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Seinfeld

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Seinfeld
Created byLarry David
Jerry Seinfeld
StarringJerry Seinfeld
Jason Alexander
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Michael Richards
Country of originUSA
No. of episodes180
Production
Running time21 Minutes (syndication),
22 Minutes (original)
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJuly 5, 1989 –
May 14, 1998

Seinfeld was 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 influential TV programs of the 1990s, due largely to the show's situations and catchphrases that 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 (now Sony Pictures Television).

In 2002, TV Guide released a list of the top 50 greatest shows of all time and ranked Seinfeld #1.

Overview

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

Though 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.

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.

Another violation of the fiction convention of isolating 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". This story arc, along with other examples of self-reference, have led many critics to point out the postmodern nature of the show.

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 any 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 threatening—and ultimately failing—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", "Man Hands", "Yada Yada Yada", "Dr. Van Nostrand", "Festivus", "Spongeworthy", "Close Talker" and "Art Vandelay" (the last two of which are menu options at Moe's Southwest Grill).

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[1], while the show itself held the record for the Highest Television Advertising Rates through 2004, when the final episode of Friends aired[2].

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.

Characters

Main characters

Jerry Seinfeld

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Jerome (Jerry) Seinfeld

Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld (played by Jerry Seinfeld) — A standup comedian who seeks out relationships with mostly attractive women. His relationships with them, however, rarely last more than one episode, as Jerry usually notices a minuscule flaw and wildly exaggerates its significance. Needless to say, this causes many of his relationships to end in embarrassing ways.

Jerry constantly makes observations about circumstances, people, behavior, and life in general, which are often parallel to the observations he makes in his stand-up comedy. He also takes great joy in mocking others. Of the main characters, he seems to be the most sensible; 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. In later episodes, his constant need to dissect tiny events in his life begins to wear on the other characters, particularly Elaine.

Jerry puts up with a lot from his friends - particularly Elaine's numerous small favors, George's complaints and schemes, and Kramer's constant mooching. Among other things, he is obsessed with cleanliness, cereal, Superman (there are many visual, conversational, and thematic references to Superman throughout the series), and sports cars (his apartment furnishings included a poster of a Porsche). Jerry typically drives an oft-malfunctioning black Saab 900 convertible. Many of its problems can be traced to Kramer and or Newman. 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

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George Louis Costanza

George Louis Costanza (played by Jason Alexander) — 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. He has held many jobs, including that of a real estate agent and assistant to the traveling secretary for the New York Yankees. He also worked briefly at a sporting equipment company called Play Now and at Kruger Industrial Smoothing (and — very briefly — at Pendant Publishing) in addition to nearly acquiring a job as a bra salesman for Sid Farkus, a friend of his father's, but this was derailed by George's temptation to feel the fabric of a woman's jacket between his fingers on his way to the elevator. George was also a hand model for less than one episode in "The Puffy Shirt."

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, although her parents continue to torment him after her demise). His talents include lying, the video game Frogger, finding good parking spots, parallel parking, finding good deals, making "good" time on car trips, knowing whether someone's uncomfortable, the ability to recall the best public rest room near a given location in Manhattan, and the ability to correctly spell last names (something that he does in a number of episodes). He also has excellent hearing and in addition to his parallel parking skills considers himself a good driver overall, claiming it runs in his family. He later on claims to be only a "good parker" after damaging Jerry's car in the episode 'The Parking Space'.

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"). 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. Some of George's reprehensible actions are the result of his taking the advice of others too seriously. For example, his disastrous engagement to Susan begins with a remark made by Jerry. In "The Handicap Spot", George parks in a handicapped spot at the behest of Kramer, an action that ultimately incurs the wrath of a mob of mall-goers. Thus it could be argued that George is not really a bad person, but just easily swayed by others. 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. Ironically though, this plan actually worked for David, who stayed on as an SNL writer for the rest of the season, whereas George is abruptly told to leave the building upon his reentry.

