" The Seinfeld Chronicles " (also known as " Good News, Bad News ", " Pilot ", " The Premiere ", or simply " Seinfeld ") is the pilot episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld , which first aired on NBC on July 5, 1989.
118-426: This is a list of characters who appeared on Seinfeld . This list features only characters who appeared in main roles or multiple episodes; those that appeared in only one are not included here. His first name appears to be unknown by any of the characters, even his employer; in " The Package " his business card gives his name merely as "NEWMAN". A minor character calls him "Norman" in " The Bottle Deposit ", but this
236-485: A Frogger machine across the street, mimicking the action of the game itself. The last season included a story arc in which Elaine has an on/off relationship with Puddy . Despite the enormous popularity and willingness of the cast to return for a tenth season, Seinfeld decided to end the show after Season 9, believing he would thereby be able to ensure the show would maintain its quality and go out on top. NBC offered Seinfeld $ 110 million—a record $ 5 million an episode for
354-415: A Bob Hope television special , and the next four episodes were filmed. These episodes were highly rated as they followed summer re-runs of Cheers on Thursdays at 9:30 p.m., and the series was finally picked up. At one point, NBC considered airing these episodes on Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. but gave the slot to a short-lived sitcom called FM instead. The series was renamed simply Seinfeld as
472-586: A Harold Pinter play, Betrayal . Some stories were inspired by headlines and rumors, as explained in the DVD features "Notes About Nothing", "Inside Look" and "Audio Commentary." In " The Maestro ," Kramer's lawsuit is roughly similar to the McDonald's coffee case . " The Outing " is based primarily on rumors that Larry Charles heard about Jerry Seinfeld's sexuality. The series was often described as "a show about nothing." However, in 2014, Seinfeld stated: "The pitch for
590-601: A Nielsen rating of 10.9/19. The ratings did not exhibit the regional skew Tartikoff predicted, much to the encouragement of the show's supporters. Ludwin canceled one of the Bob Hope specials budgeted for that season so the entertainment division had the money to order four more episodes of The Seinfeld Chronicles , which formed the rest of the show's first season (the series was by then retitled to Seinfeld ) —a move without which Chicago Tribune columnist Phil Rosenthal later said there "would be no Seinfeld" . Although this
708-552: A "pirate" shirt on The Today Show , " The Non-Fat Yogurt " featuring Rudy Giuliani , the Republican then-mayor-elect of New York, and " The Opposite " in which George, doing the opposite of what his instincts tell him he should do, lands a job with the New York Yankees and Elaine leaves "Pendant Publishing" because of a comedy of errors that led to its demise. Another story arc has George returning to live with his parents. Amid
826-414: A 22-episode tenth season—but he declined. A major controversy caused in the ninth season was the accidental burning of a Puerto Rican flag by Kramer in " The Puerto Rican Day ." This scene caused a furor among Puerto Ricans, and as a result, NBC showed this episode only once. Seinfeld defused the protestors by not letting this episode continue in syndication, as revealed in "Inside Look" on DVD. However,
944-403: A 75-minute episode (cut to 60 minutes in syndication , in two parts) written by co-creator and ex-executive producer Larry David, which aired on May 14, 1998. Before the finale, a 45-minute retrospective clip show, " The Chronicle ," was aired. The retrospective was expanded to an hour after the original airing and aired again on NBC as an hour-long episode, and has since aired in syndication. It
1062-514: A TV sitcom series named Jerry . The show within a show , Jerry was much like Seinfeld in that it was "about nothing," and Seinfeld played himself. The fictional Jerry was launched in the Season 4 finale, but unlike Seinfeld , it wasn't picked up as a series. Jerry is one of many examples of metafiction in the show. There are no fewer than 22 fictional movies featured, like Rochelle, Rochelle . Because of these several elements, Seinfeld became
1180-550: A cliché, David convinced him to put the character in the script. However, anticipating that the actual Kramer would exploit the benefits of having a TV character based on him, David hesitated to call the character Kramer. Thus, in the pilot, the character's name is "Kessler". However, intrigued by the name, Seinfeld was convinced that the character's name should be Kramer, prompting Kenny Kramer to call NBC's legal department with various financial and legal demands, most of which he received. The name inconsistency would be referenced in
1298-456: A crossover to CBS show Murphy Brown , marking the first such cooperation between rival networks. " The Busboy " introduces George, Kramer and Elaine as having their own storylines for the first time. Although Castle Rock Entertainment's Glenn Padnick thought Seinfeld was too generous, showcasing his co-stars' comedic talent became a trademark throughout the series. Larry Charles wrote an episode for Season 2, " The Bet ," in which Elaine buys
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#17328876756821416-414: A first season, some of them were reluctant to give up on it, as they felt it had potential. Rick Ludwin, one of the show's greatest supporters, eventually made a deal with Tartikoff, giving up some of his own development money and cancelling a Bob Hope special so the entertainment division could order four more episodes of The Seinfeld Chronicles ; these formed the rest of the show's first season . It
1534-472: A five-hour sightseeing boat ride around Manhattan. When they had the idea of doing essentially a conversational show, which was an extension of Jerry's act - I mean, Larry and Jerry shared such a great sensibility, and what was wonderful is you had, this kind of curmudgeonly, misanthropic, dyspeptic Larry David, being pushed through this very accessible, likeable Jerry Seinfeld [...] - it was a marriage made in heaven. Rob Reiner The Seinfeld Chronicles
1652-410: A flashback in the season 9 episode " The Betrayal " in which Jerry mistakes Kramer's name as Kessler, being name on his apartment buzzer, only to be corrected by Kramer. David and Seinfeld re-wrote the script several times before submitting it to the network, dropping and adding various elements. Originally George, who was called Bennett in early drafts, was a comedian as well, and the first scene of
