}Seinfeld is an American television situation comedy set in New York City that ran from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998.

The sitcom was one of the most popular TV programs of the 1990s, and many of its catchphrases entered into the pop culture lexicon. The show was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It stars Jerry Seinfeld playing "Jerry Seinfeld", a character named after and based largely on himself, and is set predominantly in an apartment block on Manhattan's Upper West Side. It features mainly Jerry's friends and acquaintances, including George Costanza (Jason Alexander), Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). It was produced by Castle-Rock Entertainment (then helmed by director-actor-producer Rob Reiner) and distributed by Columbia Pictures Television and Columbia TriStar Television (now Sony Pictures Television).

In 2002, TV Guide released a list of the top 50 greatest shows of all time and ranked Seinfeld #1. It is considered to be a series that was highly influential to '90s popular culture and was ranked #1 on E!'s 2004 countdown of 101 Reasons the 90s Ruled.

Overview

Jason Alexander as George, Jerry Seinfeld as himself and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine in "The Dinner Party".

While many of the television shows to precede it were mostly family or co-worker driven, Seinfeld considered itself a rare example of a sitcom wherein none of the characters were related by blood or employed by the same organization; in fact, many characters were not employed at all. It was a self-described "show about nothing".

Tom's Restaurant, a diner at 112th St. and Broadway in Manhattan, referred to as Monk's Cafe in the show.

According to Bruce Fretts' 1993 The "Entertainment Weekly" "Seinfeld" Companion, Seinfeld's audience was, "TV-literate, demographically desirable urbanites, for the most part-who look forward to each weekly episode in the Life of Jerry with a baby-boomer generation's self-involved eagerness." Likewise, in episodes adhering to the original concept, the show featured clips of Seinfeld himself delivering a standup routine at the beginning and end of each episode, the theme of which relates to the events depicted in the plot. By this device the distinction between the actor Jerry Seinfeld and the character who is portrayed by him is deliberately blurred. In later seasons, these standup clips became less frequent and were ultimately discontinued. All of the main characters were modeled after Seinfeld's or Larry David's real-life acquaintances. In fact, many of the plot devices are based on real-life counterparts - such as the Soup Nazi (based on Al Yeganeh) and J. Peterman of the J. Peterman catalogue.

No hugging, no learning

The show Seinfeld was unique in that it violated several conventions in mainstream television. The show "about nothing" became the first television series widely described as postmodern.

Among these violations is the isolating of characters from the actors playing them, and separating the characters' world from the actors' and audience's world, was a story arc that concerned the characters' roles in promoting a television sitcom series named Jerry. Jerry was much like Seinfeld in that Seinfeld played himself, and that the show was "about nothing". Jerry was launched in the 1993 season finale of Seinfeld, in an episode titled "The Pilot".

Jerry Seinfeld performing his famous stand-up comedy in the final moments of "The Boyfriend, Part 2"

According to Katherine Gantz, this entanglement of character and actor relationships "seems to be a part of the show's complex appeal. Whereas situation comedies often dilute their cast, adding and removing characters in search of new plot possibilities, Seinfeld instead interiorizes; the narrative creates new configurations of the same limited cast to keep the viewer and the characters intimately linked. In fact, it is precisely this concentration on the nuclear set of four personalities that creates the Seinfeld community".

Another attribute that makes Seinfeld exceptional is that in almost every episode, several story threads are presented at the beginning, generally involving the various characters in separate and unrelated situations, which then converge and are interwoven towards the end of the episode in an ironic fashion. Due to the densely-plotted construction of the storylines, attempts to summarize the action in a given script are generally more verbose than one would expect for a sitcom. Despite many separate plot strands, the narratives show "consistent efforts to maintain [the] intimacy" between the small cast of characters. "Much of Seinfeld's plot and humor hinge on outside personalities threateningâ€"and ultimately failingâ€"to invade the foursome, ... especially where Jerry and George are concerned." (Gantz 2000)

Gantz maintains that another factor in, or further proof of, spectators' and characters' participation in a Seinfeld community is the large amount of in-slang, "a lexicon of Seinfeldian code words and recurring phrases that go unnoticed by the infrequent or 'unknowing' viewer". These include "Bubble Boy", "Master of Your Domain", "Shrinkage", "Mulva", "'Crazy' Joe Davola", "Serenity Now", "Man Hands", "Yada Yada Yada", "Dr. Van Nostrand", "Festivus for the Restofus", "Regifting", "Spongeworthy", "Close Talker" and "Art Vandelay" (the last two of which are menu options at Moe's Southwest Grill).

Response

The show premiered as The Seinfeld Chronicles on Thursday, May 31, 1990 on NBC. The show was not an immediate success. After the pilot was shown, on July 5, 1989, a pickup by NBC did not seem likely and the show was actually offered to Fox, which declined to pick up the show. It was only thanks to Rick Ludwin, head of late night and special events for NBC, for diverting money from his budget, that the next four episodes were filmed. After nine years on the air and 180 episodes filmed, the series finale of Seinfeld aired on Thursday, May 14, 1998. It was watched by a huge audience, estimated at 76 million viewers. Jerry Seinfeld holds both the record for the "most money refused" according to the Guinness Book of World Records by refusing an offer to continue the show for $5 million per episode, and another record for the Highest Ever Annual Earnings For A TV Actor, while the show itself held the record for the Highest Television Advertising Rates up until 2004, when the final episode of Friends aired.

In 2004 a deal was negotiated to make Seinfeld available on DVD for the first time. Due to legal problems with the cast involving episode commentary and other DVD extras, the release was pushed back. The first 3 seasons were released November 23, 2004, and season 4 was released on May 17, 2005. Season 5 and season 6 were released on November 22, 2005. Seasons 7 and 8 are currently pushing for a November 2006 release.

