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This page is about the sitcom. For other meanings, see Seinfeld (disambiguation).
Seinfeld
File:Seinfeld logo.png
Created byLarry David
Jerry Seinfeld
StarringJerry Seinfeld
Jason Alexander
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Michael Richards
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes180 (including two-part episodes)
Production
Executive producersFred Barron
Larry David
Ben A. Scott
Howard West
George Shapiro
Andrew Scheinman
Jerry Seinfeld (Seasons 8-9)
Running time21 Minutes (syndication),
22 Minutes (original)
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJuly 5, 1989 –
May 14, 1998

Seinfeld is an Emmy Award-winning, American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, running a total of 9 seasons. Many of its catchphrases have entered into the pop culture lexicon. The show led the Nielsen Ratings in its sixth and ninth seasons, and finished among the top two (along with ER) every year from 1994 to 1998.

The series was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, with the latter starring as an eponymous fictionalized version of himself: see Jerry Seinfeld (character). Set predominantly in an apartment block on New York City's Upper West Side, the show features a host of Jerry's friends and acquaintances, including George Louis Costanza (Jason Alexander), Elaine Marie Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). Seinfeld was produced by Castle Rock Entertainment, (which Warner Bros. owns), and distributed by Columbia Pictures Television and Columbia TriStar Television (now Sony Pictures Television). Seinfeld was largely co-written by David and Seinfeld, with later input from numerous script writers, including Larry Charles, Peter Mehlman, Gregg Kavet, Andy Robin, Carol Leifer, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer, Steve Koren, Jennifer Crittenden, Tom Gammill & Max Pross, Charlie Rubin, Alec Berg and Spike Feresten. In 2002, TV Guide named Seinfeld as the greatest American television program of all time.[1]

Overview

Seinfeld was pitched, like the self-parodying "show within a show" of season four, as a "show about nothing". It is a show about four friends and their misadventures in the upper west side of Manhattan. Seinfeld stood out from the typical family- or coworker-driven TV sitcoms of its time. None of the principal Seinfeld characters were related by blood or worked together. Unlike most sitcoms, its episodes didn't revolve around central dramatic events or contrived comic situations; instead, the plots focused on real life minutiae—such as waiting in line at the movies, going out for dinner, or buying a suit.

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

Starting in the first season, the show would begin with clips of Jerry Seinfeld delivering a stand-up comedy routine, set in a club. The theme of his act tied to the plot of each episode. This device sometimes revealed where Jerry got his material and deliberately blurred the distinction between the Jerry Seinfeld actor and his character, the fictional comedian. (Some episodes do suggest that he does play his fictional self while doing his comedy.) Originally, the clips bookended the episodes, as well as functioning as cutscenes during the show. After season three, the cutscenes in the middle of the episodes became less common; after season five, the clips that ended the shows also became less common; and after season seven, the clips were discontinued. The show's main characters, and many secondary or one-shot characters, were modeled after Seinfeld's and David's real-life acquaintances. Other recurring characters were based on well-known, real-life counterparts, such as the Soup Nazi (based on Soup Kitchen International manager Al Yeganeh), Jacopo Peterman of the J. Peterman catalogue (nominally based on John Peterman), and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

In most Seinfeld episodes, one story thread is presented at the beginning, involving the characters in separate and unrelated situations. Rapid scene shifts between story lines move the action forward. Eventually, some or all of the separate story lines converge—often unexpectedly. Despite the separate plot strands, the narratives reveal "consistent efforts to maintain [the] intimacy" between the small cast of characters.[This quote needs a citation]

The show kept a strong sense of continuity—characters and plots from past episodes were frequently referenced or expanded upon. Occasionally, storylines would span multiple episodes and even entire seasons. Larry David, the show's head writer and executive producer for the first seven seasons, was celebrated for keeping a close eye on minor details and making sure the main characters' lives remained consistent and believable. He would later make use of season-long story arcs in his next series, Curb Your Enthusiasm.

The show stood apart from other sitcoms of the time for not centering on the characters learning moral lessons. In effect, the characters are often morally indifferent or callous, though nonetheless hilarious. For instance, in the episode "The Sponge" Jerry worries that the woman he is dating is "too good". Seinfeld never explored dramatic themes in episodes, despite the often tragic events that occurred, including the deaths of characters. Jason Alexander has stated that he felt that Seinfeld was a very dark show about very dark people, but done with such a likable cast, makes the show almost light-hearted.

