Season 4 • Episode 19
LatestGuests Dan Aykroyd and Paul Winfield finish off the series.
Garry Shandling stars as himself, a neurotic, sardonic stand-up comedian who just happens to be aware he is a sitcom character. Garry spends just as much time interacting with the studio audience as he does the regular cast members, performing monologues and show-closing summations of the episode's events. However, everyone knows they're on TV, not just Garry; and the audience (itself a character) is often involved in the storyline.
Writing
Meta-commentary so sharp it predicted every sitcom trope deconstruction since.
Acting
Shandling's sweaty, knowing desperation—comedy as psychological striptease.
Production
The theme song literally tells you what you're watching. Respect.
Creators
Garry Shandling, Alan Zweibel
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This show is the missing link between classic sitcoms and 'The Office'—Shandling essentially invented the mockumentary format without the documentary part.
The theme song's 'This is the theme to Garry's show' was written in minutes because Shandling refused to pretend his fake sitcom was real.
US