Characters

Main characters

Jerry Seinfeld

Jerome (Jerry) Seinfeld

Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld (played by Jerry Seinfeld) — A standup comedian whose relationships with mostly attractive women rarely last more than one episode, after he is turned off by usually minuscule flaws.

Jerry's observations about circumstances, people, behavior, and life in general are often parallel to the observations he makes in his stand-up comedy. He is typically a passive observer of, and commentator on, others' bizarre behavior. In a DVD commentary for the fifth season episode "The Opposite," Seinfeld described his character's encouraging his friends' strange behavior as "...leading him down the primrose path." On occasion he will reluctantly help his friends, but he seems to take the most pleasure in seeing them fail.

Among other things, he is obsessed with cleanliness, breakfast cereal, cartoons, and superheroes (there are many visual, conversational, and thematic references to Superman in particular throughout the series). Jerry typically drives an oft-malfunctioning black Saab 900 convertible. Jerry also drives a BMW until it is "infected" by the body odor of a valet attendant in the fourth season.

Jerry is the only character to appear in every episode of the show.

George Costanza

Jason Alexander as George Louis Costanza

George Louis Costanza (played by Jason Alexander) â€" Once succinctly described by Elaine as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man", George is a neurotic, self-loathing, pathological liar domineered by his parents, Frank and Estelle. He has been best friends with Jerry since their school years.

George is the center of a number of negative character traits, among them stinginess, dishonesty, insecurity, and neurosis. Many of these traits form the basis for his involvement in various plots, schemes, and awkward social encounters. Episode plots would frequently feature George manufacturing elaborate deceptions at work or in his relationships in order to gain or maintain some small or imagined advantage.

His relationships with women are always unsuccessful, although ironically, his most disastrous relationship, an engagement to Susan Ross (played by Heidi Swedberg) is one of the few that ends "well" for George (he fears marriage and the premature death of Susan bails him out).

The character of George is based primarily upon co-creator Larry David (see 5th Season DVD Special Feature "Jason + Larry = George"), and named after Jerry Seinfeld's college classmate Michael Costanza (who appeared in the 3rd Season episode "The Parking Space"). Many of George's predicaments were based on those that Larry David had found himself in at one point or another in his own life. For example, in the episode "The Revenge", when George quits his job in a fury only to realize his actions were a mistake, he goes back the next day as if nothing happened; this was based on an identical incident when Larry David, working as a writer for Saturday Night Live, quit and returned to his job in the same manner.

Alexander originally (even at his first audition for the part) based the character George on Woody Allen, leading some to say that his performance bordered on impersonation. But as the show progressed, Alexander discovered that the character was based on David. As Alexander explains in an interview for the Seinfeld DVD, during a conversation between him and David early on in the series, Alexander questioned a script, saying, "This could never happen to anyone, and even if it did, no human being would react like this." David replied, "What do you mean? This happened to me once and this is exactly how I reacted!"

Elaine Benes

Elaine Marie Benes

Elaine Marie Benes (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus). According to the show, Elaine and Jerry dated and broke up just before the first episode, but they remain good friends.

Elaine is from Towson, Maryland, an affluent Baltimore suburb, and went to Tufts University (her "safety school"). She is most often a victim of circumstance, usually coming into conflict with inadequate boyfriends or the arbitrary demands of her eccentric employers. She can be surprisingly ruthless, and seems to be inwardly bitter about the state her life is in (in one episode, during a discussion about what she wanted to be when she grew up, Elaine says she does not remember, but "it wasn't this".) She also occasionally remarks that she needs to find new friends ("The Bizarro Jerry"). She has her own neurotic tendencies, such as her unusual spastic dancing style (described by George as a "full body dry heave set to music"), bad driving and violently shoving the messenger of surprising news.

The middle name "Marie" was a name that Julia Louis-Dreyfus picked out for the character.

Cosmo Kramer

Cosmo Kramer (played by Michael Richards) â€" Tall, wild-haired, and almost always wearing pants too short for him, Kramer is the most eccentric and animated Seinfeld character. He is perhaps most famous for his "entrance," violently swinging open the door to Jerry's apartment and sliding into the room unexpectedly. Until the sixth season, his first name was unknown. Once it was revealed in "The Switch" by his mother, Babs Kramer, most minor characters began calling him Cosmo, but the main group continued calling him Kramer. In the pilot, he is actually referred to as "Kessler" by Jerry, since the writers were worried about upsetting the real-life Kramer -- Kenny Kramer, the New York neighbor of the show's co-creator Larry David, on whom the character was based. This was later referenced in the episode "The Betrayal," which shows a scene where Jerry first moves into his apartment and meets Kramer, mistaking his name for Kessler.

Kramer is perpetually unemployed after going on strike from H&H Bagels, where he worked before the show began. Throughout the series, he frequently pursues hare-brained money-making schemes, nearly all of them his own invention. The mysterious nature of Kramer's disposable income became a running joke in the series that was never fully explained. In an episode in which Jerry is being audited, Kramer tells Jerry that he stopped paying taxes years ago, prompting Jerry to quip, "That's easy when you have no income" ("The Truth").

One of the most popular characters on the show, Kramer is often described as the "action character" that draws audiences with his wild and unusual antics displaying Michael Richards' skillful physical comedy. Kramer also has the power to easily attract women, and has even briefly dated both a lesbian and a Latvian Orthodox nun. In contrast to the other characters, he is typically painfully honest, often to the point of bluntness. He is good friends with Newman, as well as a wide variety of (off-screen) acquaintances and shady partners, including Lomez and Bob Sacamano, whom the audience often hears about but never sees.

Recurring characters

Newman

Newman from The Soup Nazi

Jerry and Kramer's neighbor Newman (played by Wayne Knight), a portly, vengeful and spasmodic U.S. postal carrier, is both Jerry's archenemy and one of Kramer's closest friends. In his first (off-screen) appearance in "The Revenge", Newman was voiced by Larry David, though Knight over-dubbed David's lines for the show's syndicated airings. Newman and Jerry often follow a specific routine of greeting each other, with Jerry saying "Hello, Newman" and Newman replying "Hello, Jerry", both in a venomous tone of mutual disgust.