Main characters

File:Seinfeld s6e15.jpg
Jerry Seinfeld
  • Jerry Seinfeld (himself)—Jerry is the show's "passive central player". He is "able to observe the chaos around him but not always be a part of it." In the show, Jerry made a living as a stand-up comedian. Plot lines often involve Jerry's romantic relationships—he typically found "stupid reasons to break up" with women. According to Elaine, this happened "every week". While seemingly the normal one, his character's neuroses revealed itself in his obsessive cleanliness and steadfast immaturity.
File:Sein ep522.jpg
George Costanza
  • George Costanza (Jason Alexander)—Based on the series' co-creator, Larry David, George is neurotic and self-loathing. Paranoid, selfish, abrasive, frugal, a flagrant coward, and an expert liar, George was once succinctly described by Elaine as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man." George is arguably the show's most amoral character while still being one of its most lovable. He has been best friends with Jerry since middle school.
File:Sein ep208.jpg
Elaine Benes
  • Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus)—Intelligent and assertive, but superficial and short-tempered, Elaine is frequently fate's victim. She often gets caught up in her boyfriends' machinations, her eccentric employers' arbitrary demands, and the unkindness of total strangers. She used to date Jerry, and remained his close friend. One of Elaine's trademark maneuvers is her forceful shove when she got good or shocking news, sometimes using the catch phrase "get out!". She is seen as the intellectual stronghold of the group of friends.
File:Seinfeld s9e13.jpg
Cosmo Kramer
  • Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards)—Kramer was the archetypal "wacky neighbor" and Jerry's friend. His trademarks include: his humorous upright bouffant hairstyle and vintage wardrobe; his energetic sliding bursts through Jerry's apartment door; his assortment of comic pratfalls; and his penchant for nonsensical, percussive outbursts of noise to indicate alarm, scepticism, agreement, or annoyance. Elaine summed him up as a 'hipster doofus'. He never seems to have held a 'real' job, yet he has a stable unknown source of income. Although Kramer was one of the show's more fascinating characters, he is the only one who never got an internal monologue, possibly because he was the only one who always spoke his mind.

Minor characters

Main article: Minor characters in Seinfeld

There were numerous recurring minor characters in Seinfeld. The most prominent were:

  • Newman (played by Wayne Knight)—An overweight postal worker who serves as Kramer's accomplice and Jerry's nemesis, Newman was a neighbor of both (Apartment 5E) and noted for his excessive overeating. In a running parody of two, bitter, film noir adversaries, when Jerry and Newman met, Jerry typically scowled and quipped, "Hello, Newman"—and Newman responded with a devilish smirk and "Hello, Jerry." In some episodes, Newman went out of his way to make Jerry's life miserable. Although most of the characters are shy of morals, Newman is considered to be the real villain of the series. His first name is never revealed. He was the most frequently recurring male character from his first appearance in the show's third season, all the way through the last episode.
  • Susan Ross (played by Heidi Swedberg)—George's (late) fiancée and a former NBC executive. She also briefly experimented with lesbianism. She tried to fit in with Elaine and her friends but couldn't deal with their overbearing chatter. She constantly questioned George and Elaine about whether or not they had an affair. She died from envelope glue poisoning. She was the most frequently recurring female character in Seasons 4 and 7, and had a cameo role in the season 9 episode titled "The Betrayal," the backwards episode.
  • Frank Costanza (originally played by John Randolph but most commonly played by Jerry Stiller) and Estelle Costanza (played by Estelle Harris)—George's eccentric parents. George credited them with his current mental state and failure to succeed in life. They are known for their violent tempers, often leading to yelling. George's parents are seen from Season 4 to Season 9.
  • Morty Seinfeld (originally played by Phil Bruns, but most commonly played by Barney Martin) and Helen Seinfeld (played by Liz Sheridan)—Jerry's parents. Morty was famous for obstinately sticking to his convictions; Helen couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't like her son Jerry. They were convinced of Jerry's poverty and never let him pay for anything. (Morty once tried to pay for Jerry's dinner, despite the fact that he didn't have his wallet.) These two characters are thought to be based on Jerry Seinfeld's parents. They can be seen in all seasons on occasions.
  • Uncle Leo (played by Len Lesser)—Jerry's uncle and Helen's brother. He personified the eccentric old man and frequently belittled Jerry with comparisons to his own purportedly successful son. He usually greeted Jerry by saying, "Jerry! Hellooo!", while Jerry responded awkwardly, "Hello Uncle Leo...". He is seen in Seasons 2 to Seasons 9 on occasions.
  • David Puddy (played by Patrick Warburton)—Elaine's on-again-off-again boyfriend. He was a competent auto mechanic, but also an airhead with numerous quirks. He is known for his short, unapologetic delivery and unflinching assuredness. He can be seen in Seasons 6 and 9.
  • J. Peterman (played by John O'Hurley)—One of Elaine's eccentric bosses. Peterman owned the J. Peterman apparel company, whose catalog Elaine worked on. Using the florid style of a treasure hunter, he typically rambled about his journeys to exotic locations in search of unique clothing. He can be seen in Season 6 to 9.
  • George Steinbrenner (voiced by Larry David, played by Lee Bear, who was only ever seen from behind)—George's boss and owner of the New York Yankees. Steinbrenner's face was never shown. He was parodied for his arrogance and lack of touch with the realities of running of a baseball team. In edited scenes, the real George Steinbrenner made a cameo appearance and went out with Elaine. The scenes were cut due to time and can be seen in the 7th season DVD. He can be seen in the finale of Season 5 to 9.
  • Jackie Chiles (played by Phil Morris)—Kramer's lawyer. He had a secretary named Suzy and set up appointments for his clients with an unseen "Dr. Bison." He also spoke with a rapid fire delivery and tended to overuse adjectives like 'preposterous' and 'outrageous'. Chiles was a caricature of the late Johnnie Cochran. He can be seen in Seasons 7 to 9.

