It’s a foundational assumption of the TV comedy of Larry David that Larry David is, largely, to be loathed. Curb Your Enthusiasm has milked 12 seasons of comedy out of that very simple premise, specifically as it applies to modern-day Los Angeles. Now, David is gearing up to take his “World’s most yelled-at man” bona fides back into history, rolling out the first full clip for new HBO Max sketch series Life, Larry And The Pursuit Of Unhappiness. Said sketch shows a David-played character attempting to get in on the “kiss a random woman” fun on V-J Day in 1945, only to find out that not all spontaneous victory kisses are created equally, and that Larry Davids of any era are apparently prone to getting hit with very loudly expressed labels like “pervo Nazi.”
It’s impossible to talk about The Pursuit Of Unhappiness without noting the other big names attached to it, i.e., Barack and Michelle Obama, who produced the series through their Higher Ground studio. Press materials for the limited series are happy to namecheck the Obamas (and the oddity of their involvement in a sketch comedy show), noting, “President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America’s 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion. …But then Larry David called.”
The series was written by David, alongside Jeff Schaffer, a long-time Curb writer who previously co-created The League for FX. Casting information is being kept fairly loose, but there has been a promise that “the series will feature select Curb Your Enthusiasm actors and noteworthy guest stars.”
Life, Larry And The Pursuit Of Unhappiness is set to premiere on HBO Max on Friday, June 26; the seven-episode series will continue airing weekly through August 7.