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) — Like Jerry, much of Elaine's life revolves around trying to arrange relationships with attractive individuals, although some of hers last longer than Jerry's. Her most memorable is her on-again, off-again relationship with David Puddy (played by Patrick Warburton). She has held jobs with Pendant Publishing and The J. Peterman Catalog, and has worked as a personal assistant to the wealthy Mr. Justin Pitt. Elaine was a composite of many female acquaintances of the writers, the two most prominent being writer Carol Leifer, Seinfeld's real-life ex-girlfriend, and Monica Yates, Larry David's ex-girlfriend. According to the show, Elaine and Jerry dated and broke up just before the first episode, but they remain good friends. The couple rekindle their romance in "The Deal" and sleep together in "The Mango" (in order to "save" their friendship, which was deteriorating due to the revelation that Elaine faked her orgasms while they dated), but the relationship reverts to platonic in both instances without any significant explanation.

Elaine is from Towson, Maryland, an affluent Baltimore suburb, and went to Tufts University (her "safety school"). She has a sister named Gail, as heard in the episode, "The Pick". Elaine is most often a victim of circumstance, usually coming into conflict with inadequate boyfriends or the arbitrary demands of her eccentric employers. She is usually fairly apathetic to the problems of others, unless they affect her directly. 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, and even tries to fit in with Bizarro Jerry (Kevin), George (Gene) and Kramer (Feldman) before they reject her in "The Bizarro Jerry". She is known for her unusual spastic dancing style, described by George as a "full body dry heave set to music" ("The Little Kicks"). She also has a habit of violently shoving the messenger upon hearing surprising news.

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

Cosmo Kramer

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Cosmo Kramer
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An example of Kramer's wild entrances

Cosmo Kramer (played by Michael Richards) — 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 neighbour 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. In "The Strike", Kramer briefly goes back to work at the shop after 12 years of striking, only to go back on strike a few days later. He also works briefly at Coleman's Department Store as a department store Santa Claus ("The Race"). Throughout the series, he frequently pursues hare-brained money-making schemes, nearly all of them his own invention. Despite the failure of the majority of these schemes and his unwillingness to even apply for a normal job, he always seems to have more than enough money when he needs it; in "The Visa," George makes a comment about Kramer often "falling ass-backwards into money", suggesting he could have inherited some money or won some kind of lottery, but there is no evidence ever given in the show to support this theory. In one episode he does become an underwear model for Calvin Klein, which must account for at least some of his income. 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"). Kramer's financial status seems to be contradicted across episodes. For example, in one episode George asks Kramer if he can break a twenty, to which he replies, "I only have hundreds" ("The Mango"). However, in another episode, in which he explains to Jerry that wallets are a nuisance and that he should use a money clip, Kramer advises Jerry to "keep the big bills on the outside" and shows Jerry his own money clip as an example, to which Jerry responds, "That's a five" ("The Reverse Peephole").

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. He usually enters Jerry's apartment very suddenly, bursting through the door, sometimes hitting someone. In one show, Kramer is called a "hipster doofus" by his current girlfriend, a name actually used to describe the character in a magazine article and later reused by Elaine. Kramer is a character with 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 (mostly off-screen) acquaintances and shady partners, including Lomez and Bob Sacamano, whom the audience often hears about but never sees.

Recurring characters

Main article: Minor characters in Seinfeld

Newman

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Newman from The Soup Nazi
Main article: Newman (Seinfeld)

Newman (played by Wayne Knight) — Jerry and Kramer's neighbor; a portly, vengeful and spasmodic U.S. postal carrier. Newman is both Jerry's archenemy and one of Kramer's closest friends. In his first (offscreen) 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

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Frank Costanza - George's father

Memorable incidents

The Contest (Season 4)

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George Costanza in The Contest.

One of the most controversial Seinfeld episodes, "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 recognisable euphemisms. Kramer's early exit from the bet 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.

Other classic moments include: Jerry's rant about the woman across the street, who struts around naked in her apartment, compromising his ability to remain "Master of His Domain" (and the same woman responsible for Kramer's early departure); Elaine's fascination with John F. Kennedy, Jr.; George's subtle introduction of the subject matter with the phrase, "My mother caught me"; and the "ease" with which the characters can sleep at night, depending on their current standing in the contest. 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, but as it was unclear at what point he cheated, the issue was left unresolved as to who had actually 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 apologise, Shaq mentions to Larry that "The Contest" is his favorite episode.

