Maybe we should have seen this coming, since "The Larry Sanders Show," Garry Shandling's brilliant HBO series that took us backstage at the talk show hosted by Shandling's alter-ego, Sanders, was such a self-critical, if hilarious, exercise in ego management.

"Not Just the Best of 'The Larry Sanders Show' " (Columbia-TriStar) not only collects 23 of the 89 episodes broadcast over the course of six seasons beginning in 1992, it also has eight hours of other material. That includes interviews that Shandling, not Sanders, conducted more than a year ago with cast members Jeffrey Tambor, who played Larry's Ed McMahon stooge Hank; Rip Torn, his protective executive producer Artie; Linda Doucett, who played Hank's secretary — and used to be Shandling's girlfriend; and the memorable guest stars who played themselves.

But these are hardly the usual puffball, anecdotal reminiscences we find on other DVDs. In the interviews, Shandling often apologizes for the way he treated or depicted them, like a recovering alcoholic making amends. Some of these make us more uncomfortable than the show did.

Most of the interviews are unedited, and while all of them are frank, some are exceedingly funny, especially one involving Alec Baldwin. In one memorable episode, he was booked as a guest after Larry discovered he had slept with his wife while they were separated. Here, they talk about the show and their relationship while boxing.

The only bad news is that the release of this set means a series of complete-season collections may not be imminent.

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