[.ca] Larry Sanders: First Season (ISBN 0767847563)

From Amazon.com:
Hey now! Now that even Green Acres has its own box set, it's time for the The Larry Sanders Show to hit DVD! Join Larry and his guests Carol Burnett, Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, Peter Falk, Mimi Rogers, Billy Crystal, Catherine O'Hara, Richard Simmons, and Bob Saget for one of the '90s best and brightest comedies. Before The Sopranos and Sex and the City, this was HBO's must-hook-up series. The 13 episodes (on three discs) that comprise the first season brilliantly set the stage for what was the funniest and savviest show business comedy since The Dick Van Dyke Show (but with way, way more of an edge). Go backstage and meet the people who toil on "The Larry Sanders Show," the quintessential late-night talk show. Series creator Garry Shandling's Larry is so self-centered and neurotic, he makes Alan Brady look like Mister Rogers. Emmy winner Rip Torn is Artie, Larry's "always ready to jump in" pit bull of a producer, with Jeffrey Tambor as sidekick Hank Kingsley, former cruise director and "poor deluded bastard." The flawless ensemble also includes Penny Johnson as Larry's indispensable secretary Beverly, Janeane Garofalo at her deadpan best as talent booker Paula, and Jeremy Piven as cocksure head writer Jerry. With its unflinching portrayals of ego clashes, petty jealousies, and office politics and paranoia, this hyper-realistic series produced more hilariously awkward and squirm-inducing moments than The King of Comedy. But the boundless pleasures of The Larry Sanders Show make each episode ripe for repeat viewings (in which you can catch and savor the nuances of the performances or the throw-away brilliance of the dialogue). Adding to the fun and verisimilitude are the celebrity guest stars who tweak their personas. There's a less-than-gracious Burnett in the episode "Spiders," a duplicitous Carvey in "The Guest Host," and an insecure Williams in "Hank's Contract." The first disc contains an interview of Shandling conducted by Pulitzer Prize-winning television critic Tom Shales. No flipping, lest you miss the great "Rip Torn story" on how the formidable actor was cast. --Donald Liebenson

Great show, bad DVD:
LOVE The Larry Sanders Show...it's a gem. But I can't believe Columbia Tristar couldn't have done a better job with the first season DVD set. The picture quality is dreadful. The menu design looks like something you'd see on one of those B-movie DVDs you can fish out of the Wal-Mart bargain bin. There are no chapters within the episodes, so if you have to stop the DVD player in the middle of an ep, you have to FF through the ep to find your place again. Ridiculous! I can only hope that the delay in getting Season Two out on DVD means that Columbia is putting a little more attention into the production and design this time around. This is one of the funniest, best-written shows that has ever graced a TV screen--it deserves SO much better!

Hey Now:
The 1st Season of this outstanding show (one of the best HBO and sitcoms in general) has been out for several years now. BRING OUT THE REST OF THEM ALREADY, PLEEEEAAASE!

You took a puck in the nuts:
I had only seen a couple episodes of the Larry Sanders Show before I bought the DVD. It is one of the funniest (fake) "talk shows" out there (better than Letterman or Leno, who I can not watch). I'm not a huge fan of Garry Shandling outside of the show, but in this show he hits it right. Plus, Rip Torn and Jeffrey Tambor really shine in nearly every episode. Kind of funny to hear them swear once in a while, or more (forgetting that it was originally on HBO). The so-called guests on the show are good too, as they blend fact and fiction. Billy Crystal gets upset when Larry talks about his old stuff instead of his new movie he is trying to plug, Carol Burnett worries that Larry's balls showed under his Tarzan outfit, etc. Waiting for season 2. Recommended.

One of the Best HBO Original Series EVER:
All I can say is this series is one of the best done by HBO. The series is just hilarious. PLEASE SONY RELEASE THE REMAINING SEASONS ON DVD!!! Please GOD I swear I won't say anymore bad words if you make Sony release the remaining seasons on DVD!!! Its that good!

Amazing show -- when will the rest be released?:
Outstanding story lines and characterizations. The cast is wonderful (especially Rip Torn and Jeffrey Tambor). When will the remaining seasons be released???