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It’s Garry Shandling’s Show

PRE-LARRY SANDERS pissabout for the eponymous moocher, breaking the fourth wall a la MOONLIGHTING but in a more consistently capricious fashion. Our hero would slip in and out of ‘Gare-ree’, compassionately squinting quintessential-to-the-point-of-putrefaction sit-guy worrying over his problems and those of condo neighbours Nancy and the wet Schumaker family, alternating with randomly deflating asides and bits to audience, who frequently turned up in shot, or moaning about a joke, or buggering off early, or skiving a punchline, or gladhanding guest stars, or generally doing the can’t-be-arsed schtick. Ace stuff which hardly anyone watched over here, but fondly remembered by those who did.

10 Comments

10 Comments

  1. Mark

    February 14, 2010 at 1:10 am

    …. I’m almost halfway finished,
    How do you like it so far,
    How do you like the theme to Garry’s Show?.

    To be honest, I remember the theme tune much more than the show, but this was great fun.
    Any show where the protagonist regularly discusses the plot with the studio audience is a winner,
    I have vague memories of watching this at about 6pm on a Sunday on BBC2, probably opposite Highway on HTV and Songs of Praise on BBC1 and something in Welsh on S4C. Even though I apparently watched it by default, it was a gem of a show, don’t think it was ever repeated on any Digital channel?

  2. Martin M

    February 14, 2010 at 6:28 pm

    I remember it fondly….also remember my dad not ‘getting it’ at all.

  3. gareth jones

    February 14, 2010 at 6:37 pm

    loved this on sunday evenings,theme tune was fantastic and loved it when he would sit and chat with the audience.

    made me forget about school the next day for 30 minutes,now gonna go search for clips on you tube.

    can this be purchased on dvd,please say yes!

  4. Alistair Peck

    February 14, 2010 at 11:07 pm

    “Rent a headset?! I own the whole plane!”

    I absolutely loved this, one of my favourite things ever. Plus great wry cameos by Tom Petty.

  5. Mel D

    February 16, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    I would love to see this again.
    Does anyone remeber the God awful rip off starring Sean Hughes? Think it was called “Its Seany’s Show”, i have a feeling it even went as far as having a similar theme tune. Pretty sure it was on C4.

  6. gareth jones

    February 17, 2010 at 8:27 am

    fantastic alistair – roll on march 22nd 🙂

  7. Cindylover1969

    February 19, 2010 at 10:26 am

    So many great moments:

    The episode where they played the opening theme tune twice because Garry was late (he’d fallen down a hole)…

    The episode where one of the cast members magically became a lawyer because the actor playing him was one of the law students on “The Paper Chase” (a terrific US show that I don’t think was ever shown in the UK)…

    The tenants complaining about the theme tune being so loud (“You’ve no idea… every week, 43 seconds of terror!”)…

    Garry quitting the show to become an action star called Force Boxton…

    Always liked this more than “The Larry Sanders Show,” even if the latter had Hank Kingsley.

    The whole studio audience becoming one big band…

    Garry wishing that it was next week in the middle of one show and the opening credits immediately coming up…

    “The Natural” being sent up as the story of a ping-pong champ…

    Garry’s friend having an affair with Richard Kimble…

  8. Robert Hampton

    February 20, 2010 at 5:23 pm

    I remember watching this on Paramount Comedy, probably about a decade ago now but it’s stuck in the memory. Can’t wait for the DVD release.

  9. Richard16378

    February 9, 2017 at 1:25 pm

    IIRC it had a repeat on BBC2 a bit later in the 1990s, about the time Seinfeld & Larry Sanders were around.

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