Barack Obama's New 7-Part HBO Max Series Debuts To Promising Rotten Tomatoes Score

After serving honorably as the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama founded Higher Ground Productions with former First Lady Michelle Obama, and the company hit the ground running when their first film, American Factory (2019), won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Since then, they have produced more documentaries in Crip Camp (2020), Descendant (2022), and American Symphony (2023), scripted films like Rustin and Leave the World Behind (both 2023), and TV shows such as Waffles + Mochi, We the People (both 2021), and Starting 5 (2024). Now, their new HBO series is off to a promising start.

On the day of its premiere, Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness has debuted to a promising Rotten Tomatoes score. The series begins with Barack and Michelle Obama wanting to commemorate America's 250th anniversary, until Larry David gets involved, consisting of comedy sketches revisiting major moments in American history through the lens of his signature observational humor.

Now, on the day of its HBO premiere on June 26, Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness has debuted to a 62% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The series only has 13 reviews at the time of writing, so its score should fluctuate as more are published. Its audience score should also start to take shape very soon.

The cast includes Larry David, Bill Hader as Abraham Lincoln, Kathryn Hahn as Mary Todd Lincoln, Jon Hamm and Sean Hayes as the Wright brothers, Jerry Seinfeld as part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Chris Parnell as Benjamin Franklin, Susie Essman as Susan B. Anthony, Jane Krakowski, Isla Fisher, Vince Vaughn, and Barack Obama as himself.

Also appearing are Rita Wilson, Essence Atkins, Toby Huss, Greg Kinnear, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Joe Manganiello, Alan Tudyk, Fred Melamed, Jeff Garlin, and J.B. Smoove. The sketch comedy series is created by Larry David and Jeff Schaffer, and much like their earlier HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, most of the dialogue is unscripted, relying on structured outlines and heavy improvisation.

Overall, many critics find Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness genuinely funny in bursts, calling it a welcome return to Larry David's signature observational humor, which occasionally feels like Curb itself. However, a few find it repetitive, overly long, and often unfunny – describing it as a missed opportunity or even a misfire. While fans of Larry David enjoy its familiar chaos, a few find it grating.

The seven-episode limited series will air weekly leading up to its finale on August 7.