Plot

Seinfeld violated several of the conventions of mainstream television. The show, which (correctly or not) is often described as "about nothing",[2][3][4] became the first television series since Monty Python to be widely described as postmodern.[5] Several elements of Seinfeld fit in with a postmodern interpretation. The show typically is driven humorously by dispersed superficial conflict and characters with strange dispositions.

The characters were "thirty-something singles ... with no roots, vague identities, and conscious indifference to morals."[6] Usual conventions, such as isolating the characters from the actors playing them and separating the characters' world from that of the actors and audience, were broken. One example is the story arc in which the characters promote 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 four finale, though unlike Seinfeld, it was not picked up into a series.

Many episodes revolved around the characters becoming involved in the lives of others to typically disastrous results. However, regardless of the damage they caused, they never gained anything from the experience and continued to be selfish, egocentric people. On the set, the notion that the characters should not develop or improve throughout the series was expressed as the "no hugging, no learning" rule. This quote is almost referenced in an episode ("The Secret Code") where Kramer says to Jerry, "Well the important thing is, you learned something", to which Jerry replies, "No I didn't."

The Seinfeld community can draw on a large amount of in-slang, "a lexicon of Seinfeldian code words and recurring phrases, that evolved around particular episodes".[5]

Evolution

Seasons 1-3: The early years

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 the NBC network did not seem likely and the show was actually offered to Fox, which declined to pick it up. However, Rick Ludwin, head of late night and special events for NBC, diverted money from his budget, and the next four episodes: "Male-Unbonding," "The Stakeout," "The Robbery," and "The Stock Tip" were filmed. These 1990 episodes were highly-rated as they followed Cheers on Thursdays at 9:30. At one point, NBC considered airing these episodes on Saturdays at 10:30 but fortunately gave that slot to the short-lived sitcom, FM (TV series).

Seinfeld was championed by television critics in its early seasons, even as it had yet to cultivate a substantial audience. (Most don't remember the "top five" rankings of the 1990 summer episodes.) The series was generally seen as steadily improving over the course of its first four seasons. Although the first three seasons weren't popular during their original airings, through syndication and DVD releases they contain arguably some of the most popular episodes, such as "The Chinese Restaurant", "The Revenge", "The Phone Message", "The Pony Remark", "The Parking Garage", "The Tape", "The Red Dot", "The Stranded","The Subway", "The Deal", "The Pez Dispenser", and "The Boyfriend.". The early episodes tend to be more realistic than the later ones, dealing with the minutiae of daily life, such as getting stuck on the subway or in a Chinese restaurant.

Seasons 4-5: Seinfeld's prime

Season 4 marked the sitcom's entrance into the Nielsen ratings Top 30, coinciding with a handful of high-profile episodes, such as "The Bubble Boy", "The Outing","The Airport", and "The Junior Mint". This was also the first season to use a story arc, which was Jerry and George creating their own sitcom, Jerry.

