The Best Hour on TV

Well, now that "Big Brother 6" is over, it would have to be HBO's new Saturday night team-up of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and Ricky Gervais' new import "Extras." And, as I was disappointed in the horribly unfortunate winner of BB6 (ewww....Maggie...), HBO would probably win out even the CBS reality juggernaut continued into the Fall.

Last night's "Curb" premiere was brilliant. You would think after so many years on "Seinfeld," and now five years of having his own show, Larry David would have run out of little minutae to joke about on TV. I mean, how many little silly everyday frustrations do people really share? Apparently, a shitload, as every single episode of "Curb" manages to strike that right note of exaggerated relatability.

For example, in last night's episode, Larry has just accidentally spilled coffee on the floor at a party and wants to go home. He tells his friend Jeff, with whom he carpooled, that he wants to go.

"Why," Jeff asks. "We just got here."

"It's enough already," Larry answers.

Brilliant. Perfect. I can't believe he improvised that line! That's exactly how I feel at every social gathering I attend. I get there, I say hi to everyone, I get a drink or a cup of coffee...and then I start thinking about how long I have to hang out there before I can go home. Because it's enough already...I get the idea...

And the new show from the genius behind the BBC's "The Office," "Extras," had its American premiere right after "Curb" at 10:30. It took about 15 minutes or so to get going, and it's very strange to see Gervais playing a character who is so similar to "The Office's" David Brent, but in a new environment surrounded by new characters.

But by the end of the episode, it became perfectly clear that, even if it's never quite as good as the landmark "The Office,' "Extras" is going to be a pretty hilarious show. I particularly admired how guest star Kate Winslet was actually given a really funny role (as herself), and wasn't just there as a "guest star."

Most of the time, when TV shows have celebrity guest stars, there really isn't a great character for them to play. It's just, "hey, look, it's friggin' Bruce Willis over here..."

But Winslet really gets to go all out...She mostly makes serious films, so I never really thought of her as funny at all until I saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. "extras" even gives her a chance to work blue, and even the crude humor comes off naturally. That's a talent enjoyed by only a select few actresses.

So, HBO went two for two on this one. I still haven't had a chance to check out their new drama series, "Rome," but most people I talk to compare it to "Deadwood." That's high praise indeed, as I think "Deadwood" is clearly among the best dramatic series on TV (and might be the best dramatic series on TV, if not for the upcoming new season of "Sopranos").