1770-556: A full-season order. Ann Jillian lasted only a single season of 13 episodes and was off the air by the end of 1990. When NBC announced its 1989–90 (primetime) schedule in May 1989, The Seinfeld Chronicles was not included, but the show's supporters did not give up. The pilot first aired on July 5, 1989, and finished second in its time slot against the CBS police drama Jake and the Fatman , receiving
1888-406: A guest character (e.g. Oh Henry! bars) or simply a conversational aside (e.g., Chuckles , Clark Bar , Twinkies ). A large number of non-candy products were also featured throughout the series. The show's creators claim that they weren't engaging in a product placement strategy for commercial gain. One motivation for the use of real-world products, entirely unrelated to commercial considerations,
2006-490: A gun from Kramer's friend. This episode was not filmed because the content was deemed unacceptable, and it was replaced by the episode " The Phone Message ". " The Stranded ," which aired during Season 3, was initially intended for Season 2. At the beginning of this episode, Jerry clears up the continuity error over George's real estate job. Season 4 marked the sitcom's entry into the Nielsen ratings Top 30. It contains several of
2124-452: A handstand. David was not sure about casting Richards, as he was trying to cast an actor who resembled the original Kramer. However, impressed by Richards' audition, Seinfeld convinced David that Richards would be the right actor for the part. Lee Garlington was cast as Claire the Waitress, who in an earlier draft of the episode was called "Meg". Though initially cast as a series regular,
2242-426: A humorous focus on the atypical names of these characters, which often contain alliteration. In keeping with Seinfeld's reputation as a clean comedian, though the show frequently contains dialogue around sexual themes, the show notably avoids using almost all explicit sexual terminology. Notably, in the popular episode " The Contest ," whose plot line concerns a contest amongst the main characters to see which one can go
2360-684: A joke did not elicit the desired reaction, they rewrote it and performed it again. In at least one case, "The Marine Biologist," this led to David writing an entirely new scene requiring Alexander to memorize a monologue in only a matter of minutes. Laugh tracks were used only for matching shots, not for artificially adding laughter. Various locations used for establishing shots included Tom's Restaurant at 112th Street and Broadway (Monk's Cafe), Midtown West's Roosevelt Hospital (recurring exterior emergency room scene and indoor scenes in 'The Junior Mint' and 'The Bris'), Cornell Medical Centre at 525 East 68th Street, 22-39 37th Street, Queens (The Costanza's house),
2478-515: A live studio audience on April 27, 1989, at Stage 9 of Ren-Mar Studios , the same studio where The Dick Van Dyke Show was filmed, which was seen by the crew as a good omen. The exterior of Pete's Luncheonette, the restaurant in which the episode opens, was a leftover set piece from The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). Seinfeld's stand-up routine was recorded at Ren-Mar Studios in Hollywood , in front of an audience of paid extras, though not all of
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#17328876756822596-542: A mail carrier who lives in the same building and is Jerry's nemesis. In addition to recurring characters, Seinfeld features numerous celebrities who appear as themselves or as girlfriends, boyfriends, bosses, and other acquaintances. A number of actresses made guest appearances as Seinfeld's love interests in single episodes: Compared to other family and group sitcoms of the era, Seinfeld stood out. The principal characters are not related by family or work-associated connections but remain distinctly close friends throughout
2714-465: A minute for advertising—a mark previously attained only by the Super Bowl . Elizabeth Magnotta and Alexandra Strohl analyze the success of Seinfeld with recourse to the incongruity theory of humor: "The Incongruity Theory claims that humor is created out of a violation of an expectation. For humor to result from this unexpected result, the event must have an appropriate emotional climate, comprised of
2832-675: A nervous breakdown in " The Money ", followed by Elaine writing Peterman's biography in " The Van Buren Boys ", which leads to Kramer's parody of Kenny Kramer's Reality Tour seen in " The Muffin Tops ". The final season included episodes like " The Merv Griffin Show " in which Kramer converts his apartment into a talk-show studio and plays the character of talk-show host, " The Betrayal " that presents in reverse chronological order what happened to Sue Ellen's wedding in India, and " The Frogger " in which George pushes
2950-526: A person has and trying to make something funny out of it. Doesn't everybody do terrible things and have terrible thoughts? Just by trying to be as funny, you're going to deal with a lot of things that are real, so the show's really about something. The whole thing about the show being about nothing is ridiculous." Much of the show's humor is based upon repeated use of irony, incongruity, and (oftentimes unfortunate) coincidences. Additionally, guest characters are frequently introduced with little to no context, with
3068-536: A personal assistant to her eccentric boss Justin Pitt and George's parents' temporary separation. This was the first season in which Seinfeld reached No. 1 in the Nielsen Ratings. The use of Jerry's stand-up act declined, and the end stand-up segment no longer appeared because the storylines for all four characters grew denser. In Season 7, a story arc involved George getting engaged to his ex-girlfriend, Susan Ross, after
3186-479: A phrase that sounded like the tune Easy to Beat . Jerry Seinfeld and executive producer Larry David both liked Wolff's additions, and three episodes were produced with this new style of music. However, they had neglected to inform NBC and Castle Rock executives of the change, and when the season premiere aired, the executives were surprised and unimpressed and requested that they return to the original style. The subsequent two episodes were redone, leaving this episode as
3304-420: A precautionary measure due to the failure of the short-lived 1990 ABC series with a similarly sounding title, The Marshall Chronicles . After airing the remaining four episodes of its first season the summer of 1990, NBC ordered 13 more episodes. David believed that he and Seinfeld had no more stories to tell and advised Seinfeld to turn down the order, but Seinfeld agreed to the additional episodes. Season 2
3422-408: A scene in which Kessler enters with his dog remained in the episode. When David and Seinfeld eventually submitted the script, the network executives were unsure whether or not to produce the pilot, but as NBC executive Warren Littlefield would later state "we all said, ah what the hell, let's try a pilot on this thing and see what happens". Directed by Art Wolff , the pilot was filmed in front of
