Larry David regains his enthusiasm

Today's column previews the return of "Curb Your Enthusiasm":

In case you hadn't figured it out by now, after the seven seasons of "Seinfeld" he ran, or the first five seasons of "Curb Your Enthusi asm," Larry David is just a little bit neurotic. (In much the same way that Caesar was just a little bit stabbed.)

When David wrote the fifth-season "Curb" finale where he died and went to heaven, only to be kicked out for annoying his guardian angels too much, it was planned as the last episode he would ever do -- but only because he plans every "Curb" finale as the last one ever.

"It's the only way that I can get through a season," he admitted on a conference call with reporters last week. "I have to convince myself that it's the last one. Otherwise I won't be able to do it. I did the same thing on 'Seinfeld' for seven years. The work is done now, so now I can start thinking about whether I want to do it again."

David let his annual Hamlet routine run on longer than usual after the last finale, and "Curb" will have been off the air nearly two years when it returns Sunday night (10 p.m., HBO). But he doesn't sound nearly as conflicted this time around about continuing.
"I'm really happy with the season," he said. "I had a fantastic time. I don't know. I'll need a month off and then I'll decide."

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