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'The Larry Sanders Show' (1992)

Hey now! From "Curb Your Enthusiasm" to "Louie," Garry Shandling created the template for so many TV comedies that followed in the wake of his groundbreaking series, all of which feature the show's lead playing an exaggerated version of themselves. ... more But it wasn't just the format, which took viewers behind the scenes of a late-night network talk show that was brilliant. It was the characters, too, so rich and perfectly drawn, especially Jeffrey Tambor's needy and naïve sidekick Hank Kingsley, that you could hardly help but cringe while you laughed.

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(HBO)