3540-406: A series rather than a special. Developed by NBC executive Rick Ludwin, and produced by Castle Rock Entertainment , it was a mix of Seinfeld's stand-up comedy routines and idiosyncratic, conversational scenes focusing on mundane aspects of everyday life. Conceived as a "show about nothing," in which the main characters would "just make fun of stuff", Seinfeld said that the idea of the pilot episode
3658-515: A tenth season. The offer NBC made to Seinfeld was over three times higher per episode than anyone on TV had ever been offered before. Seinfeld told the network that he was not married nor had children, and wished to focus on his personal life. As reported in July 2007, he was the second-highest earner in the TV industry, earning at the time $ 60 million a year. The episode became the first to command over $ 1 million
List of Seinfeld characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
3776-410: A total of nine seasons consisting of 180 episodes . Its ensemble cast stars Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself and focuses on his personal life with three of his friends: best friend George Costanza ( Jason Alexander ), former girlfriend Elaine Benes ( Julia Louis-Dreyfus ), and neighbor from across the hall, Cosmo Kramer ( Michael Richards ). Seinfeld is set mostly in and around
3894-532: A touching lack of faith in one's fellow human beings." This leads to very few happy endings, except at somebody else's expense. More often in every episode, situations resolve with characters getting a justly deserved comeuppance . The show premiered as The Seinfeld Chronicles on July 5, 1989. After it aired, a pickup by NBC seemed unlikely, and the show was offered to Fox , which declined to pick it up. Rick Ludwin , head of late night and special events for NBC, however, diverted money from his budget by canceling
4012-415: A video tape, though he had very little hope for being cast, as he felt he was doing a Woody Allen impression. However, upon watching the tape, David and Seinfeld were immediately convinced Alexander would be the right actor to cast. However, casting sessions traditionally work with rounds, so Alexander and a few other actors considered for the role were flown to Los Angeles for a second audition. One of
4130-526: Is a waitress. After debating the placement of one of George's shirt buttons, Jerry tells George about a woman he met in Lansing, Michigan , Laura, who is coming to New York , and the two discuss whether she has romantic intentions. The next evening, Jerry tells his neighbor Kessler that he thinks he misunderstood the situation with Laura. However, he then receives a telephone call from Laura, who asks if she can stay overnight at his apartment. Though Jerry agrees, he
4248-522: Is ambiguous. Upon arriving at Jerry's apartment Laura removes her shoes and some excess clothing to get comfortable, asks for wine, and turns down the light and asks if she can stay over a second night. As Jerry removes his own shoes and begins to grow confident, the phone rings for Laura. When Laura gets off the phone she tells Jerry: "Never get engaged." Jerry then realizes that he has no chance with Laura, but has already committed himself – and his one-bedroom apartment – to an entire weekend with her, including
4366-416: Is based on Dan O'Keefe's dad, who made up his own holiday: Festivus . Other stories take a variety of turns. " The Chinese Restaurant " consists of George, Jerry, and Elaine waiting for a table throughout the entire episode. " The Boyfriend ", revolving around Keith Hernandez , extends through two episodes. " The Betrayal " is famous for using reverse chronology and was inspired by a similar plot device in
4484-418: Is its theme music. Composed by Jonathan Wolff , it consists of distinct solo sampled electric bass riffs that open the show and connect the scenes, often accompanied by beatboxing . The bass music eventually replaced the original piano/synth music by Jep Epstein when it was played again after the first broadcast of the pilot episode . The show lacked a traditional title track and the riffs were played over
4602-474: Is making a mistake if it doesn't pick up The Seinfeld Chronicles as a midseason replacement; it's bound to be superior to most of what the network has planned for the fall". Casting directors Hirschfeld and Meg Liberman were nominated for a Casting Society of America Artios Award for 'Best Casting for TV, Pilot', but lost to the casting directors of Northern Exposure . Though the network executives had decided not to pick up The Seinfeld Chronicles for
4720-531: Is referred to as Seinlanguage , which is also the title of Jerry Seinfeld's best-selling book on humor. These terms include " man hands ", " shrinkage ", " regift ", and " double dip ". A recurring feature of Seinfeld was its inclusion of specific products, especially candy , as plot points. These might be a central feature of a plot (e.g., Junior Mints , Twix , Chuckles , Jujyfruits , bite-size Three Musketeers , Snickers , Chunky , Oh Henry! , Drake's Coffee Cake and PEZ ), or an association of candy with
4838-408: Is still unsure whether her visit is intended to be romantic. George and Jerry continue to debate the issue, with Jerry determined to find the true nature of her visit. While waiting at the airport for Laura to arrive, Jerry and George try to identify the possible signals Laura might give upon her arrival, with George explaining the meaning of various greetings. However, when Laura arrives, her greeting
List of Seinfeld characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
4956-492: 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.'" Many advertisers capitalized on
5074-503: Is torn between exact opposites of her friends and Jerry dates a woman who has the now-famous "man hands". Some notable episodes from Season 8 include " The Little Kicks " showing Elaine's horrible dancing, and " The Chicken Roaster " which portrays the Kenny Rogers Roasters chicken restaurant which opened during that time. A story arc in this season involves Peterman going to Burma in " The Foundation " until he recovered from
5192-582: The Soup Nazi and Jackie Chiles , who was based on Johnnie Cochran . Episodes have separate plot strands, but the characters' stories often intertwine at the end. The narratives reveal the creators' "consistent efforts to maintain the intimacy" among the small cast of characters. The show maintains a strong sense of continuity , as characters and plots from past episodes are often referenced or expanded on. Occasionally, story arcs span multiple episodes or entire seasons, such as Season 4 , which revolves around
