Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
| Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Talk Show, Comedy |
| Created by | Jerry Seinfeld |
| Directed by | Jerry Seinfeld |
| Starring | Jerry Seinfeld |
| Opening theme | "Sitcom" Song by Marc Shaiman and Jerry Seinfeld (season 4-present) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 35 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Jerry Seinfeld |
| Running time | Various |
| Original release | |
| Network | Crackle.com |
| Release | July 19, 2012 – present |
| Related | |
| Seinfeld | |
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is an American comedy web series by comedian Jerry Seinfeld, distributed by digital network Crackle, that premiered on July 19, 2012.
Episodes feature Seinfeld introducing a vintage car selected for a guest comedian, followed by a drive to a pre-selected cafe or restaurant for coffee. Episodes are known to diverge from the format spontaneously, as when Michael Richards implores Seinfeld to take a side street, when Seinfeld returns after coffee with Carl Reiner to join him for dinner with Mel Brooks — or when car trouble inevitably arises. As of January 2015, the series had surpassed 25 million streams.[1]
The show has been renewed for four more seasons (up to its ninth season)[1] and is now augmented by Single Shots — heavily edited and condensed out-takes from the main series, highlighting conversation pertaining to a common theme with a range of guests.
Development and format
In a 2012 interview, Seinfeld said the roots of the concept traced to a DVD extra he made for his 2002 documentary Comedian along with a later trip he made after purchasing an old VW Beetle in New Mexico, subsequently filming the return trip from to the east coast with a friend.[2] In a 2014 interview with David Letterman at the Paley Center, Seinfeld said the series was born as "an experiment"[3] — as "kind of a guess."[4]
Episodes are estimated to cost roughly $100,000[3] — with guests being paid with the initial raw shoot lasting on average three-and-a-half hours[3] — which is then edited over a two week period down to a 12-20 minute episode.[3] The process uses a lean production staff,[3] involves a minimum of network interaction[3] and is designed as an edited and unscripted talk show without an audience that can be comfortably watched on a smart phone.[3]
Prior to development of the series, Seinfeld was told by leading social network advisers, including those at Facebook and Yahoo, that a show length exceeding five minutes had little chance of success on the web.[5] Howard Schultz, coffee magnate and Chairman of Starbucks, turned down the opportunity to sponsor the show.[5] Acura eventually sponsored the show, giving Seinfeld creative license with creating the commercials and product placements.[5]
Seinfeld intentionally crafted the show's format around the car drive and "movement," specifically because "when attempting to show the meandering, silly and sometimes deep conversations that comedians share, you have to remove the audience to keep the participants from dropping into their acts,"[3] adding that "part of what makes the show watchable is that it's always moving. There's no narrative [to] drive the story. We know what happens. We know they're going to get coffee. You need a kinetic energy to move it along, moving people around keeps them awake."[3]
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Season premiere | Season finale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | July 19, 2012 | September 27, 2012 | |
| 2 | 6 | June 13, 2013 | July 18, 2013 | |
| 3 | 7 | January 2, 2014 | February 6, 2014 | |
| 4 | 5 | June 19, 2014 | July 17, 2014 | |
| 5 | 7 | November 6, 2014 | December 18, 2014 | |
| 6 | TBA | Spring 2015[6] | TBA | |
Season 1 (2012)
| No. | # | Title | Guest(s) | Car model(s) | Restaurant(s) | Release date | Length (mins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Larry Eats a Pancake" | Larry David | 1952 Volkswagen Beetle | John O'Groats, Los Angeles, CA | July 19, 2012 | 13:55 |
| 2 | 2 | "Mad Man in a Death Machine" | Ricky Gervais | 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 | City Island Diner, City Island, NY | August 2, 2012 | 11:33 |
| 3 | 3 | "A Monkey and a Lava Lamp" | Brian Regan | 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A | Rae's Diner, Santa Monica, CA | August 9, 2012 | 12:18 |
| 4 | 4 | "Just a Lazy Shiftless Bastard" | Alec Baldwin | 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL | Fairway Market Café, New York City, NY | August 16, 2012 | 11:24 |
| 5 | 5 | "A Taste of Hell From on High" | Joel Hodgson | 1963 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia | Skylark Diner, Edison, NJ | August 23, 2012 | 10:45 |
