Paris wouldnt hold Larry David for long.
That much we knew.
I didnt really find the stand-up satisfying enough, says David with a shrug.
John P. Johnson/HBO
It doesnt really suit me.
Theres nothing to do during the day.
I thought, Maybe…' says David, 70.
John P. Johnson/HBO
I started to miss it.
Nothing gives me more pleasure than doing this.
Youd think I would never have stopped doing it.
John P. Johnson/HBO
In real life, he does care about such things.)
Theyre little, small things that I could use or not use, he demurs.
Some are even dumber and smaller than that, and others are bigger ideas.
But I can take a small idea like that and do a lot with it.
(WitnessCurbs seven consecutive Emmy nominations as Outstanding Comedy Series.)
One day last June, he toldCurbexecutive producer Jeff Schaffer that he was indeed ready to revive the series.
Schaffer saw great potential in that surplus of pregnant pages.
A lot can happen to Larry David in six years, says Schaffer.
It was a Fort Knox of awkward situations.
We needed exact information, exact lines and exact jokes, says Schaffer carefully.)
Securing commitments from the old gang of costars proved not to be a difficult task.
I knew they all wanted to do it because they were all bugging me about it, says David.
Susie never stopped bugging me about it.
Shed send me emails.
She emails me, Lah, come on!
Lets do another one!Lah!
Theres nothing thats more fun thanCurb!
Richard [Lewis] was subtler about it, but I knew that he wanted to do it.
And [Bob] Einstein clearly, clearly wanted to do it.
He was on my case.
I would talk to him and hed say, Come on, come on, man!
I mean, I didnt even need to call them.
Season 9 began filming on Nov. 9 the day after Donald Trump was elected President.
Could we have picked a worse day to come back to work?
No, you could not.
But once youre on the set, you kind of get into it.
My first take was a little rough, and then the second take was like I had never left.
His costars report the same level of ease.
It was very natural, recalls Garlin.
It sounds like the vibe on the set after that political upset was pretty much what youd expect.
Perhaps not surprisingly, one episode does contain a scene revolving around a Trump joke.
I wont tell you the context, he says, but there are some names bandied about.
(What will Trump think if he sees it?
He probably wouldnt care for it, but its very quick.)
NEXT PAGE: Bryan Cranston as Larrys shrink?
Lauren Graham as Larrys love interest?
What else lies in these 10 new episodes?
Those details are being stored in the aforementioned and tightly secured Fort Knox.
He likes to keep everything a surprise for viewers because thats howheconsumes his pop culture.
So, what has Larry the character been up to these past few years?
Ive been busy, says David, with a restrained smile that indicates grand understatement.
Any unusual production challenges this time?
Im not at liberty to discuss.
Larry has spent the last five years working on a project.
Hes very excited about it.
But once he turns it in, hes surprised to find others dont feel the same way.
Larry is not the kind to take criticism well, but this is a whole new level.
Things happen that send us in a wild direction.
But even in that wild direction, youd never expect where we end up.
Larry, for the most part, is cool with that, says Schaffer, until hes really not.
As for Jeff and Susie, hes got a roving eye and shes got a watchful one.
Meanwhile, Leon is unhelpfully helpful to Larry.
Look for Larry to link up withLauren Graham, who plays a rather unexpected love interest.
Larrys always had a complicated relationship with NBC censors, says Schaffer.
Now hes dating one.
Elizabeth Banks, as herself, makes a different kind of impression on Larry.
She just took it over.
Is this shrink in over his head?
Id say hes a bit frustrated, deadpans David.
As always, their punishment is your reward, and theCurbcrew soundsprettay, prettayhappy with this seasons bounty.
I dont think people will be disappointed, says David.
In fact, he was pleased enough with the experience hes already strongly considering doing a 10th season.
And I said, 10 seasons?
Are you out of your fing mind?
Im lucky if I can do two or three!'
I never give that stuff any thought, he says.
It was just a completely different time.
(Unless you already found it illegally online after the HBO hackers leaked episodes onto the web last month.
I was upset, notes David.
They do it for money, is that it?
I guess everybodys got to make a living.)
No ones ever done something like this, says Garlin, at least comedically.
We stuffed 10 pounds of sausage in a five-pound bag and it blew up, says Schaffer.
Like, theres just meat all over.
Prepare to dig into a long-awaited meal, after you proceed to the back of the buffet line.
No chat-and-cuts or sharing allowed.
