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garry shandling
The first question I ask someone when they recommend a new series to me is “How long is it?” In the age of too much content, leisure time is a hot commodity. I took a chance on Netflix’s The End of the F***ing World thanks to the show’s scant eighteen-minute long pilot. I’ve yet to press play on Season 2 of Jessica Jones because the twelve hourish runtime is too daunting to ignore. The continuous influx of new programming has made savvy streaming a necessity. If we’re going to invest our rapidly declining free time in a new show or film, it better be worth it.
Not only is HBO’s new two-part documentary The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling (Part 1 premieres tonight on HBO) well worth the four-and-a-half hour time commitment, it’s the rare long-from documentary that will actually leave you wanting more.
Judd Apatow begins his sweeping portrait of comedian Garry Shandling with a predictive anecdote about his late friend and mentor. “I always tell people you’re either the happiest person I know or you completely lost your mind,” Apatow once said to Garry. Shandling’s response? “That’s about right.”
The comprehensive look into the life of Garry Shandling combines rare home video footage, intimate passages from Shandling’s personal journals, and more than 40 interviews with family and friends to deliver an authentic look at the enigmatic life of a truly revelatory comedian. Apatow’s genuine affection for Shandling — who gave Judd his first job as a joke writer for the Grammys before hiring him on The Larry Sanders Show — is obvious, but the documentary doesn’t shy away from the flaws and neuroses that made the impenetrable comedian such a compelling figure.
Zen Diaries is an obvious must-watch for comedy nerds, but it’s also an accessible documentary for viewers who’ve never seen an episode of Larry Sanders or The Garry Sandling Show. The comedian’s professional journey from writer to comedian to potential Tonight Show host will inspire anyone crazy enough to pursue a career in comedy, but it’s his personal journey — which includes a life-altering childhood tragedy — that serves as the narrative backbone of the documentary.
Zen Diaries has a spiritual side as it follows Shandling’s personal and professional search for authenticity. The fact that Garry freaking Shandling, the man behind not one but two of the most influential TV shows in modern history, ever felt insecure about being funny is as fascinating as it is relatable. The array of interviews and peeks into his private letters and musings help us comprehend the complexities of the iconic comedian.
Judd Apatow continues to be comedy’s greatest curator. His behind-the-scenes guidance on shows like Love, Crashing, and Girls demonstrate his profound impact on the next generation of comedians, while his work on Zen Diaries, Jerry Before Seinfeld, and Sick in the Head ensures that comedy’s past won’t get lost amidst the deluge of the present.
The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling not only offers an in-depth exploration of one of the most innovative comedic minds of our generation, but it will also make you appreciate the craft of the comedian.
Part 1 of The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling premieres tonight at 8 p.m. on HBO. Part 2 will air tomorrow (Tuesday, March 27) at 8:00 p.m.