The Bubble Boy (Season 4)

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George Costanza and Susan Biddle Ross scuffling in "The Bubble Boy".

In the episode "The Bubble Boy", George claims "The Moops" is the answer to the Trivial Pursuit question "Who invaded Spain in the 8th century A.D.?" The Bubble Boy contested the answer, claiming it was the Moors (which is correct). George, with his well-meaning nature, in reaction to the belligerent arrogance of the Bubble Boy, and out of spite, refused to fib about the response in favor of the presumably misprinted answer given by the card. During the argument, Susan accidentally "pops" the bubble, sending bubble boy to the hospital. This incident is based on an actual error spotted by one of the writers in (according to different sources) either a 1970s home edition of Jeopardy! or in Trivial Pursuit.

The Junior Mint (Season 4)

Jerry accompanies Elaine on a hospital visit to a seriously ill ("something with his spleen") ex-boyfriend and artist, Roy (Sherman Howard), whom she broke up with because he was fat. Kramer tags along to steal latex gloves, and is invited by the surgeon to view the surgery. When his date cannot make it to the surgery, Kramer asks Jerry to join him. During the surgery, Kramer persistently offers Jerry a Junior Mint which he tries to paw away; instead, it flies over the viewing mezzanine, and falls into Roy's open abdominal cavity. The doctor notices something, but cannot figure out what, and closes the cavity. Roy's condition turns critical, and George decides to buy some of his triangle art thinking that if the artist dies, he could make a profit if the value of the art increases. However, Roy's condition significantly improves, something Roy credits to the fact that George bought his art. The doctor credits the upturn to "something beyond science, something, from above." Kramer and Jerry just exchange glances.

"Dolores!"

In the same episode as the Junior Mint, Jerry is dating an attractive woman whose name he cannot remember. With only one clue -- she told him her name rhymes with a part of the female anatomy -- he spends the episode avoiding the use of her name, and trying to find ways to ascertain it, including digging in her purse and having his friends stop by, hoping she will introduce herself. Jerry and George try to guess the name, with choices of Bovary, Loreola, Hest, Gipple, and most famously: Mulva. When she eventually realizes Jerry doesn't know her name, she breaks up with him, leaving his apartment in a huff. Right after she leaves, Jerry suddenly remembers her name, and calls out to her from his window, "Dolores!" According to an interview with Castle Rock executive Glenn Padnick that is included on the Seinfeld Season Four DVD, the script originally called for Jerry to call out the name "Cloris". However, between scenes during the taping of the episode, the audience was asked what they thought the woman's name was, and an audience member answered with "Dolores". Padnick decided that this name was better than what they had in the script and went down to the stage and had the scene taped with the audience member's guess. It is interesting to note that the entire joke is based on a mispronunciation of the word clitoris, which ought to be emphasized on the first, rather than the second, syllable. The "mystery woman" was played by Susan Walters.

The Puffy Shirt (Season 5)

In the "The Puffy Shirt," Jerry accidentally agrees to wear a new "puffy shirt" on The Today Show because Kramer's girlfriend Leslie (who designed the shirt) is a "low-talker". George's career as a "hand model", Elaine's job as an organizer for the Goodwill committee organizing Jerry's Today Show appearance and Leslie's future as a clothes designer all come to an end when Jerry denounces the shirt on the air after being ridiculed by Bryant Gumbel. This episode spawned Jerry's phrase "but I don't want to be a pirate!" which would be re-used (albeit in different versions) later in the series.

The Fusilli Jerry (Season 6)

From the episode "The Fusilli Jerry." "The Move" refers to a complex sexual technique invented by Jerry that he shares with George with the promise that if George can master it he'll "never be alone again." Elaine's on/off boyfriend, Puddy, uses it on Elaine, leading Elaine to chastise Jerry for sharing intimate secrets with Puddy, a hallmark of male-bonding. The entire technique of The Move is never shared with the audience, leaving the audience to fill in the gaps themselves. George attempts to use it on his own girlfriend at the time, but she catches him with "crib notes" detailing the maneuvers written on his hand.