Much publicity followed the controversial "The Contest", an Emmy Award-winning episode written by co-creator Larry David, whose subject matter (masturbation) was considered inappropriate for primetime network television. To circumvent this taboo, the word "masturbation" was never used in the script itself, instead substituted by a variety of oblique references. Midway through that season Seinfeld was moved from its original 9 p.m. time slot on Wednesdays to 9:30 p.m. on Thursdays, following Cheers, which gave the show even more popularity. The show won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1993, beating out its family-oriented competitor Home Improvement, which at the time was a big hit for NBC's rival ABC.

Season 5 was also a hit season as it contained many popular episodes such as "The Mango", "The Puffy Shirt", "The Lip Reader", "The Marine Biologist", "The Hamptons", "The Opposite" and many more. Another story arc was used where George returns to live with his parents for the entire season. This was also the first season to be shown on the 9 p.m. time slot on Thursdays, replacing Cheers. The show was again nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, but lost to the Cheers spin-off Frasier, which was only in its first season. Seinfeld was nominated for the same award every year for the rest of its run but would keep losing to Frasier.

Seasons 6-7: Maintaining the top

Season 6 found the show changing directors (Andy Ackerman replacing Tom Cherones) and quickening its pace, to the displeasure of some. Even so, the series remained well-regarded and produced some of its most famous shows, such as "The Fusilli Jerry", "The Chinese Woman", "The Jimmy", "The Face Painter", and "The Switch" which finally revealed Kramer's first name, Cosmo. A story arc for this season was Elaine working for the eccentric Mr. Justin Pitt. This was also the first season in which Seinfeld landed at #1 on the Nielsen ratings.

Season 7 was according to the cast, crew and many critics, when the series fully returned to form. Another story arc was introduced in which George became engaged to former girlfriend Susan Ross, whose life he had derailed a few seasons back. He spends most of the season regretting the engagement and trying to get out of it. Garnering its highest ratings yet, Seinfeld went on to produce some of its most famous episodes—namely "The Soup Nazi". There was also "The Hot Tub", "The Maestro", "The Secret Code", "The Calzone", "The Sponge", "The Wig Master", "The Invitations", and "The Rye".

Seasons 8-9: Without Larry David

The show's ratings were still going very strong in its final two seasons (8 and 9), but its critical standing suffered. Larry David left at the end of season 7, although he continued to voice Steinbrenner, so Seinfeld assumed David's duties as showrunner, and, under the direction of a new writing staff, Seinfeld became more of a fast-paced, absurdist show. The humor began to rely heavily on slapstick, and storylines occasionally delved into pure fantasy like "The Bizarro Jerry" when Elaine is torn between exact opposites of her friends. Still, the eighth season episodes remain strong; some notable episodes are "The Little Kicks" showing Elaine's horrible dancing, "The Yada Yada" "The Chicken Roaster", "The Pothole", "The Comeback", and "The Muffin Tops".

As in season 8, season 9 storylines also occasionally delved into pure fantasy, such as George re-creating the Frogger gameplay in "The Frogger." Season 9 includes many favorites, such as "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Dealership", "The Slicer", "The Betrayal" (the backwards episode), "The Puerto Rican Day" and "The Finale".

Ending

Main article: The Finale (Seinfeld episode)
File:JseinfeldTIME.JPG
Jerry Seinfeld on the cover of TIME magazine in 1998.

Hype

After nine years on the air, Jerry Seinfeld announced on December 26, 1997, 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.[7]

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, which aired on May 14, 1998. Before the finale a one-hour retrospective and clip show aired which included memorable scenes from the show's past nine seasons.

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".[8] The secrecy only seemed to increase speculation on how the series would end. Some suggested Jerry and Elaine would marry, 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 marry.[9]

The episode aired on the same day that Frank Sinatra died, and its airing may have been somewhat overshadowed by this event, but nonetheless it enjoyed a huge audience (see List of most-watched television episodes), estimated at 76 million viewers (58% of all viewers that night). This makes the episode the third most watched finale in television history,[10] but received mixed reviews from both critics and fans of the show. 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, and are sentenced to one year in jail. The last conversation in this final episode repeats the very first conversation from the pilot episode, discussing the positioning of a button on George's shirt. In the finale, the characters vaguely recall having the conversation before.

