HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show, set behind the scenes at a talk show, and which ran from 1992 through 1998, was one of the sharpest and most innovative of TV comedies, instrumental in establishing the cable network’s rep for uncompromisingly smart and awesome television. Back in the dawn of DVD—that is, 2002—Sony released a set of the show’s first season, which apparently didn’t sell very well. Now, five years later, they’ve seen fit to release Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show, a four-disc set featuring 18 handpicked episodes and a ton of special features.

In an age where shows like Full House get the full season-by-season treatment, not being able to see the show’s entire run is a shame. That said, judged on its own merits, Not Just the Best of is a simply amazing collection. Star Garry Shandling clearly had his hand in producing the set’s materials, which include interviews with cast members Rip Torn, Jeffrey Tambor (whose performance as sidekick “Hey Now!” Hank Kingsley is true comic brilliance), Janeane Garofalo, Scott Thompson and Sarah Silverman, and an inspired series of “personal visits” where Shandling hangs out with the likes of Alec Baldwin, Sharon Stone, David Duchovny, Jon Stewart and Jerry Seinfeld, all of whom appeared on the show at some point. Add to that deleted scenes, commentaries and a full-length doc on the making of the show (which is a fascinating and amazingly honest portrait of the creative process) and you get this lovingly produced set, a real must-have for fans

by MARK SLUTSKY