| Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness | |
|---|---|
| Genre |
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| Created by |
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| Starring |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 1 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Production company | Higher Ground Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | June 26, 2026 – present |
Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness (also known as Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America) is a 2026 American sketch comedy limited series created by Larry David and Jeff Schaffer. Produced by Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions, the series premiered on HBO on June 26, 2026. The series takes an improvised, comedic approach to major events in American history in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The show consists of seven episodes, each containing approximately four historical sketches. Much like David and Schaffer's previous HBO series, Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000–2024), the dialogue is largely unscripted and heavily improvised based on structural outlines.
Premise
Created as a comedic tribute to the United States Semiquincentennial, the series explores major events in American history through the lens of Larry David's signature observational humor.[1]
Cast
- Larry David
- Samuel L. Jackson as Narrator
- Bill Hader as Abraham Lincoln
- Kathryn Hahn as Mary Todd Lincoln
- Jon Hamm as one of the Wright brothers
- Sean Hayes as one of the Wright brothers
- Jerry Seinfeld as William Clark
- Chris Parnell as Benjamin Franklin
- Susie Essman as Susan B. Anthony
- Jane Krakowski[2]
- Isla Fisher[2]
- Vince Vaughn
- Barack Obama as himself
- Rita Wilson
- Essence Atkins
- Toby Huss
- Greg Kinnear
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Joe Manganiello
- Alan Tudyk as Thomas Jefferson
- Michael Chiklis as Sarge
- Fred Melamed
- Jeff Garlin
- J. B. Smoove
- Henry Winkler as John Hancock
- Richard Kind as Thomas A. Watson
- Sarah Silverman
- Jurnee Smollett as Rosa Parks
Episodes
| No. | Title [3] | Directed by | Written by [4] | Original release date [3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Livingston" | Jeff Schaffer | Larry David & Jeff Schaffer | June 26, 2026 |
| 2 | "An Almost History of America – Farewell" | Jeff Schaffer | Larry David & Jeff Schaffer | July 3, 2026 |
| 3 | "McCarthy" | Jeff Schaffer | Larry David & Jeff Schaffer | July 10, 2026 |
| 4 | TBA | Jeff Schaffer | Larry David & Jeff Schaffer | July 17, 2026 |
| 5 | TBA | Jeff Schaffer | Larry David & Jeff Schaffer | July 24, 2026 |
| 6 | TBA | Jeff Schaffer | Larry David & Jeff Schaffer | July 31, 2026 |
| 7 | TBA | Jeff Schaffer | TBA | August 7, 2026 |
Production
In July 2025, HBO announced that it had ordered an untitled half-hour sketch comedy series developed by Larry David and Jeff Schaffer. The project was revealed to be a collaboration with Higher Ground Productions, the production company founded by former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Both Obamas, Ethan Lewis, and Vinnie Malhotra serve as executive producers alongside David and Schaffer.[1]
The series title and the first teaser trailer were released in May 2026, with the first full trailer released the following month.[5][6]
Release
Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness is scheduled to premiere on HBO on June 26, 2026.[1] The seven-episode limited series will air weekly leading up to its finale on August 7, 2026.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the show holds an approval rating of 55% with an average rating of 5.7/10, based on 20 reviews.[7] Metacritic assigned it a weighted average score of 59 out of 100, based on 21 reviews, signifying "mixed or average" reviews.[8]
References
- ^ a b c "Life, Larry, And The Pursuit Of Unhappiness". Warner Bros. Discovery Pressroom. May 7, 2026. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ^ a b Otterson, Joe (June 11, 2026). "Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: Isla Fisher and Jane Krakowski to Guest Star in HBO Sketch Series". Variety. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ^ a b "Shows A-Z Life, Larry, And the Pursuit of Unhappiness on HBO". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness". Writers Guild of America West. May 4, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ^ Schimkowitz, Matt (June 11, 2026). "Larry David is doomed to repeat history in Life, Larry, And The Pursuit Of Unhappiness trailer". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (June 11, 2026). "Larry David Rewrites American History for HBO's Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: Watch the Trailer". Consequence. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ^ "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
- ^ "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved June 27, 2026.