Guest starts are uniformly excellent this time around. Our lineup includes Gary Cole (Office Space), Michael Gross and Michael J. Fox ("Family Ties"), Ricky Gervais ("The Office"), Robert Smigel and Chris Parnell ("Saturday Night Live"), NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Wanda Sykes (Pootie Tang), Samantha Mathis (American Psycho), Michael McKean (This Is Spinal Tap) and more. It's usually bad news when a show resorts to stunt casting...but within the skewed perspective of Curb's real-life landscape, seeing so many familiar faces---even as the focal point of certain episodes---isn't distracting in the least. In any case, the stars of our show always have enough presence to keep everything grounded perfectly.

For now, it's hard to believe another two years have gone by since the last installment was released on DVD, but fans can once again look forward to another satisfying two-disc package from HBO. Curb finally switched to a 16:9 widescreen format during the seventh season; as expected, this two-disc release maintains the new aspect ratio. A number of thoughtful bonus features are also on board, making this one of the most well-rounded Curb DVD releases to date. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Curb has always aimed for a simple slice-of-life documentary look, so it's good to know that everything holds up perfectly. Presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio and enhanced for 16x9 displays, Curb looks great and there's very little to complain about. The natural color palette is consistent, black levels are nicely balanced and no major digital problems---aside from a bit of interlacing during a few stray sequences---could be spotted from start to finish. While I'm surprise that an optional Blu-Ray edition hasn't been made available, fans shouldn't be disappointed with these standard definition visuals.

In all respects, the audio presentation aims a little lower but still hits the mark. Presented in your choice of English or French Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, Curb Your Enthusiasm boasts an acceptable, clean presentation that gets the job done without incident. Most dialogue and music cues are anchored squarely up front, but the rear channels are used occasionally for general ambiance. English, French and Spanish subtitles are included during the main feature...and all of the extras, thankfully enough.

More substantial is a Roundtable Q&A (88:30, 480p, below right) hosted by news anchor Brian Williams and featuring cast members Larry David, Susie Essman, Jeff Garlin and surprise guest Cheryl Hines. Recorded live at Manhattan's famous 92nd Street Y, this feature-length Q&A is lively and entertaining from start to finish. DVD Talk reader Jim Finley (who attended the event) informed me that audience members were treated to an advance screening of "Palestinian Chicken" and were asked to supply most of the questions...and although his didn't make the cut, he had a great time anyway. Thanks Jim!

As mentioned earlier, all bonus features include optional English subtitles, which is an extremely nice surprise. It's good to know that HBO continues to be more attentive in this department.

Whether your follow along on HBO or play catch-up on DVD, new seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm are always a pleasant surprise. It's gradually become one of TV's most consistently funny shows, thanks to terrific improvised performances, rock-solid writing...and, of course, the "ten-episodes-every-couple-years" release strategy. This eighth season doesn't have a particularly durable story arc overall, but it sacrifices a little familiarity to usher in Larry's new-found bachelorhood. All told, there's not a bad episode in the bunch and HBO's two-disc DVD package is a well-rounded effort that fans should enjoy. And hey, almost two hours of bonus features this time around! Very Highly Recommended.