Newman never misses a chance to get Jerry into trouble. In "The Package," he has Jerry taken into custody by the Postal Inspection Service for suspicion of mail fraud. Nevertheless, he never seems to mind hanging around in Jerry's apartment from time to time as if they were friends. Occasionally, a story places him in the role of a fifth member of the group, though usually he is an antagonist.

Like many Seinfeld characters, Newman is a paradigm of contradiction. On the one hand, he is slovenly (at one point, he realizes he is sitting on a fork in his apartment), lazy (he reveals that he doesn't deliver mail when it rains in "The Calzone"), and completely selfish. However, he displays a surprising sensitivity (as in his oft-referenced infatuation with Elaine and the poetry he creates for Kramer in "The Bookstore") as well as wisdom, such as when he decides in a Solomon-esque way to decide the rightful owner of a bicycle ("The Seven"). Newman is once described by George as "merry"; to the audience's surprise, Jerry agrees with this observation ("The Label Maker"). Newman usually exits Jerry's apartment with a 'Ta-ta, Jerry!' and a snickering laugh. In "The Reverse Peephole", Kramer notes that Newman is an excellent tree-climber (when Newman is climbing a tree to retrieve a discarded fur coat) and Newman tells him that he learned to climb trees "in the Pacific Northwest." In another episode, Jerry describes Newman's tennis playing ability in the most superlative of terms: "He's fantastic!" ("The Switch").

Others

Frank Costanza - George's father

* Estelle Costanza (played by Estelle Harris) â€" George's nagging and often obnoxious mother.
* Frank Costanza (played by Jerry Stiller) â€" George's hot-tempered, eccentric father
* Susan Ross (played by Heidi Swedberg) â€" George's ex-fiancÃ©e who dies from licking toxic envelopes, mailing her wedding invitations
* Helen Seinfeld (played by Liz Sheridan) â€" Jerry's quintessentially Jewish mother
* Morty Seinfeld (played by Philip Bruns and later by Barney Martin) â€" Jerry's father; a retired raincoat salesman
* Jacopo Peterman (played by John O'Hurley) â€" Elaine's eccentric and loquacious boss at the J. Peterman catalog
* George Steinbrenner (played by Lee Bear, voiced by Larry David) â€" George Costanza's boss while working for the Yankees-- a satire of real-life Yankees owner George Steinbrenner who passed on playing the character himself due to unfamiliarity with the show.
* Uncle Leo (played by Len Lesser) â€" Jerry's unavoidable and annoying uncle who is known for holding onto your arm when he talks to you.
* David Puddy (played by Patrick Warburton) â€" Elaine's on-again/off-again boyfriend
* Mickey Abbott (played by Danny Woodburn) â€" Kramer's short-statured friend.
* Mr. Wilhelm (played by Richard Herd) â€" George's superior at the New York Yankees
* Mr. Lippman (played by Richard Fancy) â€" Elaine's boss at Pendant Publishing; later owner of the Muffin Company 'Top of The Muffin to You!'
* Mr. (Justin) Pitt (played by Ian Abercrombie) â€" an eccentric millionaire who hired Elaine as his personal assistant.
* Jackie Chiles (played by Phil Morris) â€" Kramer's lawyer and parody of Johnnie Cochran
* Kenny Bania (played by Steve Hytner) â€" a stand-up comedy hack, and one of Jerry's nemeses.
* "Crazy" Joe Davola (played by Peter Crombie) â€" a "lunatic" who stalks Elaine, George, Jerry and Kramer. At one point he tries to attack Jerry while yelling "Sic Semper Tyrannis!" Named after a real acquaintance of co-creator Larry David.
* Sue Ellen Mischke (played by Brenda Strong) - Elaine's rival, she is often referred to as "The Braless Wonder." She is also the heiress to the Oh Henry! candybar fortune.
* Sally Weaver (played by Kathy Griffin) - Susan's old roommate from college, In "The Doll" she gives Jerry a giant package that she wants him to take on his plane, even though she was coming up to New York later. She ends up ruining Jerry's bit by bringing the wrong doll to his show and bringing the wrong sauce to New York with her. In "The Cartoon," Sally opens her one-woman stand-up show about "Jerry Seinfeld - the Devil."
* Mr. Kruger (played by Daniel von Bargen) - George's boss at Kruger Industrial Smoothing.
* Dr. Tim Whatley (played by Bryan Cranston) - Jerry's dentist, whom he suspects converted to Judaism just so he could make Jewish jokes. He's also a "regifter" and a "degifter" in another episode after Jerry gives him Super Bowl tickets.
* Lloyd Braun - George's boyhood rival, who later ended up in a psychiatric facility. He went out with Elaine, tried to help save a historic theatre with Kramer, and sold computers for Frank Costanza.

Notable episodes

The Contest (Season 4)

George Costanza in The Contest.

The fourth season episode "The Contest" was one of the most controversial Seinfeld episodes, and it garnered Larry David an Emmy for the best original script for a comedy in 1993. "The Contest" centers on a pact of self-denial between Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine. The four place a bet (with Elaine contributing a higher stake) on who can go the longest without masturbating. In the show, however, they were able to convey the meaning without actually using the word "masturbation" or any of its easily recognizable euphemisms. Kramer's early exit from the contest has become a classic moment in Seinfeld history, with his simple "I'm out!" as he slams his cash on the counter. This episode also features Jane Leeves (Daphne in Frasier) as "The Virgin", Jerry's girlfriend at the time.

It was revealed in "The Puffy Shirt" that George was the winner of the Contest, although in "The Finale" four years later, George admitted that he had cheated, causing Jerry to cheer, "Great, I won!"