5310-516: The Writers Guild of America voted it the second best-written TV series of all time (second to The Sopranos ). E! named it the "Number 1 reason [why] the '90s ruled". Quotes from numerous episodes have become catchphrases in popular culture. Seinfeld began as a 23-minute pilot titled " The Seinfeld Chronicles ". Created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David , developed by NBC executive Rick Ludwin, and produced by Castle Rock Entertainment , it
5428-522: The pilot pitch to NBC by Jerry and George. Another example is Jerry's girlfriend Vanessa, who appears in " The Stake Out " and with whom he ends the relationship when things do not work out in " The Stock Tip ". Larry David , the head writer and executive producer for the first seven seasons, was praised for keeping a close eye on minor details and ensuring the main characters' lives remained consistent and believable. Curb Your Enthusiasm , David's later comedy series, also had an overarching plot for all but
5546-510: The Americas, New York. The live stand-up comedy performed by Seinfeld at the beginning of most episodes was truly filmed at The Improv, a comedy club at 358 West 44th Street, Manhattan; though it closed in 1993, another comedy club operates at the site today. The Yankee Stadium exterior seen in the show has now been demolished. Most office building establishing shots are real businesses and locations. Various real street locations can be gleaned from
5664-581: The Taconic State Parkway exit to the Hopewell Junction, Dutchess County, New York (driving scene in 'The Bubble Boy'), and the Amagansett farmers market, Long Island ('The Hamptons'). The exterior shot used for Jerry's New York apartment building was actually located at 757 S New Hampshire Avenue, Los Angeles. The real-life exterior of Pendant Publishing, Elaine's workplace, is located at 1325 Ave of
5782-551: The actors walking in New York were also filmed at CBS Studio Center, on their New York Street backlot . Street scenes and park scenes were filmed in the CBS Studio Centre's New York Street and Central Park backlots, respectively. A source of problems for the cast was the small sets, especially that of Jerry's apartment; Alexander noted, "If you knew you were doing a series for nine years, you would never build that set." Adding to
5900-410: The audience is never made to feel sorry for any of the characters. Even Susan's death in " The Invitations " elicits no genuine emotions from anybody in the show. Seinfeld does not shy away from making light of tough topics, from death to illness to disability. The show frequently engages in fourth-wall-breaking humor and self-satire. One such example is the story arc , where the characters promote
6018-430: The beginning and end of each episode, even functioning as transitions during the show. A few episodes set a benchmark for later seasons. " The Deal " establishes Jerry and Elaine's relationship by setting rules about having sex while remaining friends. " The Parking Garage " was the first episode shot with no audience for the episode and, after " The Chinese Restaurant ", to not show Jerry's apartment. " The Keys " contains
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#17328876756826136-503: The car windows during driving scenes. By the final season, each episode of the series cost $ 3 million to $ 3.5 million. More than 120 episodes make reference to the Superman franchise . Teri Hatcher, who played Lois Lane on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman , plays Jerry's girlfriend Sidra. Paula Marshall , who played Christina Riley on the Superboy TV series , portrays
6254-401: The character was dropped in favor of a female character with more sex appeal. However, Alexander said that Garlington was written out of the series because she had re-written her scene and given it to David, who was not happy with this. Seinfeld has, however, stated that this was not the reason the character was removed from the show, but rather that the producers were looking for "someone who
6372-490: The character was replaced with Elaine Benes when the series was picked up for a first season. Accounts differ on the reason why the character was replaced. Warren Littlefield has said that it was because of the character's occupation: "I thought that as a waitress she'd never be one of the gang. She'd be relegated to pouring coffee, catching up. So I insisted they create a female character they wanted to spend time with." Dennis Bjorklund of Seinfeld Reference has suggested that
6490-452: The chest the way Abbott would hit Costello." The series includes numerous references to the team. George Costanza's middle name is "Louis", after Costello. " The Old Man " episode features a cantankerous character named "Sid Fields" as a tribute to the landlord on the team's TV show. Kramer's friend is named Mickey Abbott. A copywriter for the J. Peterman catalog is named Eddie Sherman, after the team's longtime agent. In Episode 30, Kramer hears
6608-426: The decade's previous NBC successes like The Cosby Show and The Golden Girls , it drew mostly positive responses from the executives. One exception was network president Brandon Tartikoff , who was concerned that the show was "Too New York, too Jewish". Before the episode's TV premiere, it was shown to a test audience of 400 households, and met with extremely negative responses. Littlefield later recalled, "In
6726-570: The earlier seasons. Most noticeably, David left the writing crew (but returned to write " The Finale " in 1998), resulting in Seinfeld taking over David's duties as showrunner , and, under the direction of a new writing staff, Seinfeld became a faster-paced show. The show no longer contained extracts of Jerry performing stand-up comedy—Jerry had no time or energy for this with his new responsibilities—and storylines occasionally delved into fantasy and broad humor. For example, in " The Bizarro Jerry ", Elaine
6844-410: The episode focused on Jerry and George discussing their stand-up material. The character of Kramer was not included in the first draft of the script; in another draft he is called "Hoffman". Another element that was added was Kessler's dog, since it was originally planned that Jerry's stand-up routines would match the events of each episode. Though the stand-up routine about dogs was eventually dropped,
6962-441: The episode would be added to the syndicated rerun package several years later uncut. After nine years on the air, NBC and Seinfeld announced on December 25, 1997, that the series would end production the following spring in 1998. The announcement made the front page of the major New York newspapers, including The New York Times . Seinfeld was featured on the cover of Time magazine's first issue of 1998. The series ended with