| 6 | 6 | "Unusable on the Internet" | Bob Einstein | 1970 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 | Jerry's Deli, Studio City, CA & Nate 'n Al's, Beverly Hills, CA | August 30, 2012 | 12:24 |
| 7 | 7 | "You Don't Want to Offend a Cannibal" | Barry Marder | 1966 Porsche 356 SC Cabriolet | Bendix Diner, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ | September 6, 2012 | 7:56 |
| 8 | 8 | "I Hear Downton Abbey Is Pretty Good..." | Colin Quinn & Mario Joyner | 1976 Triumph TR6 | Fort Defiance Café, Brooklyn, NY | September 13, 2012 | 11:08 |
| 9 | 9 | "I Want Sandwiches, I Want Chicken" | Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks | 1960 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II | Norm's Diner, Los Angeles, CA | September 20, 2012 | 17:07 |
| 10 | 10 | "It's Bubbly Time, Jerry" | Michael Richards | 1962 Volkswagen Bus | The Malibu Kitchen, Malibu, CA | September 27, 2012 | 17:13 |
Season 2 (2013)
A 6-episode second season premiered on June 13, 2013.[7][8]
| No. | # | Title | Guest(s) | Car model(s) | Restaurant(s) | Release date | Length (mins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "I'm Going to Change Your Life Forever" | Sarah Silverman | 1969 Jaguar E-Type Series 2 | Millie's, Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA | June 13, 2013 | 18:51 |
| 12 | 2 | "I Like Kettlecorn" | David Letterman | 1995 Volvo 960 | Green Granary, New Milford, CT | June 20, 2013 | 18:24 |
| 13 | 3 | "No Lipsticks for Nuns" | Gad Elmaleh | 1950 Citroën 2CV | Pommes Frites, French Roast, New York City, NY | June 27, 2013 | 17:44 |
| 14 | 4 | "You'll Never Play the Copa" | Don Rickles | 1958 Cadillac Eldorado | Factor's Famous Deli, Los Angeles, CA | July 4, 2013 | 12:51 |
| 15 | 5 | "Really?!" | Seth Meyers | 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS | Roebling Tea Room, Brooklyn, NY | July 11, 2013 | 14:23 |
| 16 | 6 | "Kids Need Bullying" | Chris Rock | 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400S | Allendale Eats!, Allendale, NJ | July 18, 2013 | 15:33 |
Season 3 (2014)
| No. | # | Title | Guest(s) | Car model(s) | Restaurant(s) | Release date | Length (mins) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | "Comedy, Sex and the Blue Numbers" | Louis C.K. | 1959 Fiat 600 Jolly | Louis C.K.'s personal boat, New York City, NY | January 2, 2014 | 22:39 | |
| 18 | 2 | "How Would You Kill Superman?" | Patton Oswalt | 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 | Handsome Coffee Roasters, Los Angeles, CA | January 9, 2014 | 12:31 | |
| 19 | 3 | "Comedy Is a Concealed Weapon" | Jay Leno | 1949 Porsche 356/2 | Jones Coffee, Pasadena, CA | January 16, 2014 | 20:52 | |
| 20 | 4 | "So You're Mellow and Tense?" | Todd Barry | 1966 MGB | Nathan's Famous, New York City, NY | January 23, 2014 | 14:49 | |
| 21 | 5 | "Feces Are My Purview" | Tina Fey | 1967 Volvo 1800S | Floridita, Harlem, New York City, NY & Dominique Ansel Bakery, SoHo, New York City, NY | January 30, 2014 | 16:05 | |
| 22 | 6 | "The Over-Cheer" | George Costanza Newman | 1976 AMC Pacer | Tom's Restaurant, New York City, NY | February 2, 2014 | 6:19 | |
|
Jerry and George Costanza (Jason Alexander, reprising his role from Seinfeld) have coffee and chat about proper etiquette for attending a Super Bowl party before running into Newman (Wayne Knight). The episode was written by Seinfeld and Larry David and directed by David.[9] A 90-second version of the episode aired on Fox before its Super Bowl XLVIII halftime coverage.[9] | ||||||||
| 23 | 7 | "The Last Days of Howard Stern" | Howard Stern | 1969 Pontiac GTO | Bel Aire Diner, Astoria, NY | February 6, 2014 | 13:21 | |
Season 4 (2014)
| No. | # | Title | Guest(s) | Car model(s) | Restaurant(s) | Release date | Length (mins)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 1 | "A Little Hyper-Aware" | Sarah Jessica Parker | 1976 Ford LTD Country Squire | Colony Diner, East Meadow, NY & Francesco's Bakery, Hicksville, NY | June 19, 2014 | 19:34 |
| 25 | 2 | "Two Polish Airline Pilots" | George Wallace | 1965 Buick Riviera | Flamingo & Peppermill Fireside Lounge, Las Vegas, NV | June 26, 2014 | 16:11 |
| 26 | 3 | "Opera Pimp" | Robert Klein | 1967 Jaguar Mark 2 | Klein's home and Landmark Diner, Ossining, New York | July 3, 2014 | 15:55 |
| 27 | 4 | "It's Like Pushing a Building Off a Cliff" | Aziz Ansari | 2012 Prevost Car X3-45 VIP | Brody's Diner, Shrewsbury, MA | July 10, 2014 | 16:37 |
| 28 | 5 | "The Sound of Virginity" | Jon Stewart | 1971 AMC Gremlin 1978 AMC AMX | Tick Tock Diner, Clifton, NJ | July 17, 2014 | 18:13 |
Season 5 (2014)
A 7-episode fifth season premiered on November 6, 2014.[10] A serialized yet separated storyline started in this season, featuring Michael Richards as Crackle President Dick Corcoran. Joan Rivers had been asked by Seinfeld to be the fifth season's first guest, however she postponed the appearance due to a scheduled medical procedure.[11] Rivers died as a result of the procedure.