The Soup Nazi (Season 7)

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

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 received an Emmy nomination for his role as the Soup Nazi.

The Seven (Season 7)

George tells Susan he has the perfect name picked out for their future child: Seven. Susan is less than impressed, but when she tells friends who are expecting a child, they love the name and plan to use it. George goes to their home to talk them out of it and the woman goes into labour. George joins them in the cab on the way to the hospital trying to talk them out of using the name: "I thought we agreed on 'Soda!'"

The Little Kicks (Season 8)

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Elaine Doing the Dry Heave (a.k.a. Little Kicks)

In the episode "The Little Kicks," Elaine performs her notorious "Little Kicks" dance in front of co-workers at a J. Peterman party. George (and later Jerry) exclaim "Sweet fancy Moses!" in response to Elaine's dancing skill, which is described by George as "a full body dry-heave set to music". Throughout the episode she is mercilessly mocked behind her back by co-workers; at first she believes George has caused her troubles, but later learns her dancing is at fault. The dance involves her hands in thumbs up mode and little kick-ups with her feet.

The Serenity Now (Season 9)

"Serenity Now!" is meant as a relaxation technique used by George's father in a season nine episode, especially when arguing with his wife. It turns out to be quite ineffective, according to George's nemesis, Lloyd Braun, who spent time in a mental institution because he suppressed his own anger for years, explaining "serenity now, insanity later." Kramer tries using the technique but explodes anyway, destroying 25 computers George had been storing in Kramer's apartment. Frank Costanza changes his saying to "Hoochie mama" when Mrs. Costanza tries to put her car into the garage.

Festivus (Season 9)

From "The Strike": 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 as he 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 disapointed 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 their country'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, but is still not shown very much.

Season 2

  • "You know we're living in a SOCIETY!" - George, from "The Chinese Restaurant" and repeated in Season 3's "The Limo"
  • "Of course I'm not Cartwright!" - George, from "The Chinese Restaurant"
  • "Maybe the dingo ate yo baby!" (said in a strange Australian accent) - Elaine, from "The Stranded"

Season 3

  • "My boys can swim!!" - George from "The Fix-Up"
  • "These pretzels are making me thirsty." - Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer, from "The Alternate Side"
  • "Hello, Newman." - Jerry, Mrs. Seinfeld; from several episodes, starting with "The Suicide"
  • "Stella! Stella!" - Elaine, from "The Pen"

Season 4

  • "I'm out!" - Kramer, from "The Contest"
  • "Master of your domain," "King of the County/Queen of the Castle/Lord of the Manor" - George, Elaine and Jerry, respectively, from "The Contest"
  • "He's a bubble boy!" - Jerry, from "The Bubble Boy"
  • "I'm sorry, the card says 'moops'" - George, from "The Bubble Boy"
  • "You double-dipped the chip!" - Timmy, from "The Implant"
  • "They're real, and they're spectacular." - Sidra, from "The Implant"
  • "Not that there's anything wrong with that!" - Jerry, George, Kramer, Mrs. Costanza and Mrs. Seinfeld, from "The Outing"

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8

Season 9

  • "A Festivus for the rest of us!" - Frank Costanza, from "The Strike"
  • "No bagel, no bagel, no bagel!" - Kramer, from "The Strike"
  • "Serenity Now!" - Frank Costanza, George, Kramer, from "The Serenity Now"

