The Best Episodes of The Larry Sanders Show
Last Updated: Mar 24, 2019
Comic Garry Shandling draws upon his own talk show experiences to create the character of Larry Sanders, a paranoid, insecure host of a late night talk show. Larry, along with his obsequious TV sidekick Hank Kingsley and his fiercely protective producer Artie, allows Garry Shandling and his talented writers to look behind the scenes and to show us a convincing slice of behind the camera life.
#1 - Eight
Season 4 - Episode 16
Chaos reigns as the eighth anniversary show tapes and Larry tries repeatedly to sneak in a bathroom visit during a commercial break.
8.56 
#2 - Flip (2)
Season 6 - Episode 12
Part 2 of the final ever show. Larry is in hot water with Carol Burnet when he tells her she was the first person he chose to be on his final show. This doesn't appear to be the case as Ellen confirms. Bruno Kirby is bumped again. Clint Black sings goodbye to Larry.
8.53 
#3 - Putting the Gay Back in Litigation
Season 6 - Episode 10
Tired of Phil's gay jokes, Brian sues the show for sexual harrassment.
8.15 
#4 - Ellen, or Isn't She?
Season 5 - Episode 4
Artie pushes Larry to get Ellen Degeneres to come out of the closet on their show, but Larry pursues some personal research first. Beverly spoils Artie's birthday by circulating the show's budget, with everyone's salary, amongst the staff.
8.10 
#5 - Hank's Night in the Sun
Season 3 - Episode 6
Hank gets his shot at the big chair when Larry gets food poisoning just before a taping.
8.07 
#6 - Arthur and Angie and Hank and Hercules
Season 5 - Episode 8
Artie falls off the wagon with his second addiction, Angie Dickinson, and flies to Venice with her. Larry's affair with Laura Leighton stumbles over their obsessions with watching their own TV shows. Hank auditions for a voice part in the new Disney movie, Hercules.
8.06 
#7 - Flip
Season 6 - Episode 11
Larry tapes his last show.
8.05 
#8 - Montana
Season 3 - Episode 1
Larry's going out of his mind with boredom up in Montana when Artie appears with a scheme to resurrect the show.
8.00 
#9 - Artie's Gone
Season 2 - Episode 8
Artie gets stuck on the highway during torrential rains and mud-slides leaving Paula the booker to function as the producer for the show.
7.96 
#10 - Out of the Loop
Season 1 - Episode 8
Larry feels out of touch when he's the last to know that his headwriter is having a torrid office affair.
7.95 
#11 - The Bump
Season 4 - Episode 4
Larry promises not to bump comic Jeff Cesario again, then finds the show overbooked and Hank needing four minutes for a tribute to his late father.
7.95 
#12 - Off Camera
Season 2 - Episode 16
Artie has a terrible day backstage with an Entertainment Weekly writer prowling around, John Ritter and Gene Siskel nearly coming to blows, and a stray dog nipping at everyone.
7.93 
#13 - Guest Host
Season 1 - Episode 4
The success of Dana Carvey as a guest host on his show makes Larry very, very nervous.
7.91 
#14 - Beverly and the Prop Job
Season 4 - Episode 14
Beverly quits when Larry and Artie refuse to seriously consider her request that a job in the props department be given to a black person. Hank considers replacing Scott with a woman.
7.89 
#15 - Broadcast Nudes
Season 2 - Episode 11
Hank manipulates Darlene into agreeing to do a Playboy spread and Larry worries about appearing in Architectural Digest.
7.89 
#16 - Adolf Hankler
Season 6 - Episode 6
Larry spends his vacation with his brother who has a business proposition. Guest host Jon Stewart tests the network's censors by booking the Wu-Tang Clan.
7.89 
#17 - Hank's Wedding
Season 2 - Episode 15
Larry tries to decide about warning an elated Hank about his new bride when the ""Hey now!"" guy announces he's going to marry a younger woman he has just recently met.
7.88 
#18 - End of the Season
Season 3 - Episode 17
Roseanne spots Larry's drug dependence and offers herself as his friend and keeper as he kicks the habit.
7.88 
#19 - A Brush with (the Elbow of) Greatness
Season 1 - Episode 12
Larry makes the tabloids when a woman claims he knocked her into a magazine rack and neglected to apologize.
7.87 
#20 - Where is the Love?
Season 5 - Episode 3
Larry gets upset over a review from TV critic Tom Shales, prompting him to fire off a fax in retaliation and to seek sympathy from show guest Sally Field.
7.87 
#21 - People's Choice
Season 3 - Episode 5
Artie is chosen to produce the People's Choice Awards, prompting both Larry and Hank to try for a role in the show.
7.85 
#22 - Would You Do Me a Favor?
Season 3 - Episode 3
Larry's dad pays a visit to California, but Larry doesn't want to see him, so he adds that little chore to the things an already fed-up Beverly has to cope with.
7.83 
#23 - Office Romance
Season 3 - Episode 7
The office suffers when Larry and Darlene tentatively begin a romance, prompting a domino effect of hurt feelings and jealousy.
7.83 
#24 - Jeannie's Visit
Season 4 - Episode 5
A surprise visit by Larry's ex-wife causes an unusual triangle between her, Larry and Hank. Larry offers a cappuccino machine as a substitute for the daily office run to Starbucks.
7.81 
#25 - The Beginning of the End
Season 6 - Episode 2
Kenny Mitchell joins the show as creative consultant and makes major changes to the format. Larry battles with the network and his agent over his contract.
7.80