7080-680: The episode. For instance, in "The Betrayal," part of which takes place in India, the theme is heard played on a sitar . The soundtrack was given a digital release on July 2, 2021. All music is composed by Jonathan Wolff. Many characters have made multiple appearances, notably Jerry's parents, Morty and Helen Seinfeld, who reside in Florida; George's parents, the overbearing Frank and Estelle Costanza; George's on-again, off-again fiancée Susan Ross; Jerry's Uncle Leo ; Elaine's variety of bosses, Mr. Lippman, Mr. Pitt and J. Peterman; Elaine's on-again, off-again boyfriend David Puddy; and Kramer's friend, Newman ,
7198-437: The famous Abbott and Costello line, "His father was a mudder. His mother was a mudder." Many terms were coined, popularized, or re-popularized in the series' run and have become part of popular culture, including " Yada, yada, yada ", " No soup for you! ", " Master of my domain ", and " Not that there's anything wrong with that ." The lexicon of Seinfeldian code words and recurring phrases that evolved around particular episodes
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#17328876756827316-561: The finale received mixed reviews from critics and fans of the show. The finale poked fun at the many rumors that were circulating, seeming to move into multiple supposed plots before settling on its actual storyline—a lengthy trial where the gang is prosecuted for violating a " Duty to Rescue " law and sentenced to prison terms. According to Forbes magazine, Seinfeld's earnings from the show in 1998 came to US$ 267 million, including syndication earnings. He refused NBC's offer of $ 5 million per episode, or over $ 100 million total, to continue into
7434-458: The first TV series since Monty Python's Flying Circus to be widely described as postmodern . Seinfeld is an avid Abbott and Costello fan and has cited The Abbott and Costello Show as an influence on Seinfeld : "Everybody on the show knows I'm a fan. We're always joking about how we do stuff from their show. George and I will often get into a riff that has the rhythm from the old Abbott and Costello shows. And sometimes, I'll hit George in
7552-439: The first moments of dialogue or action. They vary throughout each episode and are played in an improvised funk style, matching the timing of Seinfeld's stand-up comedy delivery or transitions in the editing. An additional musical theme with an ensemble, led by a synthesized mid-range brass instrument, ends each episode. In " The Note ," the first episode of Season 3, the bumper music featured a scatting female jazz singer who sang
7670-484: The first season. A major difference between Seinfeld and the sitcoms that preceded it is that the principal characters never learn from their mistakes. In effect, they are indifferent and even callous toward the outside world and sometimes one another. A mantra of the show's producers was "No hugging, no learning." Entertainment Weekly ' s TV critic Ken Tucker has described them as "a group dynamic rooted in jealousy, rage, insecurity, despair, hopelessness, and
7788-438: The history of pilot reports, Seinfeld has got to be one of the worst of all time". The memo summarizing the test audience's reactions contained feedback such as "No segment of the audience was eager to watch the show again" and "None of the [supporting characters] were particularly liked". Despite this, and even though the executives had already decided the show would not be picked up for a full season, "The Seinfeld Chronicles"
7906-699: The journalist Sharon, who Jerry says reminds him of Lois Lane. Sherman Howard , who played Lex Luthor on Superboy , portrays Roy. Superman logos and figurines frequently appear in Jerry's apartment. Seinfeld and Superman later appear in an American Express commercial. The show was written by David and Seinfeld, along with writers who included Larry Charles , Peter Mehlman , Gregg Kavet , Carol Leifer , David Mandel , Jeff Schaffer , Steve Koren , Jennifer Crittenden , Tom Gammill , Max Pross , Dan O'Keefe , Charlie Rubin , Marjorie Gross , Alec Berg , Elaine Pope , and Spike Feresten . Many Seinfeld episodes are based on
8024-437: The longest without masturbating, the word 'masturbation' is never mentioned. Seinfeld broke several conventions of mainstream television. David is credited with refusing to follow a predictable sitcom formula that would have a romantic relationship develop between Jerry and Elaine. The show offers no growth or reconciliation to its characters and eschews sentimentality. An episode is typically driven by humor interspersed with
8142-594: The memo for several years, but after they became aware of it, they hung it in a bathroom on the set. Seinfeld comments, "We thought, if someone goes in to use this bathroom, this is something they should see. It fits that moment." Around the time the show's pilot was filmed, Castle Rock Entertainment, which produced the show, had also produced another pilot for NBC that featured Ann Jillian in her almost-similarly eponymous TV series. When The Seinfeld Chronicles tested poorly with audiences, Castle Rock focused on Jillian's series, which tested better with audiences and received
8260-419: The middle of Seinfeld episodes was cut. Much publicity followed the controversial episode " The Contest ," an Emmy Award -winning episode written by David, whose subject matter was considered inappropriate for prime-time network TV. To circumvent this taboo, the word " masturbation " was never used in the script, instead substituted for by a variety of oblique references. Midway through that season, Seinfeld
8378-420: The most popular episodes, such as " The Bubble Boy " in which George and the bubble boy argue over Trivial Pursuit , and " The Junior Mint " in which Jerry and Kramer accidentally fumble a mint in the operating room. This was the first season to use a story arc of Jerry and George creating their own sitcom, Jerry . Also, at this time, the use of Jerry's stand-up act slowly declined, and the stand-up segment in
8496-454: The only one with additional music elements. In the commentary of "The Note," Louis-Dreyfus facetiously suggests it was removed because the perceived lyric related closely to the low ratings at the time. In the final three seasons, the bits were tweaked slightly with more frantic rhythms; a bass guitar was added in addition to the sampled bass from earlier seasons. Throughout the show, the main theme could be restyled in different ways depending on
8614-430: The other actors who made it to this round was Larry Miller. As Alexander knew Miller was a close friend of Seinfeld, he was convinced he would not get the part, but eventually did. Kenny Kramer initially demanded that he would play the part of Kessler, as he served as the inspiration for the character. However, David did not want this and it was decided that casting sessions would be held. Among those who auditioned for
