The Larry Sanders Show: Season 2

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 11 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Ratings

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6.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Ratings

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The Larry Sanders Show

Now Playing: The Larry Sanders Show

Season Details & Credits

HBO | Season Premiere Date: June 2, 1993

Starring: Wallace Langham, Garry Shandling, Penny Johnson Jerald

Summary: Comic Garry Shandling draws upon his own talk show experiences to create the character of Larry Sanders, a paranoid, insecure host of a late night talk show. Larry, along with his obsequious TV sidekick Hank Kingsley and his fiercely protective producer Artie, allows Garry Shandling and his talented writers to look behind the scenes and toComic Garry Shandling draws upon his own talk show experiences to create the character of Larry Sanders, a paranoid, insecure host of a late night talk show. Larry, along with his obsequious TV sidekick Hank Kingsley and his fiercely protective producer Artie, allows Garry Shandling and his talented writers to look behind the scenes and to show us a convincing slice of behind the camera life.… Expand

Genre(s): Comedy, Talk & Interview

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Season 2 Episodes

tbd
S2:E18. L.A. or N.Y.?
Air Date: September 29, 1993
tbd
S2:E18. New York or LA
Air Date: unknown
tbd
S2:E17. The Grand Opening
Air Date: September 22, 1993

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Matt Roush

Jul 17, 2013

[A] brilliant and acid satire of late-night TV that scores its bitter points with the zing of a Variety headline. [2 Jun 1993]

100

Ken Tucker

Jun 10, 2013

The Larry Sanders Show is all tension, cynicism, profound shallowness, and naughty-boy bonding — it's just the way you imagine life behind a big-time TV talk show to be, except infinitely funnier. Read full review

100

Tom Shales

Jul 17, 2013

"Larry Sanders" seems to be continuing waspishly along on track, blurring the line between reality and fantasy in wry, inventive ways, using a show biz milieu to comment on a lot more than just show biz. [2 Jun 1993]

Hal Boedeker

Jul 17, 2013

This isn't the stuff network sitcoms are made of, but that's what makes The Larry Sanders Show so special. Adult, darkly funny, it jabs the medium for its excesses and pretentiousness. [2 Jun 1993]

Rick Kogan

Jul 17, 2013

Shandling is perfect in a role he created, skillfully balancing arrogance and insecurity; Torn, always exasperated, and Tambor, forever fawning, are spectacular foils in a show that is stunningly quick-witted. [2 Jun 1993]

Ed Bark

Jul 17, 2013

The Larry Sanders Show is still a first-rate, one-of-a-kind walk through a talk-show looking glass. [2 Jun 1993]

Adam Sandler

Jul 17, 2013

The show's supporting cast assists tremendously in convincing viewers that they are watching behind-the-scenes wranglings at a well-known talkshow, and the creative decision to delve more into Sanders' off-screen life could be a wise one to help expand the show's appeal. [2 Jun 1993]

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User Reviews

SeanSmithSounds

Jan 9, 2014

The Larry Sanders Show contains some of the most witty moments in television history. Studded with exceptional cameos and performances, one can find true humor in almost every turn during every episode.

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TNF1343

Mar 21, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Season 2 of The Larry Sanders Show doesn't constantly go full throttle with the laughs like Season 1 did. Don't get me wrong, I found the Season's humour to be more often than not well above average. It's just that, for the most part, the Season tended to focus on its characters. For that, Season 2 worked very well, but it's just shy of the highs of Season 1.

The Larry Sanders Show is considered to be an elite comedy by myself and many other critics, which is why it sucks to write about where this Season misfired. The original 13 episodes felt short but sweet. This time, however, The Larry Sanders Show loses its consistency in this longer, 18 episode arc. I noted in my first review that some episodes were funnier than others; this time, the difference is stark. For the first time, I'd say that The Larry Sanders Show has an episode that I'd define as notably weaker than the rest of the pack.

"Artie's Gone" is the episode in question. It was entertaining but I didn't find Paula frantically trying to do a good job to produce the show overly interesting. Hank's magic tricks and Larry's meltdown at the end were hilarious, but I think Larry's arc was too silly for its own good. Though, this episode was still good enough, just not exactly great like so many other episodes.

