The Larry Sanders Show

The past year has seen an unprecedented preoccupation with late-night television. At times the media circus surrounding this previously under-appreciated daypart seemed out of control. Against this back-drop, Home Office and Brillstein-Grey Entertainment have created an inventive—and brilliant—lampoon of late-night. The cast (including Garry Shandling, Rip Torn, and Jeffrey Tambor) and the writing (by Peter Tolan, Maya Fortes and others) brings a level of realism and insight unusual in television comedy. As the program deftly moves from the mythical live-on-tape talk show to filmed behind-the-scenes segments, the wall between reality and illusion is blurred. The result is brilliant satire set alongside the typical chat and light entertainment of the talk genre. For a dead-on depiction from the lines of the late-night wars, a Peabody to HBO and Brillstein-Grey Entertainment for The Larry Sanders Show.