| No. | # | Title | Guest(s) | Car model(s) | Restaurant(s) | Release date | Length (mins)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 1 | "You Look Amazing in the Wind" | Kevin Hart | 1959 Porsche RSK Spyder | Pier 212, Santa Monica, CA | November 6, 2014 | 19:36 |
| 30 | 2 | "I'm Wondering What It's Like To Date Me" | Amy Schumer | 1971 Ferrari Daytona | Short Stop Diner, Bronx, NY | November 13, 2014 | 16:06 |
| 31 | 3 | "Smoking Past The Band" | Bill Burr | 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 | Novel Cafe, Santa Monica, CA | November 20, 2014 | 16:03 |
| 32 | 4 | "Happy Thanksgiving Miranda" | Miranda Sings | 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite | Art's Delicatessen Restaurant Studio City, California | November 27, 2014 | 20:32 |
| 33 | 5 | "I Wasn't Told About This... With Special Feature: I’m Dying, Jerry" | Fred Armisen | 1965 Saab 96 Monte Carlo 850 | Coava Coffee Roasters, Portland, Oregon | December 4, 2014 | 20:56 |
| 34 | 6 | "I'm Going To Take A Percocet And Let That One Go" | Alexandra Wentworth | 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE | Fiddler's Elbow Country Club, Bedminster, New Jersey | December 11, 2014 | 17:54 |
| 35 | 7 | "The Unsinkable Legend" | Jimmy Fallon | 1956 Chevrolet Corvette 1994 Land Rover Defender 90 | John's Pancake House, Montauk, NY | December 18, 2014 | 34:02 |
Reception
Brian Lowry of Variety said the series is the kind of short-form concept that feels stretched even at 18 minutes.[12] David Hinckley of The New York Daily News gave the series 3 out of 5 stars.[13] Mike Hale of The New York Times said, "The [series' segments]... are presented in a clean, elegant template with a studiously casual pencil-drawn logo. And the filming and editing are, if you break them down, impressively complex and artful for a Web series."[14]
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Special Class – Short-Format Nonfiction Program | Jerry Seinfeld | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Short-Format Nonfiction Program | Jerry Seinfeld | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Producers Guild of America Award | Outstanding Digital Series | Won |
See also
- Carpool – similar web series hosted by English actor and comedian Robert Llewellyn
References
- ^ a b "Crackle Unveils Three New Series, Renews Jerry Seinfeld's 'Cars' & More". Deadline.com. April 30, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Opens Up About 'Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee': 'This Is Just What We Like To Do'". Huffington Post, Katla Mcglynn, 10/07/2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Seinfeld Schools Letterman On 'Comedians In Cars,' A.K.A. The 'Anti-Show About A Nonevent'". Huffington Post, Kate McGlyn, 06/12/2014.
- ^ "How Jerry Seinfeld Defied the Odds and Won the Internet". Huffington Post, Danny Groner, 08/10/2014.
- ^ a b c "3 Content Tips From "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee"". Huffington Post, Blake Landau, 11/18/2014.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (January 13, 2015). "'Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee' Renewed By Crackle – TCA". Deadline.com. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ "Crackle Announces New Series, Feature-Length Movies And More Jerry Seinfeld". Deadline.com. May 3, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld's 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' returns with Sarah Silverman, David Letterman, and lots of caffeine". Entertainment Weekly. June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
- ^ a b Carter, Bill (February 2, 2014). "Halftime Brings a Much-Anticipated 'Seinfeld' Reunion". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "Details on Season 5!". Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ^ Hutchinson, Bill (September 15, 2014). "Jerry Seinfeld reveals he wanted to start new season of 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' with Joan Rivers". Daily News. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ^ "Review: 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee'". Variety. June 12, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ "'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,' TV review". The New York Daily News. June 13, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ "So These Comics Drive to a Diner and Drink Coffee". The New York Times. August 3, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ a b "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ "Documentary Motion Picture, TV Series/Specials and Digital Series Nominees Announced for 2015 Awards". Producers Guild of America. December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
External links
- Official website
- Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee at IMDb
- Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee on TV.com
| Episodes | |
|---|---|
| Characters | |
| Related | |