On the flip side, the Season had two episodes that I'd consider some of the series' best. "The Stalker" was the first of such, where Larry has to deal with the fact that he has some crazy fans... or so he thought. First of all, I cannot even describe how much I got a kick out of the Larry lookalike. Saying he was creepy is an understatement. He knew everything from Larry's favourite hotel to what kind of cologne he wore. And how about the part where Hank tries to give Larry a gun? Near the end, Larry's arrogance led him to believe that his obsessive fans were plentiful. When he talked to the mystery robber, I laughed pretty hard when he didn't speak any English. And he even managed to pick up on the fact Larry told him to call him. Ha!

My favourite episode of the Season? The finale, "L.A. or N.Y.?". As if Bob Odenkirk's (Saul!) Steve Grant wasn't great enough in "Larry's Agent", the actor really pulls out his comedic charm in the last episode. He just does not get that Larry doesn't want to move to New York. His reluctance to move is amusingly reinforced by Artie's sketchy past. It seemed Larry had made up his mind however, after the comically awkward scene between him and the new network head. Another memorable moment came when Francine commented on how gross Howard Stern was. Anyhow, Larry's ultimate decision was to move to Montana and stop doing the show altogether. Even though he'll probably be back, it was unexpectedly sad to see him announce his retirement. You can actually sympathise with Larry this time, making it unfortunate to see the cast so upset with him. Granted, their reactions at the end were totally awesome. Hank whispering: "You're a miserable f*cker." in both of Larry's ears, "My name is Darlene, you f*cking idiot.", Phil quickly moving to SNL, and Beverly packing up after Larry's compliments are some of the best moments in the entire series. Of course, once he gets to Montana, as Larry says, he's made a big mistake.. f*cking frogs.

One thing that I think this Season did better than the first was its serialized content. Larry's got a new-old love interest in Francine, who, like Jeannie, points at the various flaws of Larry's character. Francine proves to be a very different character as well, which was hugely evident in "The List". Her and Larry's passive-aggressive argument really flexed the show's amazing writing and acting capabilities.

Hank is also given his own exceptional side story in his pursuit to make Hank's Look-Around Café. He desperately tries to pitch his failing idea to everyone, and the plot line pays off in "The Grand Opening". Hank also gets married on the show... to a girl with daddy issues in "Hank's Wedding". Another outstanding Hank moment comes in "Broadcast Nudes" where he tries to get Darlene to be in Playboy, and ends up getting punished for his (perhaps unintentional) behaviour. And who can forget "The Hankerciser"? Most people know Jeffrey Tambor from Arrested Development (another brilliant comedy) but I'd argue his best performances are found in The Larry Sanders Show.

Even in what I feel to be a weaker Season, The Larry Sanders Show remains impressive. It's not hard to see why The Larry Sanders Show inspired much of the laughs we've had in shows like The Office.… Expand

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Seasons & Episodes

95

Series Overview
Season 6

99
- Season 6 Overview
  Air Date: March 15, 1998
Season 5

97
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: November 13, 1996
Season 4

99
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: July 19, 1995
Season 3

93
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: June 22, 1994
Season 2

91
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: June 2, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E18. L.A. or N.Y.?
  Air Date: September 29, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E18. New York or LA
  Air Date: unknown
- tbd
  S2:E17. The Grand Opening
  Air Date: September 22, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E16. Off Camera
  Air Date: September 15, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E15. Hank's Wedding
  Air Date: September 8, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E14. Performance Artist
  Air Date: August 25, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E14. The Performance Artist
  Air Date: August 25, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E13. Being There
  Air Date: August 18, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E12. Larry's Birthday
  Air Date: August 11, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E11. Broadcast Nudes
  Air Date: August 4, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E10. Larry's Partner
  Air Date: July 28, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E9. Larry Loses Interest
  Air Date: July 21, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E8. Artie's Gone
  Air Date: July 14, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E7. Life Behind Larry
  Air Date: July 7, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E6. The Hankerciser 200
  Air Date: June 30, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E6. The Hankerciser
  Air Date: unknown
- tbd
  S2:E5. Larry's Agent
  Air Date: June 23, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E4. The Stalker
  Air Date: June 16, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E3. The List
  Air Date: June 9, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E2. The Breakdown (2)
  Air Date: June 2, 1993
- tbd
  S2:E1. The Breakdown (1)
  Air Date: June 2, 1993
Season 1

91
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: August 15, 1992