Updated, 7 p.m. PT: After TheWrap reported on internal Crackle conversations, Sony Pictures Television Chairman Steve Mosko told us that he had a preexisting deal in place to return “Larry Sanders” to HBO, where it originally aired. Read more about that here.
Previously:
Earlier this year, every episode of classic Garry Shandling sitcom “The Larry Sanders Show” existed on Sony streaming platform, Crackle. Two months ago, the service removed the content and turned those rights back over to its own parent company — now Crackle wants them back.
In the wake of Shandling’s death, Crackle’s programmers are already having internal discussions about making them all live again, TheWrap has learned exclusively. No actual negotiations have taken place yet, however, and it’s still too early for a decision.
And by the way, should Crackle get the OK from Sony, it won’t be free just because the latter owns the former. So there’s quite a bit to work out before we’re all laughing at Larry’s late-night antics again.
“The Larry Sanders Show” only actually ended up at Crackle in the first place because Shandling guest-starred on friend Jerry Seinfeld‘s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” the alternative platform’s crown jewel. That fourth episode of Season 7 dropped Jan. 20 of this year, and can be seen in its entirety here.
“The Larry Sanders Show” ran from 1992-1998, spanning 89 episodes. In addition to boosting the already famous Shandling’s career, it also brought comedy gold from Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development,” “Transparent”), Rip Torn, Janeane Garofalo, Jeremy Piven, Bob Odenkirk and Mary Lynn Rajskub, among others.
The six-season HBO series was nominated for a ton of Primetime Emmy Awards, winning three.