8732-504: The part of Kramer were Steve Vinovich , Tony Shalhoub and Larry Hankin . Although he was not cast for the part, Hankin would later portray an in-show fictional version of Kramer in the season four episode " The Pilot ". Seinfeld and David were both familiar with Michael Richards , and David had worked with him on Fridays . Richards did his final audition at the Century Plaza Hotel on April 18, 1989, reputedly finishing with
8850-458: The part, but he rejected it. When the casting process started, as casting director Marc Hirschfeld stated, the casting crew "saw every actor [they] could possibly see in Los Angeles". Among these actors were Larry Miller (Seinfeld's real-life best friend), Brad Hall , David Alan Grier , and Nathan Lane yet none of them seemed fit for the part. Jason Alexander auditioned for the part via
8968-491: The pilot Jerry proved unsuccessful. In it, George spends most of the season regretting and trying to get out of the engagement. Along with the regular half-hour episodes, two notable one-hour episodes were " The Cadillac ," in which George plans to date award-winning actress Marisa Tomei , and " The Bottle Deposit ," with Elaine and Sue Ellen Mischke participating in a bidding war to buy JFK's golf clubs in an auction. Seinfeld's final two seasons were considered distinct from
9086-509: The pilot's performance among the respondents as "weak", which Warren Littlefield , then second-in-command in NBC's entertainment division, called "a dagger to the heart". Comments included, "You can't get too excited about two guys going to the laundromat", "Jerry's loser friend George isn't a forceful character", "Jerry needs a stronger supporting cast", and "Why are they interrupting the stand-up for these stupid stories?" Seinfeld and David did not see
9204-615: The popularity of Seinfeld . American Express created a webisode where Jerry Seinfeld and an animated Superman (voiced by Patrick Warburton , who played the role of Puddy) starred in its commercial. The makers of the Today Sponge created the "Spongeworthy" game on their website, inspired by " The Sponge ." An advertisement featured Jason Alexander in a Chrysler commercial. In this, Alexander acts much like his character George, and his relationship with Lee Iacocca plays on George's relationship with Steinbrenner. Similarly, Michael Richards
9322-410: The problem was that the scripts contained only minimal physical direction, leaving the actors needing help to come up with actions to perform while speaking. Eventually, they got into a routine of directing each other on how to make their movements look natural. Alexander said this helped them build chemistry with each other. Filming usually went long, as the cast and Larry David were perfectionists. If
9440-424: The production company turned to Jillian's series, which tested better and had earned a full-season order (it ran a single 13-episode season and was cancelled by the end of 1990). When The Seinfeld Chronicles aired, it was watched by nearly 11% of American households and received generally positive reviews from television critics , most of whom were disappointed that NBC did not order a first season. Convinced that
9558-407: The ratings of the 9:00 p.m. Cheers reruns that spring. The show won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1993, beating out its family-oriented, time-slot competitor Home Improvement , which was only in its second season on rival network ABC. Season 5 was an even bigger ratings hit, consisting of popular episodes, such as " The Puffy Shirt " in which Jerry feels embarrassed wearing
9676-529: The recorded material was included in the broadcast version. Additionally, a scene was recorded featuring Jerry and George driving to the airport talking about changing lanes on the road and giving "Thank you waves", but was cut before broadcasting. The music used in the episode was composed by Jep Epstein; however, when the show was picked up, Epstein's tune was replaced by the trademark slap bass music by Jonathan Wolff. The Seinfeld Chronicles featured four characters that were intended to be series regulars if
9794-458: The series would end. The episode's producers gave false information to the media, spreading a rumor about Newman ending up in the hospital and Jerry and Elaine sitting in a chapel, presumably to marry. The final episode enjoyed a historic audience, estimated at 76.3 million viewers (58% of all viewers that night) making it the fourth-most watched regular series finale in U.S. TV history, behind M*A*S*H , Cheers , and The Fugitive . However,
9912-506: The series. Many characters were based primarily on Seinfeld's and David's real-life acquaintances. Two prominent recurring characters were fictional depictions of actual well-known people: Jacopo Peterman of the J. Peterman catalog (based on John Peterman ) and George Steinbrenner , owner of the New York Yankees . Many characters were introduced as new writers got involved with Seinfeld . Other characters based on real people include
10030-421: The setting, characters, prior discourse, relationships of the characters, and the topic." Specifically, Magnotta and Strohl focus on " The Marine Biologist ", where George is embroiled in yet another lie, and on " The Red Dot ," where George tries to save a few dollars at Elaine's expense by giving her a marked-down cashmere sweater. The Seinfeld Chronicles The first of the 180 Seinfeld episodes , it
10148-546: The show amusing, he considered It's Garry Shandling's Show better, and the Houston Chronicle 's Mike McDaniel called it "a not-as-good Garry Shandling-like show". Most critics reacted with disappointment that NBC had not picked up the show. Bob Niedt of the Syracuse Herald-Journal wrote, "What gives? Comedy this good, and NBC is keeping—excuse me— A Different World on the schedule?" Ken Tucker said, "NBC
10266-547: The show had potential, and supported by the positive reviews, NBC executive Rick Ludwin convinced his superiors to order a four-episode first season (the smallest order in American TV history), offering a part of his personal budget in return. The show, renamed Seinfeld , went on to become among the most successful sitcoms in television history. The series opens with Jerry Seinfeld and his best friend, George Costanza seated at Pete's Luncheonette where their good friend Claire
10384-536: The show was "unusual and intriguing", yet "quite funny". Joe Stein of the San Diego Evening Tribune wrote, "Not all standup comedians fit into a sitcom format, but Seinfeld does". A more negative response came from a The Fresno Bee critic: "I liked the concept, but Seinfeld's jokes were so dull that you hoped the standup stuff would fly by so you could get back to the story". Though the critic praised Alexander's acting, he commented that his performance