Running Gags

Main article: Running gags in Seinfeld
  • "But I don't wanna be a pirate"- as well as in the season five episode "The Puffy Shirt", this phrase was reused later in that season in, although they differed from the original, they were still an obvious reference to the episode. These included: "But, I don't wanna be a cowboy" (Jerry), "I wanna be a pirate" (Kramer), and "I don't want to be Switzerland." (Jerry). In "The Opposite", Jerry offers to lend Kramer his puffy shirt when Kramer is scheduled to promote his new coffee table book on Regis.
  • "Shower?", "No, hair cut"- originally used in the "The Ex-Girlfriend", it was also rephrased in several other episodes. These include: "Hair cut?", "No, shower" and "Did you get a hair cut?", "No, nostrils".
  • "They're real, and they're spectacular!" - This line appears in two episodes: "The Implant" and "The Finale"
  • "Giddy up" - Kramer delivers this line with varying degrees of enthusiasm in many episodes.
  • "Ohhhh... YEAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" - Kramer used this phrase repeatedly whenever something irritated him.
  • Contrary to popular belief, only some (not all) episodes have Superman references or appearances (refrigerator magnet, action figure, etc.). There is normally a statue of Superman on a table in Jerry's apartment. In the apartment of the "Bizarro Jerry," there is a statue of Bizarro Superman on the same table. Jerry's alias, Kal Varnsen is also inspired by Superman, whose birth name is Kal-El.
  • "It's Gold!" - Used in several episodes by Jerry and fellow comic Kenny Bania, usually when talking about a bit, the character will say "It's gold I tell you, gold!" This line is most often used by and associated with Kenny Bania.
  • "Who is this?" - Occurs in several episodes, while two of the main characters are in a conversation over the phone (Jerry is usually one of the characters). One of the characters will be in a rush, explaining a predicament, and the other character, knowing who they are talking to, exclaims "Who is this?", resulting in the other character banging the phone against a wall. For example, in one episode, George was using a picture of Jerry's beautiful girlfriend ("Man-Hands") to gain enterance to what he calls "The Forbidden City," which is just a private night club for models, by claiming it is a picture of his dead fianceé. He loses this pass when he accidentally leaves a hair drier running on top of the picture, thus ruining it. In a panic, he calls Jerry and exclaims, "Jerry, I need you to get another picture of man-hands, otherwise I can't get back into the forbidden city." Jerry playfully replies, "Who is this?" and then asks "Uncle Leo?" George then becomes irate and bangs the telephone reciever several times and Jerry capitulates to his request.
  • "Get OUT!" - Exclaimed by Elaine in several episodes when she is surprised and pushes another character using various degrees of strength. The strongest being when she pushed Jerry into the bedroom after hearing of George's engagement to Susan Ross.
  • George's use of the word baby. E.g. "Back in business, baby!"
  • Kramer's use of the Cellist's name in a surprised fashion: "Yo-Yo Ma!"

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. These seasons 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 risqué 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 infamous 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.

File:Seinfeld-susansgrave.jpg
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[3]. 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.

Ratings

Here is a list of Seinfeld's ratings per season throughout its nine-year run.[4]

Season 1: Not in the top 30
Season 2: Not in the top 30
Season 3: Not in the top 30
Season 4: #25
Season 5: #3
Season 6: #1
Season 7: #2
Season 8: #2
Season 9: #1

Ending

Hype

File:JseinfeldTIME.JPG
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[5].

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" [6].

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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[7].

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

Main article: The Finale (Seinfeld episode)

After finally striking a deal with NBC over their sitcom pilot, Jerry, Jerry and George are faced with having to leave New York City for California. Before doing so, they decide to take NBC's private jet to Paris with Elaine and Kramer, for one "last hurrah". Unfortunately, Kramer causes engine troubles by hopping up and down on the plane while trying to get water out of his ears, nearly killing the four friends in a crash. Upon what looks to be their final moments of life, George reveals he cheated in The Contest, and Elaine tells Jerry, "Jerry. I've always lov-" only to have the pilot regain control at the last second and in mid-sentence. They make an emergency landing in the fictional small town of Lathem, Massachusetts.

While killing time in Lathem, waiting for the plane to be repaired, they witness an overweight man getting robbed at gunpoint. Instead of helping him, they crack jokes about his size while Kramer films it all on his camcorder, then they proceed to walk away. The victim notices this, and tells the reporting officer. The four main characters are then arrested for violating a fictional Good Samaritan law that requires bystanders to help out in such a situation.

File:Seinfeld finale.jpg
The 'New York four' are led into prison at the end of "The Finale".

A lengthy trial ensues, bringing back many characters from past shows as character witnesses testifying against the group for their "selfish" acts from throughout the series. The Virgin, the low talker, the Bubble Boy, Babu Bhatt, the Soup Nazi, Susan Ross' doctor from the night she died, and several others are called to the witness stand, among many more enemies and acquaintances. The four are found guilty, and sentenced to a year in prison, with Judge Arthur Vandelay (Art Vandelay is George's fictitious alter ego) proclaiming: "I can think of nothing more fitting than for the four of you to spend a year removed from society so that you can contemplate the manner in which you have conducted yourselves."

