'Curb' Returns Tonight!

[Brian Damage]

September 9, 2007 -- Larry David was on the phone with about 10 reporters and he didn't pick an argument with any one of them.

That may seem surprising to fans of his HBO comedy series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," starting its sixth season this week,who are accustomed to the prickly character he plays on the show (also named Larry David) getting into beefs with strangers within minutes of leaving his home.

But believe it or not, in real life, Larry is likable.

He's also funny - so much so that reporters participating in a recent conference call arranged by HBO to promote the show were too busy laughing to ask him questions about his marriage (he recently separated from his wife, Laurie, amid gossip-column allegations that she strayed).

The real Larry David insists he's not confrontational like the character he plays, partly because he gets to act out his confrontation fantasies on his TV show.

"That's the beauty of doing this show," said the 60-year-old co-creator of "Seinfeld."

"I get to enact all these things that I really don't have the [courage] to do in my life."

This season, he'll clash with a dry cleaner (Gina Gershon) and have run-ins with patrons and clerks in an ice cream parlor and a cosmetics store (an L.A. branch of Kiehl's), among other locations.

On the show, he is definitely not separated from his fictional wife, Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), who persuades him to "adopt" a family displaced by "Hurricane Edna," a fictional tempest inspired by Katrina.

The African-American family - whose name happens to be Black - will live with the fictional Davids all season, Larry said.

Among the characters returning for the new season are Jeff and Susie (Jeff Garlin and Susie Essman), Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen (played by themselves), Richard Lewis (as himself), Larry's dad (Shelley Berman) for one episode, and Larry's friend, Marty Funkhouser (Bob Einstein).

Wanda Sykes, a fan favorite from seasons past, will not be back this season. Nor are there any appearances by former stars of "Seinfeld" (both Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander have appeared on "Curb").

Larry revealed that Einstein - the famously stone-faced comedian best known for creating the character of Super Dave Osborne - is one of two "Curb" cast members who make him laugh during filming, forcing multiple takes.

The other is the outrageously profane Susie Ess-man. "As soon as she opens her mouth, I start laughing," he said. "Anytime anybody berates me or curses me I start laughing immediately. In real life, it doesn't happen. That's why it's so funny because it's so unusual to be chewed out like that."

Along with the regulars, guest-stars this season will include John McEnroe, Lucy Lawless and, surprisingly, California Sen. Barbara Boxer - all playing themselves.

"I know her," Larry said when asked how he recruited the senator for the show (she appears in the second episode). "She is my senator, right?" he added, as if it is the obligation of elected officials to help out constituents who make TV shows when they need a guest-star.

As for McEnroe, Larry revealed that he and the famously temperamental tennis star will engage in a loud, vocal argument on an upcoming episode.

"It's a fantasy come true," Larry said, "because, you know, I was called at one point the McEnroe of comedy because I used to scream at the audience the way he screamed at umpires."

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

Sunday, 10 p.m., HBO

[rosered]

I love this show! im so glad its back!