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.[citation needed] The show itself held the record for the Highest Television Advertising Rates until 2004, when the final episode of Friends aired.[citation needed]

Awards

The show topped TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time in 2002, was #2 in Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest TV Shows of all Time, and placed two characters in TV Guide's List of the 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time (George at #10, Kramer at #35) in 1999. The four members of the main cast shared the #6 position on A&E's all-time TV character list. It was so influential in the '90s popular culture, it came in first in E!'s 2004 countdown of 101 Reasons the '90s Ruled. For its impact, the show won countless awards throughout the decade, winning 10 Emmy Awards and being nominated every year of its run. In January 2006 Britain's Channel 4 polled British comedians, TV critics, comedy actors and sitcom writers to find the 'Ultimate Sitcom'. Seinfeld came in 3rd, showing its high regard overseas. In 2007, the show was featured on TIME magazine's list of the "100 Best TV Shows of All Time." [1]

DVD releases

Main article: Seinfeld DVD releases

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 commentaries and other DVD extras, the release was pushed back. The first three seasons were released on November 23, 2004 and Season 4 was released on May 17, 2005. Season 5 and Season 6 were released on November 22, 2005. Season 7 was released on November 21, 2006 and Season 8 was released on June 5, 2007. Season 9 is going to be released on November 6, 2007.

Life after Seinfeld

The "Seinfeld curse"

Alexander, Dreyfus and Richards have attempted unsuccessfully to launch new sitcoms as title-role characters. Despite decent acclaim and even some respectable ratings, almost every show was canceled 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. Shows specifically cited regarding the Seinfeld curse are Jason Alexander's Bob Patterson and Listen Up!, Michael Richards' The Michael Richards Show, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Watching Ellie. This phenomenon was mocked in Larry David's hit HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm, in which Larry David brings up the idea to Jason Alexander that he should do a show about Alexander's inability to shake the 'George' title in order to move on with his career. When David and Alexander begin feuding in the show, Larry David takes the idea to Julia Louis-Dreyfus. They plan to begin working on a show called "Aren't you Evelyn?" but after Larry David blows their chances with every network they meet, Julia gets sick of wasting her time and bows out of the idea.

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. Its 35 episodes make it the longest running show starring a Seinfeld alumnus since Seinfeld ended. Louis-Dreyfus also received an Emmy Award for lead actress in a comedy series for her role as Christine. In her acceptance speech, Louis-Dreyfus held up her award and exclaimed, "I’m not somebody who really believes in curses, but curse this, baby!"[11] The "Seinfeld curse" was discussed in the opening of Saturday Night Live episode on May 13, 2006, hosted by Louis-Dreyfus. The show was also renewed for its third season, and will return as a midseason replacement, through the 2007-08 season. Alexander and Seinfeld also appeared in this episode of SNL. Richards continues to appear in new film and television work as well. In November 2006, controversy arose concerning racial epithets Richards shouted at black hecklers during a live comedy show.[12] He apologized for his statements a few days later by means of a telecast on David Letterman's talkshow on the request of Jerry Seinfeld.

"It's so completely idiotic.... It's very hard to have a successful sitcom," Larry David once said of the curse.[13] Most new sitcoms do not enjoy the success of hits like Seinfeld, though David's Curb Your Enthusiasm went on to win Emmy Awards; the series relied on his signature humor, embodied in the Seinfeld character of George.

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, 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, and on Adult Swim's The Venture Brothers as Brock Samson. Since February 5, 2007 he stars in a new series, Rules of Engagement.


Consumer products

A recurring feature of Seinfeld was its use of specific products, especially candy, as plot points. These might be a central feature of a plot (e.g. Junior Mints, Twix, Jujyfruits, Snickers, Nestlé Chunky, Oh Henry! and PEZ), or an association of a candy with a guest character (e.g. Oh Henry! bars), or simply a conversational aside (e.g. Chuckles). Non-candy products featured in Seinfeld include Rold Gold pretzels (whose advertisements at the time featured Jason Alexander), Kenny Rogers Roasters (a chicken restaurant chain), Oreo Cookies, Ben & Jerry's, H&H Bagels, Drake's Coffee Cakes, Pepsi, Mello Yello, Bosco Chocolate Syrup, Cadillac, Saab, Ford Escort, Tyler Chicken, Specialized Bicycles, BMW, Volvo, Toyota, Tupperware, Calvin Klein, Klein Bicycles, Ovaltine, Arby's, TV Guide, Trump Tower, the board games Risk, Boggle, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, and Battleship, Entenmann's and the J. Peterman clothing catalog. The computers in Jerry's apartment are always Apple Macintosh; 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.