In a 2001 episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, during an argument between Larry David and Jason Alexander, it is mentioned that David participated in a contest exactly like this one, after Jason comments that that sort of thing would never happen. On the second DVD of the Season 4 Seinfeld collection, Kenny Kramer states that David did participate in such a contest and complained to him at the time about how difficult it was. On the third week, according to Kenny Kramer, David was the victor. In the 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' episode 'Shaq', when Larry David injures the basketball player and goes to the hospital with Seinfeld tapes to apologize, Shaq mentions to Larry that "The Contest" is his favorite episode.

The Soup Nazi (Season 7)

Larry Thomas as Yev Kasem, better known as the Soup Nazi.

"The Soup Nazi" was a seventh-season episode for which Larry Thomas, the titular character, received an Emmy nomination. In "The Soup Nazi," Jerry introduces George and Elaine to a soup restaurant run by a draconian owner, whom the customers have nicknamed the "Soup Nazi" (it is revealed in the last episode that the Soup Nazi's name is actually Yev Kasem). The restaurant is based on Soup Kitchen International in New York City. The owner enforces strict rules about ordering: State your order, then move quickly down the line with your money ready. Jerry coaches Elaine on the rules, but she disregards them, wasting the Soup Nazi's time and infuriating him. He kicks her out, yelling, "No soup for you!", which would become a catch phrase. The episode also includes a plot about an armoire that Elaine buys and then leaves on the street, asking Kramer to watch it. It is stolen right in front of him by two recurring characters, Cedric and Ramon. They come off in the episode as a pair of effeminate, antique-loving men, who Kramer later refers to as "street toughs." Later, Elaine finds the Soup Nazi's recipes and distributes them widely in an act of vengeance, ruining his business. Before doing this, Elaine confronts the Soup Nazi and says in a mocking voice, "You're through Soup Nazi. No more soup for you...NEXT!"

Larry Thomas has since appeared years later on Scrubs as himself/the Soup Nazi.

The Strike (Season 9)

The ninth-season episode "The Strike" marked the invention of Festivus, a fictional holiday which took hold in popular culture. Elaine and Kramer find out that growing up in George's family they celebrated Festivus rather than Christmas. Festivus was made up by Frank Costanza, who did not like the commercial and religious aspects of Christmas. Festivus involves setting up an aluminum pole rather than a tree; as Frank notes "(it) requires no decoration; I find tinsel distracting." Frank decides to re-visit the holiday which he has not celebrated in years including the "airing of grievances" in which each member at the party tells each other how they have disappointed them throughout the year and the "feats of strength" much to the dismay of George.

The Puerto Rican Day (Season 9)

The second to last episode of the show in 1998 caused much controversy within the Puerto Rican community. In the episode, the gang is heading back from a New York Mets game and get stuck in gridlock due to the city's annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. In one scene, Kramer accidentally sets a Puerto Rican flag on fire and stomps on it to try and put the fire out. There was much outcry from the Puerto Rican community, who claimed it was very offensive and in poor taste to burn the territory's flag. Due to the criticism, NBC never aired the episode again after its initial airing. This episode was also the only one initially omitted from the syndication package. It eventually re-ran in syndication for the first time in the summer of 2002.

Story Arcs

The show usually kept a sense of continuity, with characters often making references to past events that occured in previous episodes. During the fourth season, a story arc was introduced wherein Jerry and George get the chance to write and produce a television pilot, entitled Jerry, parodying how Larry David and the real Jerry began Seinfeld. The arc began with the episode "The Pitch" and ended with "The Pilot Part 2". This season also introduced several recurring characters who have some effect on the events of the season, such as Crazy Joe Davola, Susan Ross, and NBC president Russell Dalrimple.

The seventh season premiered with "The Engagement", beginning a story arc involving George's engagement to Susan Ross. Like Season 4, the storyline came to an end on a negative note with the season finale, "The Invitations".

Running gags

*Superheroes: Jerry makes many references to superheroes, particularly Superman. Others include the Lone Ranger, Batman, Spider-Man, the Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Two-Face, Elastic Man, Plastic Man, and a nonexistent Rubberman.
*"Get out!": When surprised by a piece of good news, Elaine will give the bearer of good news a playful (but powerful) shove and will yell "Get out!".
*"Hello, Newman": Jerry always greets Newman with the words "Hello, Newman," spoken very contemptuously. It is also used by Jerry's mother.
*"Newman!": When vexed or foiled by Newman, Jerry clenches his fist and utters "Newman!" under his breath angrily. This gag is played on in other episodes as other Seinfeld characters who have unfortunate run-ins with Newman also utter "Newman!" in the same fashion Jerry became known for.
*Pseudonyms: George, Kramer, and Jerry use pseudonyms from time to time. George's pseudonym is Art Vandelay. Kramer uses Peter or Martin von Nostrand, but near the end of the series, adopts the persona of H.E. Pennypacker, a "wealthy industrialist." Jerry uses Kal Varnsen.
*"In the vault": when a character expresses an intention to keep something a secret, he refers to "putting it in the vault."
*Third person: after the sixth-season episode "The Jimmy," George would often speak in third person when upset: "George is getting upset!"
*Ted Danson: When Jerry and George make the pilot "Jerry" for NBC, George complains amount the mere 13 thousand offered, in comparison to the eight hundred thousand dollars Ted Danson receives per episode. He makes this complaint to more than 5 people during the course of the episode. Five years later, in the penultimate episode when NBC gives the four a plane, George complains that "Ted Danson gets a better plane".

Criticism and popularity

Television critics championed the series from its low-rated roots in the early 1990s, up to its first season at number one in the Nielsen ratings. For its first five seasons on the air, Seinfeld was seen as steadily improving in its wit and storytelling. Seasons four and five in particular are considered the show's "prime", as it became one of television's top-rated comedies and managed to impress critics at magazines such as TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly and even The New Yorker. Season four marked Seinfeld's first entrance in the top 30-ranked television shows, and produced a string of high-profile episodes (e.g. "The Outing", "The Puffy Shirt") but chief among them was "The Contest", from an Emmy-winning script by co-creator Larry David, whose subject matter - masturbation - was considered both risky for producers and risquÃ© by audiences.

