The Larry Sanders Show

Review

Common Sense Media says

Dry late-show satire aims jokes, language at adults.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this dryly satirical comedy airs with unbleeped swearing (including "f--k" and "s--t") and includes some sexual innuendo. There's also a bit of name-dropping -- both in terms of products and real-life celebrities -- and occasional social drinking that can lead to drunkenness.

  • Positive messages0
    It's not really a "message" kind of show, but there's a general sense of cynicism -- especially when it comes to Hollywood.
  • Positive role models0
    Nothing makes Larry an inherently terrible role model, but he's no model citizen and can be selfish. For the most part, he's a decent albeit neurotic guy who's caught in the middle of daily shenanigans on set.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex2
    Sexual innuendo with occasional crass talk.
  • Language4
    Unbleeped language includes "f--k" and "s--t," along with words like "ass," "damn," etc.
  • Consumerism1
    A few visible logos (like Coca-Cola) and some dropped brand names. Celebrities regularly guest star as fictionalized versions of themselves.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking2
    Social drinking, occasional drunkenness.
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What's the story?

As the face of THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW, neurotic late-night talk show host Larry Sanders (Garry Shandling) spends most of his time at the office dealing with his sharp-tongued producer (Rip Torn), catch-phrasing sidekick (Jeffrey Tambor), and a rotating line-up of celebrity guests. Meanwhile, the rest of the staff works behind the scenes to make sure the show goes on.

Is it any good?

 

When The Larry Sanders Show was still airing on HBO in the 1990s, critics loved it for its whip-smart send-up of Hollywood's celebrity culture -- and the rotating celebrity guest stars' willingness to skewer themselves week after week. At the time, the series' mockumentary show-within-a-show format was also somewhat of a novelty that helped earn it a slew of coveted television awards and went on to inspire the look and feel of other TV comedies.

Today, of course, Larry Sanders feels more than a little dated -- not only because, well, it literally is -- but also because our collective culture of celebrity-worship is so much more intense than it used to be. (Not to mention the fact that some people might not even remember who Mimi Rogers is, let alone Susan Anton.) Still, for adult viewers who can appreciate the joke, it's a well-conceived classic that deserves a second look.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the show's use of satire when it comes to celebrity. Is there any sort of message regarding the behind-the-scenes realities of fame?

  • How does the series' show-within-a-show format make it different from other comedies? What other shows has its format inspired since it first aired?

  • Why has the mockumentary approach to comedy become so popular? Does it allow writers and actors more freedom than traditional situation-comedies?

This review was written by Kari Croop

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.
This review was written by Kari Croop
TV rating:TV-MA
Network:IFC
Cast:Garry Shandling, Jeffrey Tambor, Rip Torn
Genre:Comedy
This review was written by Kari Croop
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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