‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Season 12: Everything to Know

Credit: Hbo/Kobal/Shutterstock

‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Season 12: Everything to Know

What do you get when you let a Seinfeld cocreator make a TV show about himself? Well, you end up with one of the most warped, satirical versions of Hollywood you’ll ever see. With humble beginnings and a cult following, Curb Your Enthusiasm is now one of the most popular comedy series out there. After over two decades of airtime on HBO programming, the 12th season of Curb is coming, to everyone’s excitement. With the popularity this show has with the public and the ravings of critics, it is no surprise that another season is on the way. In the year 2000, HBO released its first episode of this hit series, and it quickly became a smash hit. People quickly learned to love the improv skills of the cast. It's impressive what these actors can come up with on the fly. Not only does Larry David act in the show, but he is the main writer, heading up a talented staff. Popular review sites like Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and IMDB score the show up in the high 80s and low 90s. This is almost unheard of for a show that’s run for 22 years and counting. From simplistic, low-quality footage in the first season to impressive production quality in the latest, the show has come a long way. Keep scrolling to learn what we know about Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12:

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What Is 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'?

Curb Your Enthusiasm entered the world on October 15, 2000. HBO owns the sitcom, and you can stream it on HBO Max. David plays a fictional version of himself. The show takes place after his major success with Seinfeld as he fails — again and again — to find any success after his "one-hit-wonder."

The semi-retired David often finds himself in precarious situations that are either not his fault or are of his own making. Most of the show takes place in Los Angeles, but season 8 actually explores New York.

David is popular with the Hollywood crowd and often runs into fictionalized versions of real celebrities (always played by themselves).

Curb Your Enthusiasm is basically just the nitty-gritty details of monotonous, everyday social situations (that end in the most absurd of ways when David gets involved). It often shows the cast members playing people at their worst.

As mentioned previously, one of the reasons for the show's popularity is the improvisational skills of the cast. There is a rough outline of the plot, and the actors let the magic unfold via retroscripting.

The sitcom finds its origin in an HBO project David came up with in 1999 that went by the same name but originally structured itself as a mockumentary. The project unraveled in the best way possible: a 12-season series and counting.

The wildly popular show has won 51 Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe and numerous nominations.

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Is a 12th Season Really Happening?

A season 12 is, in fact, happening. There will not be a cancellation, series finale or another prolonged hiatus that ends on a whim. HBO greenlit a new season after the 11th season received some of its best ratings since season 5.

When asked about the upcoming season, HBO executive vice president Amy Gravitt said, “Larry outdoes himself season after season and always manages to come back when the audience needs him most.” With hype like that, the newest season is bound to be phenomenal and extra-cringy.

HBO stated on social media that David will not be apologizing for anything, which tracks with our beloved Seinfeld creator. The showrunner, Jeff Schaffer revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that they treat every season as the potential end of the show. Wanting "to prepare as if it was the last one," they filmed a scene in which David dies… but David is not ready to die quite yet, hence the upcoming season 12.

The show is expected to release sometime in early 2023 if all goes well. The writing is basically finished, but there is still much filming and production needed.

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Which Actors Are Returning?

There are no major cast changes for the new season. All the regulars love working with David and HBO, so it’s expected to have everyone return. With a cast of costars including Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, Richard Lewis, Susie Greene, Vince Vaughn, Ted Danson and J.B. Smoove, the new episodes are sure to be iconic.

David serves as both star and coexecutive producer (with showrunner Schaffer and producer Jeff Garlin).

Another fun aspect is that all these celebrities play versions of themselves in the sitcom, which allows for plenty of meta jokes regarding modern-day Hollywood.

These actors will be consistent in the 10-episode season. Episodes range anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. This show is also known for its plethora of guest-star appearances. Here is a list of some of the best ones we hope to see again:

Shaquille O'Neal: In season 2, David accidentally injures Shaq courtside during a game. It’s hilarious watching the former NBA star showcase his comedy skills.

Michael J. Fox: This celebrity gets an entire episode revolving around him in season 8. David and Fox go head to head as they find a nemesis in each other.

Lin-Manuel Miranda: Everyone’s favorite Alexander Hamilton winds up on an episode in season nine as himself. Essentially, the show ends in a paintball duel between the two if that tells you anything.

Curb Your Enthusiasm keeps its guest star appearances under tight wraps, so no one knows who we can expect to see in season 12.

Of course, we will see David again — and though we don’t know much for certain, we do know he will (hopefully) be wearing pants.

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Season 11 Finale: "The Mormon Advantage"

If you’re not caught up with the series or want to start with the premiere of season 12, here’s a breakdown of the season 11 finale. (This will contain major spoilers.)

Previously, David attempted to convince Councilwoman Irma (played by Tracey Ullman) to overturn a fencing law regarding pools by allowing her to live with him. She fights with Leon and gives David an ultimatum that either she or Leon must stay at the house. Leon ends up at Jeff and Susie’s.

Susie lets Leon stay at their home on the condition that David allows her to throw a party for Alexander Vindman. After conversing with the Mormon husband of Councilwoman Melinda, David basically asks him if he’s into polygamy.

David heads to an event for Vindman taking place at the Holocaust Museum in LA and ends up messing his shoes up when he steps in dog poop. He resolves this issue by stealing a pair of the Holocaust victims' shoes from a display.

At the ceremony, David spots Micah, the Mormon husband, speaking with a woman that is not his wife. This leads to Melinda finding out about what David said about polygamy and turning against David’s appeal for the fence legislation.

David seeks Melinda’s forgiveness over a phone call and offers to donate money to the LDS church. Vindman overhears this and plans to whistleblow to another councilman. He also realizes David stole the shoes.

The shoes turn out to belong to Irma’s deceased grandfather. Meanwhile, David attempts to get ahold of the documents Vindman gave to Councilman Weinblatt. While he has the documents in hand, he accidentally falls into Weinblatt’s pool.

The council’s vote on the pool fence legislation ends up tied, and it goes unrepealed.