Season six found the show changing directors (Andy Ackerman replacing Tom Cherones) and slightly altering its pace, to the displeasure of some. Jerry Seinfeld later told TV Guide that he and his writers were "crawling" creatively at this point, running low on premises and creative resolutions. Even so, the series remained well-regarded and produced some of its most famous shows ("The Fusilli Jerry", "The Jimmy"). This was also the first season Seinfeld scored #1 in the Nielson ratings.

The series bounced back from this dry spell - according to the cast, crew and many critics - at the beginning of season seven. A younger and almost all-new writing staff poked fun at the underdeveloped lives of its four lead characters, who were now becoming neurotic, single forty-somethings. A story arc was introduced in which George Costanza became engaged to former girlfriend Susan Ross, whose life was derailed by him a few seasons back. Raking in its highest ratings ever, Seinfeld produced some of its most well-regarded episodes in the first half of this season - namely "The Soup Nazi", "The Sponge" and "The Rye." As the season advanced, however, it took on an increasingly darker tone, culminating in perhaps the most polarizing episode ever: "The Invitations". Boasting a surprise ending in which Susan is killed by the toxic glue on George's cheap choice of wedding invitation; many felt the show had taken its misanthropic streak too far. Others found the twist to be edgy and original.

A shot of Susan's grave, from the show's eighth season premiere.

The show divided even more of its audience in its final two seasons. Executive producer and alleged driving-force behind Seinfeld, writer/comedian Larry David, left the series except to continue a recurring voice-over as George's boss, George Steinbrenner. Without his - as Jerry Seinfeld put it - "obsessive" attention, the show became more of a fast-paced, absurdist farce, with more slapstick humor and plotlines occasionally delving into pure fantasy.

Some of these earlier off-beat entries were greeted as fun diversions, such as "The Bizarro Jerry" (which featured Elaine befriending polar opposites of Jerry, George and Kramer). As the eighth and ninth seasons progressed, however, most critics felt the show had gotten too cartoonish for its own good. The New York Post went so far as to conduct a poll early in the ninth season, asking readers whether or not the series was as strong as it used to be. More than half of those polled said that it was not up to its previous standards. Jerry Seinfeld responded with a letter to the Post thanking them for considering his show to be so important.

Many fans argue that even as Seinfeld changed its comedic approach in later years, it remained funny and watchable. A few of the show's most popular plots and catch-phrases (Festivus, "Serenity Now") come from its final year, and it never faced a decline in the Nielsen ratings.

Ending

Hype

Jerry Seinfeld on the cover of Time magazine.

On December 26, 1997, Jerry Seinfeld announced that the series would end production the following spring. The announcement made the front page of all the major New York newspapers, including the New York Times. Jerry Seinfeld was even featured on the cover of Time Magazine's first issue of 1998.

The series ended with a 75-minute episode (cut down to 60 minutes in syndication, in two parts) written by returning co-creator and former executive producer Larry David. It also was the first episode since the seventh season to feature opening and closing stand-up acts by Jerry Seinfeld. The finale was filmed in front of an audience of NBC executives and additional friends of the show. The press and the public were shut out of the filming for the sake of keeping its plot secret, and all who attended the finale signed written "vows of silence" .

The secrecy only seemed to increase speculation on how the series would end. Some suggested Jerry and Elaine would get married, and more cynical fans favored Julia Louis-Dreyfus's suggestion that the foursome die in a car accident after all their wishes come true. The producers of the show tweaked the media about the hype, spreading a false rumor about Newman ending up in the hospital and Jerry and Elaine sitting in a chapel, presumably to get married.

The actual finale poked fun at the many rumors that were circulating, seeming to move into several supposed plots before settling on its true storyline - a lengthy trial in which Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer are prosecuted for lack of humanity.

The Finale

The series' final one hour episode aired on NBC on Thursday May 14, 1998 following a one hour retrospective and clip show which included memorable scenes from the show's 180 episodes. The final episode began with Jerry and George being offered a series commitment for their failed 1993 pilot Jerry by NBC executives. When Jerry and George announce their news to their friends and family, they decide to celebrate their good news by vacationing to Paris with Elaine and Kramer. On the way to Paris, the plane experiences turbulence and the friends believe that they are about to die. Shortly after, the pilot makes an emergency landing in a Massachusetts town where they witness a mugging and are arrested for violating a Good Samaritan law. The four friends are put on trial and are sent to jail for one year after the jury and judge hear testimonies from familiar people who the four friends have hurt or impacted in the past.

The 'New York four' are led to their fate at the end of "The Finale".

Reaction and ratings

The final Seinfeld was criticized by many for being vindictive towards the characters - who are shown to be amoral, selfish misanthropes - and, by extension, towards the audience who tuned in to watch them every week. Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker seemed to echo the majority sentiment in declaring the episode "off-key and bloated...Ultimately, Seinfeld and David's kiss-off to their fans was a loud, hearty, 'So long, suckers!'"Others valued it for the perceived in-joke of the four characters being convicted and imprisoned on the charge that they did nothing, a play on the "show about nothing" mantra.

The Clip Show (the 45-minute clip show preceding the final episode) and "The Finale" garnered a 41.3 rating and a 58 share in the Nielsen Ratings, or about 76 million people when it originally aired on May 14, 1998. Seinfeld finished as the #1 most watched show of its final season. The only other shows to do so were I Love Lucy (in 1957), and The Andy Griffith Show (in 1968). It also set a new world record in 30-second Ad Cost on TV, $2 million for 30-second advertisement back in 1998.

