Only a Little Enthusiasm Left for Sunday Night TV

It felt like something was missing Sunday night. Something big. Something I’d been looking forward to. You know what it was. There was no “Mad Men” on AMC.
The show had been particularly brilliant the last few weeks and suddenly nothing. Only the beginning of a nearly yearlong wait.
It’s not like nothing else was on. There was a great football game on NBC. Unfortunately, I turned it off, missing the controversial decision by New England coach Bill Belichick that opened the door for the Colt’s last-minute comeback.
Instead I watched two other Sunday night staples on ABC: “Desperate Housewives” and “Brothers & Sisters.” I like those series, and this has been a good season for both. But after watching most episodes of “Mad Men,” neither seems consequential.
AMC ran its new version of “The Prisoner,” which is a nice try, but certainly no “Mad Men.”
Finally, I clicked on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which is often crude but still one of the funniest comedies anywhere on TV.
This season, Larry David has been putting together a reunion of his earlier creation, “Seinfeld,” both in real life for us, and on the show for his character. In this week’s episode, “The Table Read,” Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer are joined in a rehearsal with a bevy of other characters from the “Seinfeld” universe, including Wayne Knight as Newman.
While it’s great to see these people together again, it’s a brain twister listening to them act out incidents that have happened to David and company in past episodes of “Curb.”
The emerging plot of the reunion show is pretty funny. Apparently George made a fortune by creating an iPhone app that locates places where there are public bathrooms. Characteristically, George invested his millions in profits from the iToilet with Bernie Madoff. Turns out George’s ex-wife, who got half of the iToilet fortune as part their divorce settlement, ran into Madoff in the streets and got creeped out by his wardrobe. She pulled her half of the money from Madoff’s firm and is still rich.
Larry David’s TV ex-wife, Cheryl Hines is playing George’s ex as part of Larry’s plan to win her back. And in the reunion show, it sounds like George might be trying to marry her (again) for his ex-money.
This is all funnier than I’m describing it.
In next Sunday’s episode, which is the “Curb” season finale, the gang finally shoots a new Seinfeld finale. I can’t wait to see it.
As Seinfeld says in the show, “We already screwed up one finale. We can’t do another.” David, in denial, retorts, “We didn’t screw up a finale. That was a a good finale.”
If Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer don’t wind up in a jail cell, the season finale of “Curb” already has the series finale of “Seinfeld” beat.