enthusiasm, which has left its mark across television and the comedy genre. Working alongside Larry David and Jeff Schaffer as well as all of the comedic masterminds that comprise our producers, cast and crew has been a joy that I will always treasure.”