Cast careers after Seinfeld

Since the end of the program, Alexander has acted in film, theater and television, including guest appearances on Larry David's HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Louis-Dreyfus also appeared on Curb and has received on-screen and voice credits in television (such as Arrested Development) and animated film. Louis-Dreyfus is starring in the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, which debuted in March 2006 to strong ratings and has been consistent ever since. The show was also renewed for a second season, causing many to claim that the "'Seinfeld curse" (see below) has been broken. She also received an Emmy nomination for lead actress in a comedy series for her role as Christine. The "Seinfeld curse" was discussed in the opening of Saturday Night Live episode on May 13, 2006, hosted by Louis-Dreyfus. Alexander and Seinfeld also appeared in this episode of SNL. Richards continues to appear in new film and television work as well.

Alexander, Louis-Dreyfus and Richards have all attempted unsuccessfully to launch new sitcoms as title-role characters. Despite decent acclaim and even some respectable ratings, almost every show was cancelled quickly, usually within the first season. This has given rise to the term "Seinfeld curse" to describe sitcom failure by an actor following massive success on an ensemble show, a phrase oft-used in reference to Matt LeBlanc's Friends spin-off Joey.

"It's so completely idiotic.... It's very hard to have a successful sitcom," Larry David once said of the curse. Most new sitcoms do not enjoy the success of hits like Seinfeld, though David's Curb Your Enthusiasm went on to win Emmy awards, perhaps because of his role behind rather than in front of the camera; the series relied on his signature humor, embodied in the Seinfeld character of George.

The relevant shows were Jason Alexander's Bob Patterson and Listen Up!, Michael Richards' The Michael Richards Show, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Watching Ellie. Listen Up! 's 22 episodes make it the longest running show starring a Seinfeld alum since Seinfeld ended, although The New Adventures of Old Christine is likely to eclipse this number in late 2006.

Patrick Warburton, who played David Puddy, was also hit by the curse when his superhero-themed show, The Tick, was canceled after just one season. However, he has found success in voice acting. His repertoire includes the voice of Joe Swanson in Family Guy, the title character of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Brock Samson in The Venture Bros., Steve Barkin in Kim Possible, the Wolf in Hoodwinked, and Kronk in The Emperor's New Groove, Kronk's New Groove, and the The Emperor's New School. Lately, he can be seen on ABC's show Less Than Perfect as Jeb Denton.

Alexander was also the voice of Duckman, which had a certain amount of success (although this series ran from 1994 until 1997, which coincided with the run of Seinfeld). Wayne Knight has since had some roles with more or less the same importance of Newman, like the one in the not so successful The Edge, and one as a police officer in 3rd Rock from the Sun. He also had a voice cameo as a minor demon from hell in Justice League Unlimited animated series. However, the actor who really broke the curse, at least for recurring guest stars, was Jerry Stiller who was cast successfully as Doug Heffernan's annoying father-in-law Arthur, in The King of Queens. Also, Bryan Cranston who had a semi-recurring role on Seinfeld as Dr. Tim Whatley, was later cast as Hal (Malcolm's father) on the successful and Emmy nominated show Malcolm in the Middle.

In the summer of 2005, John O'Hurley, who played J. Peterman in a recurring role on the final seasons of Seinfeld, received extensive publicity when he finished as the runner-up on the highly rated American ABC reality series Dancing with the Stars to Kelly Monaco (but won the subsequent "rematch"). John O'Hurley has gone on to make cameo appearances in many other programs, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Drake & Josh. O'Hurley has also done numerous amounts of television commercials for GCI, an Alaskan phone and internet communications company. In the fall of 2006, O'Hurley will be hosting Family Feud replacing former host, Richard Karn.

Meanwhile, Seinfeld himself returned to stand-up comedy, touring in 1998 and recording a comedy special entitled I'm Telling You for the Last Time. An album of the same name was also released that year, and it featured samples of his stand-up performance. The process of developing and performing new material at clubs around the world was chronicled in a 2002 documentary, Comedian, directed by Christian Charles. His stand-up routine is highly acclaimed and Seinfeld was ranked #12 in Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. Seinfeld has also written a few books, which are mostly archives of past routines.

An episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Jerry Seinfeld featured an "episode" of Oz (using the actual set and actors) where Jerry, who was sent to prison during the final episode of Seinfeld, is transferred to Em City; the short film combines and parodies memorable moments in both series.

In 2004, Seinfeld also appeared in two commercials 'webisodes' promoting American Express Credit Cards in which he appeared together with an animated rendering of Superman, voiced by Patrick Warburton (who had portrayed David Puddy on Seinfeld). The webisodes were directed by Barry Levinson.

In the 1999-2000 television season, ABC aired the short-lived series It's Like, You Know.... Taking its title from a common West Coast catchphrase, the series revolved around the lives of five eclectic residents of Los Angeles, including actress Jennifer Grey (portraying herself). However, it was considered to be highly derivative of Seinfeld (if not a blatant ripoff), and was cancelled after 19 episodes. Interestingly, the series was created by Seinfeld writer Peter Mehlman.

Product placement

A recurring feature of Seinfeld was its use of specific products as plot points, especially various candy products. These products might be a central feature of a plot narrative (e.g. Junior Mints, Twix, Jujyfruits, and Pez), or associating the candy with a guest character (e.g. Oh Henry! bars), or simply discussing the merits of the candy in a conversational aside (e.g. Chuckles). Examples of non-candy products featured in Seinfeld are Rold Gold pretzels (whose advertisements at the time featured Jason Alexander), Kenny Rogers Roasters (a chicken restaurant chain), Drake's Coffee Cakes, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Bosco Chocolate Syrup, Snapple, Cadillac, Saab, Specialized Bicycles, Tupperware, Klein Bicycles, Ovaltine, Arby's, TV Guide, the board games Risk, Scrabble, and Battleship, Entenmann's and the J. Peterman clothing catalog (which actually went bankrupt whilst the show was still active). The computers in Jerry's apartment are always Apple Macintosh brand computers; the featured model changed every few seasons to reflect Apple's latest offerings. Also seen throughout the show's run were many different brands of cereal, since Jerry ate a lot of it.