10502-459: The show was to be picked up for a first season: Jerry, George, Kramer and Claire the waitress. Though it was already settled that Seinfeld would play a fictionalized version of himself, auditions were held for the other three characters. Though George was based on Larry David, David was keen on writing, and did not have the desire to portray the character himself. Prior to the casting process, Seinfeld pleaded with his friend Jake Johannsen to play
10620-518: The show would work. A Jewish man from New York himself, Tartikoff characterized it as "Too New York, too Jewish" (a sentiment which would also lead to the Cosmo character's later surname change from the more Jewish-sounding Kessler to Kramer). Test audiences were even harsher. NBC's practice at the time was to recruit 400 households by phone to ask them to evaluate pilots it aired on an unused channel on its cable system. An NBC research department memo summarized
10738-408: The show, the real pitch, when Larry and I went to NBC in 1988, was [that] we want to show how a comedian gets his material. The show "about nothing" was just a joke in an episode many years later, and Larry and I to this day are surprised that it caught on as a way that people describe the show because, to us, it's the opposite of that." David similarly commented: "I like taking the worst qualities that
10856-572: The show, they, as Warren Littlefield later stated, "all said, 'Ah, what the hell, let's try a pilot on this thing and see what happens'." However, test audiences reacted extremely negatively. Although NBC would still broadcast the pilot to see how audiences and critics reacted, they decided not to order a first season of the show. Castle Rock Entertainment , which produced the pilot (and the subsequent series), had another pilot produced for NBC featuring actress Ann Jillian in her own eponymous series . After The Seinfeld Chronicles ' poor reception,
10974-571: The show. One DVD reviewer, Britt Gillette, wrote that "this initial episode exhibits the flashes of brilliance that made Seinfeld a cultural phenomenon." Other than the pilot, the series was filmed at CBS Studio Center in Studio City, Los Angeles . The first three seasons were filmed on Soundstage 19; it then moved to the larger Stage 9 for the remainder of its production. Despite numerous establishing shots taken in New York City, all scenes of
11092-434: The show. The series remained well regarded and produced some of its most famous episodes, such as " The Beard ", in which Jerry is put through a lie detector test to make him admit that he watched Melrose Place ; " The Switch ", in which Kramer's mom, Babs, reveals that his first name is Cosmo; and " The Understudy ", in which Elaine meets J. Peterman for the first time. Story arcs used in this season were Elaine working as
11210-550: The story arc, Kramer creates and promotes his coffee table book . The show was again nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, but lost to the Cheers spin-off Frasier , then in its first season. Seinfeld was nominated for the same award every year for its entire run but, after its win at the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1994, always lost to Frasier , which went on to win a record 39 Emmy Awards in its 11-season run. In Season 6, Andy Ackerman replaced Tom Cherones as director of
11328-510: The superficial conflicts of characters with peculiar dispositions. Many episodes revolve around the characters' involvement in the lives of others, with typically disastrous results. 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. The characters are "thirty-something singles with vague identities, no roots, and conscious indifference to morals." Also unlike most sitcoms, there are no moments of pathos ;
11446-408: The time. Seinfeld enlisted fellow comedian Larry David to help him develop it, and they wrote a concept for a 90-minute-special (that was to air one weekend in place of Saturday Night Live ) about how comedians get their material. However, upon further discussion, Seinfeld felt that the concept could not be sustained for 90 minutes, and the two decided that the project was to become a pilot for
11564-517: The titular character's apartment in Manhattan 's Upper West Side in New York City . It has been described as "a show about nothing", often focusing on the minutiae of daily life . Interspersed in all episodes of the first seven seasons are moments of stand-up comedy from the fictional Jerry Seinfeld, frequently related to the episode's events. As a rising comedian in the late 1980s, Jerry Seinfeld
11682-596: The top two (along with ER of the same network) every year from 1994 to 1998. Only two other shows— I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show —finished their runs at the top of the ratings. Seinfeld is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential shows of all time. It has been ranked among television's best shows in publications such as Entertainment Weekly , Rolling Stone , and TV Guide . Its most renowned episodes include " The Chinese Restaurant ", " The Soup Nazi ", " The Parking Garage ", " The Marine Biologist ", and " The Contest ". In 2013,
11800-425: The two sometimes participate in various unsuccessful moneymaking schemes together. Newman has been shown to harbor unrequited romantic feelings for Elaine. Seinfeld Seinfeld ( / ˈ s aɪ n f ɛ l d / SYNE -feld ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with
11918-409: The week it was broadcast, tied with Fox 's Totally Hidden Video . Unlike the test audience, television critics generally reacted positively to the pilot, viewing it as original and innovative. USA Today critic Tom Green summarized it as a "crisply funny blend of stand-up routines interwoven with more traditional sitcom stuff". Eric Mink of St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote that he thought
12036-406: The writers' real-life experiences, with the experiences reinterpreted for the characters' storylines. For example, George's storyline in " The Revenge " is based on Larry David's experience at Saturday Night Live . " The Contest " is also based on David's experiences. " The Smelly Car " storyline is based on Peter Mehlman's lawyer friend, who could not get a bad smell out of his car. " The Strike "
12154-524: Was written by show creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld and directed by Art Wolff . It revolves around a fictionalized version of Seinfeld , who is unsure about the romantic intentions of a woman he met, and frets about the meaning of her signals with his best friend George ( Jason Alexander ) and neighbor Kessler ( Michael Richards , whose character was later renamed "Kramer"). The story line and main characters were inspired by real-life events and people. Though NBC executives were unsure about