In the final scene before the credits, the four main characters sit in a jail cell - strangely unfazed by what has just happened to them, still concerned mostly with the minutiae that preoccupied them beforehand. Jerry receives a page on his beeper, telling him that the plane's been repaired. He then begins a conversation about George's shirt buttons, using lines from the very first episode of the series ("The second button is the key button. It literally makes or breaks the shirt."). Many believe it to be a metaphor showing that throughout the series they have yet to do anything with their lives. George then wonders if they have had that conversation before, and they both examine that possibility. The camera then pans away from the group in their small holding cell, presumably representing their self-centered isolation from society - implied throughout the show's later years, now shown quite literally.

In a last bit of comedy during the credits, Jerry is seen wearing an orange jumpsuit, performing a stand-up routine of prison-related jokes. "So what is the deal with the yard? I mean when I was a kid my mother wanted me to play in the yard. But of course she didn't have to worry about my next door neighbor Tommy sticking a shiv in my thigh." He is eventually threatened by a heckler/fellow prisoner (voiced by Larry David). The final line of the series is Jerry, being yanked off stage, saying "Hey, you've been great, I'll see you in the cafeteria!"

Trivia From the finale

  • Geraldo Rivera's (then) CNBC show was used for footage for the finale only.

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!'"[8]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.

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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 Enthusiasm and has received on-screen and voice credits in television (such as Arrested Development) and animated film. Richards continues to appear in new film and television work as well. 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, causing many to claim that the "Seinfeld curse" has been broken (the show was renewed for a second season). 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.

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 each 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[9]. 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., 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, and achieved some success as the voice of the human villain Al in Toy Story 2 in 1999, a year after Seinfeld's finale. 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 went on tour, in 1998, and recorded 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.

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.

After his sitcom went off the air, Seinfeld returned to stand-up comedy. 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 Jerry was ranked #12 in Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of all time. Jerry Seinfeld has written a few books, mostly archives of past routines.

Seinfeld also appeared in two commercial '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 aired in 2004 and directed by Barry Levinson.

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, Bosco, Snapple, Cadillac, Saab, Specialized Bicycles, 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.[citation needed]

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:

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 Release Date Additional Information
Seasons 1&2 November 23 2004 Includes all 18 episodes from Seasons 1 and 2
Season 3 November 23 2004 Includes all 23 episodes from Season 3.
Season 4 May 17 2005 Includes all 24 episodes from Season 4.
Season 5 November 22 2005 Includes all 22 episodes from Season 5.
Season 6 November 22 2005 Includes all 24 episodes from Season 6.
Season 7 TBA 2006 Includes all 24 episodes from Season 7.
Season 8 TBA 2006 Includes all 22 episodes from Season 8.
Season 9 TBA 2006 Includes all 24 episodes from Season 9.


There have been no announcements regarding release dates for seasons 7, 8, and 9, though information found on the "Notes about Nothing" feature on a Season 6 episode hint that a volume for Season 7 will be released. A flyer included with the Region 4 release of Fun with Dick and Jane states that the next season will be available on November 22 (although this date is yet to be confirmed).

Episodes

Main article: List of Seinfeld episodes

References

  1. ^ "Guinness World Records: Highest Ever Annual Earnings For A TV Actor".
  2. ^ "Guinness World Records: Advertising rate in TV series".
  3. ^ "Seinfeld".
  4. ^ "Seinfeld TV show - TV.com".
  5. ^ "TIME Magazine Cover: Jerry Seinfeld2".
  6. ^ "The 'Seinfeld' e-mail for April 8, 1998".
  7. ^ "Clues to "Seinfeld" Sign Off".
  8. ^ ""So long, suckers!"".
  9. ^ "'Curb's' Larry David: 'Seinfeld' Curse 'Idiotic'".
  10. ^ "The Greatest American Hero".
  11. ^ "The Susie".
  • 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".

See also

Wikiquote has quotations related to Seinfeld.

Frequently asked questions

Episodes

Scripts

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