Making one classic comedy series is an achievement in itself, making two requires a certain kind of talent. A kind of talent clearly possessed by Larry Davidthe co-creator of both Seinfeld and Control your enthusiasm. The two shows ushered in nearly thirty-three consecutive years of consistent success from a Larry David product, with Seinfeld ending in 1998 and Control your enthusiasm debuts in 2000. What’s most impressive about these two shows is the longevity they both share, with Seinfeld running for nine seasons and still flooding the airwaves in syndication today, and Introduce will enter its twelfth season in 2023. But which of the two series is Larry David’s best? Let’s take a look at the differences in the shows to get to the bottom of this Larry David mystery!
Show and public appeal
While both shows come from the same creative mind, they are tonally different beasts. For all adult themes that: Seinfeld been featured throughout its run, it still feels and still feels like a show you could watch with your family to this day. It also explored philosophy in a much deeper way than most people would think of a comedy show. It was called a show about nothing, but it was basically about everything. Introduce, on the other hand, leans completely into the world of maturity, both in its vulgar language and in subjects. Explore the art of being a sociopath in the most blunt of ways. Obviously, one of the biggest reasons for this is the difference between being on network television and being on a pay television network like HBO.
This shift in networking allowed David to explore comedic topics in a new and refreshing way after nine years of being subjected to the limitations of network television. Taboo language and topics can be worked out in stories; maturity could reign supreme in the world of HBO. This allowed David and Introduce to find an audience on HBO that Seinfeld may not have been liked on its first run in the 90s.
Scripted vs. Unscripted
Another major difference between the two shows is: Seinfeld’s rely on scripted episodes and Curbs using a lot of unwritten and improvised acting. In front of seinfeld, it was important to surround Jerry, who himself would admit he’s not the best actor because he comes from the stand-up comedy world, with actors who had more polished skills in the trade, such as Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. This, in turn, made the actors follow the script more closely. That’s not to say there aren’t great improvisations from Seinfeld, just look again at “Want a Christmas card? Here’s your Christmas card.”
Introduce, on the other hand, decided to let his actors experiment with lines, jokes, and moments from the show. You often see real character reactions to their co-actors’ jokes that the production chooses to let in. This gives a touch of realism to episodes of the series; you can tell when someone is laughing because something is funny or laughing because it’s a script, and this helps to give the audience a true story that they can invest their laughter in. This has helped Control your enthusiasm become one of the best modern sitcoms.
The verdict
No one wants to see a great back and forth game end in a draw, but in the case of… Seinfeld against Control your enthusiasm it’s really a toss-up of which series is really Larry David’s best. Seinfeld’s success knows no bounds. Recognizable around the world, the series is one of the best TV sitcoms of the ’90s, and is as popular today as ever, thirty-three years after its debut. restrain, although not as successful as seinfeld, has still enjoyed a longevity not often seen on television as season twelve goes into effect.
To really try to judge which one is better than the others, you have to look at where the shows differ. That is in their appeal to viewers. While it’s entirely possible for someone to enjoy both shows, the series somehow leans toward their appeal. Introduce offers an adult version of Larry David’s comedy that you can’t quite get out of Seinfeld and vice versa. If one of the two shows were Larry David’s best work, it would take away what each show has built up. They uniquely portray different aspects of Larry David’s comedic talents.
To make it even easier, think cake and pie. Some people like cake; some people like cake; some people like both. Pie and pie are uniquely different, but undeniably enjoyable. You can’t go wrong either Seinfeld or Control your enthusiasm, but in the end it comes down to taste… cake or pie?