12272-425: Was a mistake on the part of the actress/character, rather than any revelation of Newman's first name. Newman is petty, vindictive, prone to hysteria, and often depicted as a stereotypical evil genius, who is usually undermined in some way. Jerry's exasperation or epiphany involving Newman will cause him to clench his fist and mutter "Newman!" under his breath. Newman and Kramer are usually depicted as casual friends, and
12390-407: Was a mix of Seinfeld's stand-up comedy routines and idiosyncratic, conversational scenes focusing on mundane aspects of everyday life like laundry, the buttoning of the top button on one's shirt, and the effort by men to interpret the intent of women spending the night in Seinfeld's apartment. The pilot was filmed at Stage 8 of Desilu Cahuenga studios, the same studio where The Dick Van Dyke Show
12508-423: Was a very low order number for a new series—and the smallest sitcom order in TV history —Castle Rock failed to find any other buyers when it shopped the show to other networks, and accepted the order. Seinfeld did not return to the airwaves until May 30, 1990, and it was another three years before it became a Top 5-rated show. Preston Beckman, in charge of NBC's research department at the time, reminisced, "The show
12626-412: Was broadcast on July 5, 1989 to see how viewers would react. It finished second in its time slot, behind the CBS police drama Jake and the Fatman , receiving a Nielsen rating of 10.9/19, meaning that the pilot was watched by 10.9% of American households, and that 19% of all televisions in use at the time were tuned into it. With these ratings, "The Seinfeld Chronicles" finished in the 21st place of
12744-489: Was bumped off its scheduled premiere of January 16, 1991, due to the outbreak of the Persian Gulf War . It settled into a regular time slot on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. and eventually flipped with veteran series Night Court to 9 p.m. TV critics championed Seinfeld in its early seasons, even as it was slow to cultivate a substantial audience. For the first three seasons, Jerry's stand-up comedy act would bookend at
12862-461: Was different. Nobody had seen anything like it. It wasn't unusual for poor-testing shows to get on the air, but it was very rare that they became hits." When the program was first repeated on July 5, 1990, it received a rating of 13.9/26. These ratings were high enough to secure a second season. NBC research showed that the show was popular with young male adults, a demographic sought after by advertisers. This gave NBC an incentive to keep broadcasting
12980-451: Was filmed (seen by the crew as a good omen), and was recorded at Ren-Mar Studios in Hollywood . The pilot was first screened to a group of two dozen NBC executives in Burbank, California , in early 1989. It did not yield the explosion of laughter garnered by the pilots for the decade's previous NBC successes like The Cosby Show and The Golden Girls . Brandon Tartikoff was not convinced
13098-406: Was more involved". Julia Louis-Dreyfus , who would go on to replace Garlington, has stated that she was not aware of the pilot before becoming a regular on the show, and she will never watch it out of superstition . The pilot was first screened by a group of two dozen NBC executives in Burbank, California in early 1989. Although it did not yield the explosion of laughter garnered by pilots for
13216-445: Was moved from its original 9:00 p.m. time slot on Wednesdays to 9:30 p.m. on Thursdays, following Cheers again, which gave the show even more popularity. Ratings also sparked the move, as Tim Allen 's sitcom Home Improvement on ABC had aired at the same time, and Home Improvement kept beating Seinfeld in the ratings. NBC moved the series after Ted Danson announced the end of Cheers and Seinfeld quickly surpassed
13334-601: Was not enough to keep the show "from being just another piece of summer drivel offered up by a major commercial network". Various critics compared the pilot to It's Garry Shandling's Show . In his review, The Philadelphia Inquirer ' s Ken Tucker commented, "Seinfeld's brisk funniness prevents Chronicles from being a rip-off", while Jerry Krupnick of The Star-Ledger felt that The Seinfeld Chronicles differentiated itself from It's Garry Shandling's Show by its supporting cast, which he praised. By contrast, John Voorhees of The Seattle Times wrote that though he found
13452-503: Was presented with an opportunity to create a show with NBC. He asked Larry David, a fellow comedian and friend, to help create a premise for a sitcom. The series was produced by West-Shapiro Productions and Castle Rock Entertainment and distributed by Columbia Pictures Television . It was largely written by David and Seinfeld and scriptwriters. A favorite among critics, the series led the Nielsen ratings in Seasons 6 and 9 and finished among
13570-453: Was the first episode since the finale of season 7, " The Invitations ", to feature opening and closing stand-up comedy acts by Seinfeld. The finale was filmed before an audience of NBC executives and friends of the show. The press and public were shut out of the taping to keep its plot secret; those who attended the shoot of the final episode were required to sign written "vows of silence". The secrecy only seemed to increase speculation about how
13688-492: Was the focus of a series of advertisements for Vodafone , which ran in Australia , where he dressed and acted precisely like Kramer, including the trademark bumbling pratfalls. In addition, the show occasionally incorporated fictional products like a Scotch brand called "Hennigan's" (a blend of " Hennessy " and " Brannigans ") and a canned meat product called "Beef-a-reeno" (a parody of " Beef-a-roni "). A signature of Seinfeld
13806-407: Was to explore the "gaps in society where there are no rules." The story line, as well as most of the main characters, were inspired by the personal lives of its creators. Jerry was a fictionalized version of Seinfeld, George a fictionalized version of Larry David and Kessler was based on David's neighbor Kenny Kramer . Though Seinfeld was initially concerned the "wacky neighbor" would be too much of
13924-401: Was written as the pilot for the show that would eventually be called Seinfeld , though earlier versions of the script would refer to the program as Stand Up and The Jerry Seinfeld Show . The idea for the show started on November 2, 1988, after NBC executives had approached comedian Jerry Seinfeld to do a project with the network, upon a suggestion by George Shapiro , Seinfeld's manager at
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