The show's creators claim that they themselves were not engaging in a product placement strategy for commercial gain. One of the motivations for the use of real-world products, which is quite unrelated to commercial considerations, is the comedy value of funny-sounding phrases and words. "I knew I wanted Kramer to think of watching the operation like going to see a movie," explained Seinfeld writer/producer Andy Robin in an interview published in the Hollywood Reporter. "At first, I thought maybe a piece of popcorn falls into the patient. I ran that by my brother, and he said, 'No, Junior Mints are just funnier.'"

Nevertheless, Seinfeld is widely credited by marketers and advertisers with affecting a change in attitude toward product placement in US primetime TV shows. In general, product placement became much more frequent in TV shows after Seinfeld demonstrated that a successful show could work specific products into its plots and dialogue.

For details of a study on the effectiveness of product placement (without respect to whether it was paid for or intended to promote products), see "Television Programs and Advertising: Measuring the Effectiveness of Product Placement Within Seinfeld." by Dana T. Weaver of Penn State University.

Two types of advertising, neither of which were actual product placement, also capitalized on the Seinfeld show. One is described as a "Webisode," a reverse form of product placement. In this form, instead of inserting its product into an episode, American Express "inserted" Jerry Seinfeld and an animated Superman (voiced by Patrick Warburton, who also acted on the show, playing the role of David Puddy) into its commercial. The second type is the use of the show's actors, such as Jason Alexander in a Chrysler commercial. In this type, which ran after the series ended, Alexander behaves much like his character George, and his relationship with Lee Iacocca is said to play on his relationship with George Steinbrenner in the show.

Although not necessarily seen as product placements, several episodes feature a Porsche-themed painting (depicting a 904 GTS race car competing in the 1964 Targa Florio race in Italy, which it won) on a wall in Seinfeld's apartment; an issue of Excellence magazine, a Porsche-centered publication, is also featured prominently on an outdoor magazine rack.

Music

A signature of Seinfeld is its theme music: distinct solo sampled bass guitar riffs which open the show and connect the scenes. These short riffs were composed by Jonathan Wolff and are considered groundbreaking in their use as sitcom music. They vary throughout each episode, and are played in an improvised blues-funk style. An additional musical theme with an ensemble, led by a synthesized mid-range brass instrument, ends each episode.

Non-original music featured in the show:
*"Theme from Chariots of Fire" - Hubert Parry - "The Race" (episode 97) Slow-motion foot race rematch where Jerry inadvertently cheats. (Jerry was accused of cheating in the first race as well)
*"Pagliacci: Vesti la Giubba" - Ruggiero Leoncavallo - In "The Opera".
*"Theme from The Godfather" - Nino Rota - In "The Bris".
*Selected music from "The Barber of Seville" - Gioacchino Rossini - In "The Barber".
*"Wouldn't It Be Nice" - The Beach Boys - In "The Hamptons". (This song was performed by a sound-alike band because it was cheaper to buy the rights to)
*"Superman (Main Theme)" - John Williams - In "The Race" and "The Clip Show, Part 1".
*"Everybody's Talkin'" - Harry Nilsson - In "The Mom & Pop Store".
*"Hello" - Lionel Richie - In "The Engagement", "The Invitations", and "The Voice".
*"Downtown" - Petula Clark - In "The Bottle Deposit, Part 1". George looks for clues about his work assignment when Wilhelm mentions the song to him.
*"Morning Train (9 to 5)" - Sheena Easton - In "The Bizarro Jerry" and "The Butter Shave".
*"Shining Star" - Earth, Wind and Fire - In "The Little Kicks". Elaine does the infamous dry heave dance to this.
*"Adagio for Strings" - Samuel Barber - In "The Fatigues". Frank Costanza has a flashback to his days as a cook in the Korean War.
*"Desperado" and "Witchy Woman" - Eagles - In "The Checks".
*Theme from The Greatest American Hero - In "The Susie".
*"(Once, Twice) Three Times a Lady" - The Commodores - In "The Pothole".
*"MaÃ±ana (Is Good Enough For Me)" - Jackie Davis - In "The Blood".
*"Slow Ride" - Foghat - In "The Slicer". Elaine tunes into her bedside radio and offers up a few characteristic dance moves.
*"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" - Iron Butterfly - In "The Slicer". Elaine makes an attempt to phone the repairman.
*"Mexican Radio" - Wall of Voodoo - In "The Reverse Peephole".
*"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" - Green Day - From the album Nimrod"- In "The Clip Show, Part 2".

Awards

Seinfeld won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1993, and it was nominated for the award every year from 1992-1998 (seasons 3-9). The show has also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy Series in 1994; the Peabody Award in 1993; the Television Critics Award" in 1992 and 1993; the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 1995, 1997, and 1998; and the People's Choice Award for Favorite Television Comedy Series from 1997-1999.

Jerry Seinfeld

*Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy Series - 1994.

Michael Richards

*Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - 1993, 1994, and 1997.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

*Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series - 1996.
*Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - 1996, 1997.
*Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV - 1994.

Jason Alexander

*Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series - 1995
*Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV - 1994.