One product placement, for Snapple, was inserted as a parody of product placement; when offered some by Elaine in the middle of a conversation, the character Babu Bhatt's (owner of a Pakistani restaurant named as "Dream Cafe") brother declines, calling the drink "too fruity."

The show's creators claim that they were not engaging in a product placement strategy for commercial gain. One of the motivations for the use of real-world products, 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 effecting a change in attitude toward product placement in US primetime TV shows. Product placement became more common in TV shows after Seinfeld demonstrated that a successful show could work specific products into its plots and dialogue.[citation needed]

Although not exactly product placement but of a fanboyism as Jerry, himself a real life collector, 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. Similarly, the episode The Pledge Drive takes place at the real-life public television station WNET.

Two other types of advertising also capitalized on Seinfeld. One is 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 commercial 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 plays on his George's relationship with George Steinbrenner. Similarly, Michael Richards was the focus of a series of advertisements for Vodafone which ran in Australia where he dressed and behaved exactly like Kramer, including the trademark bumbling pratfalls.

In addition to placement of actual products, repeated mention and use of the fictional Hennigan's whiskey was inserted throughout the series. With the exception a few notable episodes (and then usually relating to Elaine or her current beau), alcohol was typically absent from consumption or mention.

Music

A signature of Seinfeld is its theme music: distinct solo sampled bass guitar riffs which open the show and connect the scenes, often accompanied by a "percussion track" composed of mouth noises, such as pops and clicks.

These short riffs were composed by Jonathan Wolff and are considered groundbreaking in their use as sitcom music.[citation needed] Seinfeld lacked a traditional title track and the riffs were played over the first moments of dialogue or action. They vary throughout each episode and are played in an improvised funk style with slap bass. An additional musical theme with an ensemble, led by a synthesized mid-range brass instrument, ends each episode.

In the first episode of Season Three, the bumper music also featured a scatting female jazz vocalist. However, this was featured for only that one show. In the final three seasons (7, 8, and 9), the bits were tweaked slightly to give them more frenetic rhythms and the occasional hint of guitar.

Non-original music featured in the show:


See also

References

  1. ^ "TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows". Associated Press. 2002-04-26. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  2. ^ Miller, Patrick D. (July 1998). "Editorial: Good-bye Seinfeld". Theology Today. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Erickson, Hal. "Seinfeld: Overview". All Movie Guide. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
  4. ^ "Seinfeld". BBC. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
  5. ^ a b Grenz, Stanley J. (February 1996). A Primer on Postmodernism. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. ISBN 0-8028-0864-6.
  6. ^ Hurd, R. Wesley (June 1998). "Postmodernism: A New Model of Reality". McKenzie Study Center. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
  7. ^ "TIME Magazine Cover: Jerry Seinfeld". 1998-01-12. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "The 'Seinfeld' e-mail for April 8, 1998". CNN.com. 1998-04-08. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ Ryan, Joal (1998-03-27). "Clues to "Seinfeld" Sign Off". E! News. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "Wikipedia - List of most-watched television episodes: Most watched Series Finales".
  11. ^ Hall, Sarah (2006-08-27). "Emmys Clock into "24," "Office"". E! News. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ ""Kramer's" Racist Tirade -- Caught on Tape". TMZ.com. 2006-11-20. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Baerg, Greg (2002-03-05). "'Curb's' Larry David: 'Seinfeld' Curse 'Idiotic'". Zap2it.com. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Text ",00.html" ignored (help); Text "1" ignored (help); Text "74345" ignored (help)
  14. ^ "The Greatest American Hero".
  15. ^ "The Susie".
  • Fretts, Bruce. The Entertainment Weekly Seinfeld Companion. New York: Warner Books. 1993. ISBN 0-446-67036-7.
  • Dawson, Ryan (2006). "Seinfeld: a show about something" Cambridge University.
  • William Irwin (Ed.). Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing. Peru, Illinois: Open Court Publishing Company. 1999. ISBN 0-8126-9409-0.
  • 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 0-252-06813-0.
  • Gattuso, Greg. The Seinfeld Universe: The Entire Domain. New York: Citadel Press. 1996. ISBN 0-8065-2001-9.
  • 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 0-553-09606-0.
  • Weaver, D.T. & Oliver, M.B. (2000) Summary of the paper,"Television Programs and Advertising: Measuring the Effectiveness of Product Placement Within Seinfeld".
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