Garry Shandling is the Father of Cringeworthy TV

Norman Weiss March 25, 2016, 4:51 pm

Comments

Garry Shandling is the father of Cringeworthy TV

The Office, Veep, 30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Comeback all owe a debt to Shandling. As Hank Stuever notes, thanks to Shandling, “what had at first seemed an acquired taste became a second language. Now it seems everyone has an innate sense for the cringeworthy, not just comedians. We all sometimes act as if we’ve ‘gone meta,’ speaking to mockumentary cameras that aren’t really there, continuously breaking the fourth wall of life, narrating the strange and awkward details of our private and public encounters. Though we didn’t see much of him in his final years, you could sense and hear a little bit of Shandling everywhere – not just on TV but in the monologues that flow when you simply ask a spouse or a friend: How was your day?” PLUS: Shandling was like a female comic, these 10 shows wouldn’t exist without Larry Sanders, Shandling kvetched about his performance during a 1995 Larry Sanders taping, the Seinfelds spent Thursday “crying/laughing/crying” recalling Jerry’s day filming Comedians in Cars with Shandling, Showtime to re-air Shandling’s Inside Comedy and Green Room episodes, Shandling had an early version of Larry Sanders in 1984, listen to Shandling’s 2011 WTF interview with Marc Maron, Larry Sanders is one of those shows you have seen without actually watching it, and the real genius of Larry Sanders was getting celebrities to play unflattering versions of themselves.

CW’s The Notebook TV project is being redeveloped

A TV series based on Nicholas Sparks novel and an adaptation of Clive Barker’s Weaveworld are both getting new writers in hopes of becoming pilots next TV season.

The Walking Dead’s Negan revealed in Dutch TV trailer

“Hi. I’m Negan,” Jeffrey Dean Morgan says in a trailer that doesn’t show his face. PLUS: Robert Kirkman says “we want to do it justice” to Negan’s iconic introduction.

Sebastian Bach is back on set for Gilmore Girls revival

In fact, Lane Kim’s band Hep Alien have reunited, featuring Brian Fuller, Zack Van Gerbig and the Skid Row singer as Gil. However, there hasn’t been an Adam Brody sighting.

Lionsgate denounces North Carolina’s new anti-gay law, but will use the state for filming ABC’s Dirty Dancing

The producer of the three-hour musical event says it will go forward “given our obligation to the hundreds of people in the state employed by the production. However, we will be hard pressed to continue our relationship with North Carolina if this regressive law remains.”