Writing

*Emmy Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series - "The Fix-Up" - Larry Charles, Elaine Pope (1991); "The Contest" - Larry David (1992);
*Writers Guild Award for Episodic Comedy - "The Contest" - Larry David (1994); "The Mango" - Lawrence H. Levy (teleplay/story), Larry David (teleplay) (1995); "The Pool Guy" - David Mandel (1997); "The Fatigues" - Gregg Kavet, Andy Robin (1998)

DVD releases

Season Releases

DVD Name	Ep #	Release Date	Additional Information
Seasons 1&2	18	November 23 2004	Inside Looks: Interviews with the cast and creators about what was happening behind the scenes as the episodes were created and filmed during Seasons 1 and 2, Audio commentaries from the cast remembering the making of the Season 1 and 2 episodes. In the Vault: Saved from the cutting room floor... deleted scenes from the first two seasons - never seen! Never-before-seen-outtakes and bloopers from the 1st and 2nd seasons. exclusive stand-up comedy footage, shot for the show's 1st and 2nd seasons, but never used. promotional ads and trailers during the first two years.Notes About Nothing: Behind-the-scenes scoop and production notes from Season 1 and Season 2. How It Began: An hour-long look at how Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David first came up with the idea for the show, how it almost didn't get made and how they emerged with the show that changed the face of television forever. Tonight Show Footage.
Season 3	23	November 23 2004	Inside Looks: Interviews with the cast and creators about what was happening behind the scenes as the episodes were created and filmed during Season 3, Audio commentaries from the cast remembering the making of the Season 3 episodes. In the Vault: Saved from the cutting room floor... deleted scenes from the third season - never seen! Never-before-seen-outtakes and bloopers from the 3rd season. Master of His Domain: See Jerry in exclusive stand-up comedy footage, shot for the show's 3rd season, but never used. promotional ads and trailers during the third year. Notes About Nothing: Behind-the-scenes scoop and production notes from Season 3. Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo: If you thought Cosmo Kramer was hilarious, wait until you meet the real Kramer, Kenny Kramer!.
Season 4	24	May 17 2005	The Breakthrough Season: An in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the Emmy-winning season in which Seinfeld leapt from cult favorite to ratings sensation and officially became "a show about nothing." Notes About Nothing: Behind-the-scenes scoop and production notes Inside Looks: The cast and creators talk about what was happening behind the scenes of certain episodes In the Vault: Season Four never-before-seen deleted scenes, saved from the cutting room floor. Not That There's Anything Wrong With That: Never-before-seen outtakes and bloopers. Yada, Yada Yada: Creator and cast audio commentaries Master of His Domain: See Jerry Seinfeld in exclusive, never-before-seen stand-up comedy footage. Sponsored by Vandelay Industries: Original NBC promotional ads and trailers.
Season 5	22	November 22 2005	Featurette: Jason + Larry = George, Deleted Scenes: In the Vault, Inside Looks, Commentaries: Yada, Yada, Yada, Notes About Nothing, NBC Promos and TV Spots: Sponsored by Vandelay Industries, Exclusive Stand-Up Material: Master of His Domain, Bloopers: Not That There's Anything Wrong With That.
Season 6	24	November 22 2005	Featurette: Running With the Egg Part 1 & 2, Deleted Scenes: In the Vault, Inside Looks, Commentaries: Yada, Yada, Yada, Notes About Nothing, Bloopers: Not That There's Anything Wrong With That, Exclusive Stand-Up Material: Master of His Domain, Sein-Imation Scenes: "The Big Race", "Seinfeld Nior", "Kramer vs. The Monkey".
Season 7	24	November 2006
Season 8	22	November 2006
Season 9	24	TBA

Seinfeld season 7 is avaiable on dvd in Australia on November 8

Syndication

*During the show's current syndictation run, it continually ranks in the syndication's top 10 programs list along with long-running CBS sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond.
*Internationally, Paramount Comedy 2 currently holds the rights for airing episodes of Seinfeld in the UK.

References

*Fretts, Bruce. The Entertainment Weekly Seinfeld Companion. New York: Warner Books. 1993. ISBN 0446670367.
*William Irwin (Ed.). Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing. Peru, Illinois: Open Court Publishing Company. 1999. ISBN 0812694090.
*Gantz, Katherine. "Not That There's Anything Wrong with That": Reading the Queer in Seinfeld. In Calvin Thomas (Ed.). Straight with a Twist: Queer Theory and the Subject of Heterosexuality. Champaign. Illinois: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0252068130.
*Gattuso, Greg. The Seinfeld Universe: The Entire Domain. New York: Citadel Press. 1996. ISBN 0806520019.
*Robin, Andy (April 28, 2005). 'Junior Mints are just funnier'
*Rosenthal, Phil (November 18, 2004). Gold, Jerry! Gold! Chicago Sun Times.
*Seinfeld, Jerry. Sein Language. Bantam. 1993. ISBN 0553096060.
*Weaver, D.T. & Oliver, M.B. (2000) Summary of the paper,"Television Programs and Advertising: Measuring the Effectiveness of Product Placement Within Seinfeld".

External links

*Seinfeld Wiki - the original Seinfeld wiki.
*Seinfeld.com
*Seinfeld at IMDb
*Seinfeld at Yahoo! TV
*Movieprop.com: Seinfeld
*TV.com: Seinfeld
*Seinfeld Trivia & Quizzes Enormous archive of Seinfeld trivia and quizzes
*Seinfeld Blog

Frequently asked questions

*SeinFAQ - The unofficial Seinfeld FAQ

Episodes

*Seinfeld - TV Series - TV.com

Scripts

* Seinfeld Chronicles - Includes all 180 scripts
* SeinfeldScripts.com- Script archive
*Seinology pdf version

Email this page

About Us | Advertise on This Site | User Agreement | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy | Help
About and About.com are registered trademarks of About, Inc. The About logo is a trademark of About, Inc. All rights reserved.
This is the "GNU Free Documentation License" reference article from the English Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.

Seinfeld: Encyclopedia BETA

Contents

Seinfeld

No hugging, no learning

Response

Main characters

Jerry Seinfeld

George Costanza

Elaine Benes

Cosmo Kramer

Recurring characters

Newman

Others

The Contest (Season 4)

The Soup Nazi (Season 7)

The Strike (Season 9)

The Puerto Rican Day (Season 9)

Hype

The Finale

Reaction and ratings

Jerry Seinfeld

Michael Richards

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Jason Alexander

Writing

Frequently asked questions

Episodes

Scripts