The Larry Sanders Show Episode Rating Graph

Artie pushes Larry to get Ellen Degeneres to come out of the closet on their show, but Larry pursues some personal research first. Beverly spoils Artie's birthday by circulating the show's budget, with everyone's salary, amongst the staff.

Hank gets his shot at the big chair when Larry gets food poisoning just before a taping.

Hank fears for his career after Phil sets a scandalous sex tape circulating among the entertainment community.

Paula tells Larry that she's leaving to produce the Caryl and Marilyn show, so he impulsively promotes her to producer without consulting Artie. The quality of Phil's work goes up and down as his new girlfriend plays with his affections.

A depressed and unhappy Hank hits on all the female guests before retreating to a hotel room for a boozy marathon with a series of prostitutes.

Larry promises not to bump comic Jeff Cesario again, then finds the show overbooked and Hank needing four minutes for a tribute to his late father.

Larry begins to date Illeana Douglas, but feels compelled to rehearse her through her segment. Meanwhile, Brian brings a sexual harassment suit against Phil for all his gay jokes.

Artie has a terrible day backstage with an Entertainment Weekly writer prowling around, John Ritter and Gene Siskel nearly coming to blows, and a stray dog nipping at everyone.

It looks like Hank's marriage is over, despite everyone's efforts to patch it up.

A surprise visit by Larry's ex-wife causes an unusual triangle between her, Larry and Hank. Larry offers a cappuccino machine as a substitute for the daily office run to Starbucks.

Larry gets into a feud with the network when he makes fun of their new fall schedule on the air.

Larry spends his vacation with his brother who has a business proposition. Guest host Jon Stewart tests the network's censors by booking the Wu-Tang Clan.

Beverly quits when Larry and Artie refuse to seriously consider her request that a job in the props department be given to a black person. Hank considers replacing Scott with a woman.

Roseanne spots Larry's drug dependence and offers herself as his friend and keeper as he kicks the habit.

Larry tries to decide about warning an elated Hank about his new bride when the ""Hey now!"" guy announces he's going to marry a younger woman he has just recently met.

Artie is chosen to produce the People's Choice Awards, prompting both Larry and Hank to try for a role in the show.

Kenny Mitchell joins the show as creative consultant and makes major changes to the format. Larry battles with the network and his agent over his contract.

After a particularly trying day at work, Arthur spends the night at the studio with two new friends, Nicolae the janitor and Hank's karoake machine, and one old bottle of booze.

Larry goes on holiday and Dana Carvey takes over. Hank is not pleased.

When Darlene quits while on vacation, Hank hires the temp who was filling in for her. Larry's reluctant to tell Dana Carvey he doesn't like Carvey's Larry Sanders impersonation.

Larry is apprehensive over a guest appearance by former girl friend Roseanne and decides to see a psychiatrist. The office follows the O.J. trial.

Paula worries about her job when Larry gets angry with her over guests canceling, and really goes all out to convince a reluctant Danny DeVito not to cancel too. Larry and Artie try to decide what to choose as the guest gift.

Larry hits it off with guest Sharon Stone, but finds he can't cope with her greater celebrity status.

Larry makes the tabloids when a woman claims he knocked her into a magazine rack and neglected to apologize.

Larry is a wreck as he faces sinking ratings, no Emmy nominations, and a divorce suit from Jeannie. So Hank and Artie try to fix him up with attractive women. But the only one he really connects with is Francine, his first wife.

Larry reluctantly agrees to hire his former comedy partner as a show writer.

Larry's relationship with his new girlfriend is threatened when she takes on the ""mermaid"" role in a show skit, and wants to use it as a springboard for her career.

Regis Philbin causes some major unrest when he intimates to Hank that there might be place for him on Regis' new show. Larry and Artie worry about what guest Bobcat Goldthwait might do to top his chair-burning incident on The Tonight Show.

Paula's dating Larry's agent, but Larry fears he's just using her to book his clients on the show. The network objects to Larry's ethnic guest spots. Hank tries to stiff Phil on a $20 loan.

Larry's ratings are slipping and the suits are looking to replace him with regular guest host Jon Stewart. Hank tries to trade for a fan's ""Hey Now"" license plates.

Hank does a remote from Wisconsin. The staff tries to guess the father of Beverly's baby.

Larry's little dinner at home with Arthur, initiated by Jeannie, escalates into a full-blown party and causes Larry to become extremely paranoid.

Everybody has their own ideas about who should host the show being readied to follow Larry, while Larry worries over not winning a major award again.

Larry scrambles to make some money after his accountant admits he's lost all of Larry's funds. Artie and Hank set out to teach the guy a lesson.

Larry gets a little paranoid when he learns he's being stalked by an obsessed fan.

Jon Lovitz makes a strong play for a reluctant Darlene.

An argument at home with Jeannie causes Larry to lose his concentration during the show that night.

Larry celebrates his birthday and the gang all struggle to top each other with their birthday gifts to him. Meanwhile the celebration is darkened by the firing of one of the writers.

Phil whines and pleads to be made headwriter for the show, then finds it isn't what he thought it would be.

Over Larry's strong protests, network executives force him to do a live commercial on the show for one of his sponsors.

Paula has trouble booking guests for sweeps week, so she leans on Larry to ask his friend Jeff Goldblum, who in turn offers to help Larry get a date with a network publicist.

Worried about his ratings, Larry hires a focus group to help him tighten up the show.

Larry takes a vacation to recover from plastic surgery leaving Sandra Bernhard to fill in as the show host. But her manager sends shock waves through the office with her pushy ways.

Larry is a wreck as he faces sinking ratings, no Emmy nominations, and a divorce suit from Jeannie. So Hank and Artie try to fix him up with attractive women. But the only one he really connects with is Francine, his first wife.

While awaiting the results of a breast biopsy, a tense Paula angers Brett Butler who offers Larry some tips on his weekly massage. Hank interviews possible new agents while his beloved Sid lies gravely ill in the hospital.

Francine is injured using an exercise device being endorsed by Hank who's afraid she'll write about it.

Larry is annoyed that David Spade is booked on another show and Hank's fan club visits.

Larry gets upset over a review from TV critic Tom Shales, prompting him to fire off a fax in retaliation and to seek sympathy from show guest Sally Field.