Key Points
- HBO released the official trailer for "Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness" ahead of a June 26 premiere.
- The seven-episode sketch series premieres June 26 on HBO and HBO Max.
- Larry David created it with Jeff Schaffer; the Obamas' Higher Ground produces.
- Each episode stages about four improvised sketches across U.S. history for the nation's 250th.
Larry David's first project since Curb Your Enthusiasm ended is a sketch show about American history — and his producing partner is Barack Obama. HBO released the full trailer this week ahead of a June 26 premiere, the clearest look yet at one of the year's odder marquee pairings.
The show
"Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness" runs seven episodes, each staging roughly four historical sketches — an improvised, comedic run through major events in American history, timed to the country's 250th anniversary. David created the series with Jeff Schaffer, his longtime Curb collaborator and showrunner. It premieres June 26 on HBO and streams on HBO Max.
The Obama partnership
The series is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions — the shingle behind their Netflix slate, now turning up on HBO behind a Larry David comedy. It is the kind of odd-couple credit that reads like a bit from the show itself: the former president's production company underwriting the man who made misanthropy a sitcom genre.
Why now
David has been quiet since Curb closed its 12-season run, and HBO flagged "a Larry David project" in its 2026 slate reel back in December. This is it — and the timing, against the U.S. semiquincentennial, lets HBO frame a comedy launch as a cultural event rather than just another summer premiere.
Source: HBO, The Hollywood Reporter
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