Discover

'''Seinfeld''' is an Emmy Award-winning American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, running a total of 9 seasons. Many of its catchphrases have entered into the pop culture lexicon. The show led the Nielsen Ratings in its sixth and ninth seasons, and finished among the top two (along with ''ER'') every year from 1994 to 1998.
The series was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, with the latter starring as an eponymous, fictionalized version of himself. Set predominantly in an apartment block on New York City's Upper West Side, the show features a host of Jerry's friends and acquaintances, including George Louis Costanza (Jason Alexander), Elaine Marie Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). ''Seinfeld'' was produced by Castle Rock Entertainment, (which Warner Bros. owns), and distributed by Columbia Pictures Television and Columbia TriStar Television (now Sony Pictures Television). ''Seinfeld'' was largely co-written by David and Seinfeld, with later input from numerous script writers, including Larry Charles, Peter Mehlman, Gregg Kavet, Andy Robin, Carol Leifer, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer, Steve Koren, Jennifer Crittenden, Tom Gammill & Max Pross, Alec Berg and Spike Feresten. ''Seinfeld'' is now widely considered one of the greatest American television programs of all time[1].

Contents

Overview

Main characters

Minor characters

Plot

Evolution

Seasons 1-3: The Early Years

Seasons 4-5: Seinfeld's Prime

Seasons 6-7: Maintaining the Top

Seasons 8-9: Life Without Larry David

Ending

Hype

Awards

DVD releases

Life after Seinfeld

The "''Seinfeld'' curse"

Successes

Consumer products

Music

Trivia

See also

References

External links

Overview

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

Starting in the first season, the show would begin with clips of Jerry Seinfeld delivering a stand-up comedy routine, set in a club. The theme of his act tied to the plot of each episode. This device sometimes revealed where Jerry got his material and deliberately blurred the distinction between the Jerry Seinfeld actor and his character, the fictional comedian. (Some episodes do suggest that he does play his fictional self while doing his comedy.) Originally, the clips bookended the episodes, as well as functioning as cutscenes during the show. After season three, the cutscenes in the middle of the episodes became less common; after season five, the clips that ended the shows also became less common; and after season seven, the clips were discontinued. The show's main characters, and many secondary or one-shot characters, were modeled after Seinfeld's and David's real-life acquaintances. Other recurring characters were based on well-known, real-life counterparts, such as the Soup Nazi (based on Soup Kitchen International manager Al Yeganeh), Jacopo Peterman of the J. Peterman catalogue (nominally based on John Peterman), and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.
In most ''Seinfeld'' episodes, one story thread is presented at the beginning, involving the characters in separate and unrelated situations. Rapid scene shifts between story lines move the action forward. Eventually, some or all of the separate story lines converge—often unexpectedly. Despite the separate plot strands, the narratives reveal "consistent efforts to maintain [the] intimacy" between the small cast of characters.
The show kept a strong sense of continuity—characters and plots from past episodes were frequently referenced or expanded upon. Occasionally, storylines would span multiple episodes and even entire seasons. Larry David, the show's head writer and executive producer for the first seven seasons, was celebrated for keeping a close eye on minor details and making sure the main characters' lives remained consistent and believable. He would later make use of season-long story arcs in his next series, ''Curb Your Enthusiasm''.
The show stood apart from other sitcoms of the time for not centering around the characters learning moral lessons. In effect, the characters are often morally indifferent or callous, though nonetheless hilarious. For instance, in the episode "The Sponge" Jerry worries that the woman he is dating is "too good". ''Seinfeld'' never explored dramatic themes in episodes, despite the often tragic events that occurred, including the deaths of characters. Jason Alexander has stated that he felt that ''Seinfeld'' was a very dark show about very dark people, but done with such a likable cast, makes the show almost light-hearted.

Main characters

★ 'Jerry Seinfeld' (played by Jerry Seinfeld)—Jerry is the show's "passive central player". He is "able to observe the chaos around him but not always be a part of it." In the show, Jerry made a living as a stand-up comedian. Plot lines often involve Jerry's romantic relationships—he typically found "stupid reasons to break up" with women. According to Elaine, this happened "every week". While seemingly the normal one, his character's neuroses revealed itself in his obsessive cleanliness and steadfast immaturity. Ironically, the character is often criticized for not being very funny and for using observations that are not too clever. His jokes are also seen as cheesy and somewhat simple.


★ 'George Costanza' (played by Jason Alexander)—Based off of the series' co-creator, Larry David was once succinctly described by Elaine as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man", George is neurotic and self-loathing. Paranoid, selfish, abrasive, frugal, a flagrant coward and an expert liar. George is arguably the show's most amoral character while still being one of its most lovable. He had been best friends with Jerry since middle school. He is also well known for quintessential moments like pushing children and old ladies to get out of a fire, eating trash and his response with Mr. Lippman.


★ 'Elaine Benes' (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus)—Intelligent and assertive, but superficial and short-tempered, Elaine is frequently fate's victim. She often gets caught up in her boyfriends' machinations, her eccentric employers' arbitrary demands, and the unkindness of total strangers. She used to date Jerry, and remained his close friend. One of Elaine's trademark maneuvers is her forceful shove when she got good or shocking news, sometimes using the catch phrase "get out!". She is seen as the intellectual stronghold of the group of friends.


★ 'Cosmo Kramer' (played by Michael Richards)—Kramer was the archetypal "wacky neighbor" and Jerry's friend. His trademarks include: his humorous upright bouffant hairstyle and vintage wardrobe; his energetic sliding bursts through Jerry's apartment door; his assortment of comic pratfalls; and his penchant for nonsensical, percussive outbursts of noise to indicate alarm, scepticism, agreement, or annoyance. Elaine summed him up as a 'hipster doofus'. He never seems to have held a 'real' job (He once worked at a bagle shop but was on strike for 12 years later to be called back to work for several hours then going on strike again.), yet he has a stable unknown source of income. Although Kramer was one of the show's more fascinating characters, he is the only one who never got an internal monologue, possibly because he was the only one who always spoke his mind. He, like the others, would give up anything for his best buddy, Jerry.

Minor characters

Main articles: Minor characters in Seinfeld

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

★ 'Newman' (played by Wayne Knight)—An overweight postal worker who serves as Kramer's accomplice and Jerry's nemesis, Newman was a neighbor of both (Apartment 5E) and noted for his excessive overeating. In a running parody of two, bitter, film noir adversaries, when Jerry and Newman met, Jerry typically scowled and quipped, "Hello, Newman"—and Newman responded with a devilish smirk and "Hello, Jerry." In some episodes, Newman went out of his way to make Jerry's life miserable. Although most of the characters are shy of morals, Newman is considered to be the real villain of the series. His first name is never revealed. He was the most frequently recurring male character from seasons 3 to 9.

★ 'Susan Ross' (played by Heidi Swedberg)—George's (late) fiancée and a former NBC executive. She also briefly experimented with lesbianism. She tried to fit in with Elaine and her friends but couldn't deal with their overbearing chatter. She constantly questioned George and Elaine about whether or not they had an affair. She died from envelope glue poisoning. She was the most frequently recurring female character in Seasons 4 and 7, and had a cameo role in the season 9 episode titled "The Betrayal," the backwards episode.

★ 'Frank Costanza' (originally played by John Randolph but most commonly played by Jerry Stiller) and 'Estelle Costanza' (played by Estelle Harris)—George's eccentric parents. George credited them with his current mental state and failure to succeed in life. They are known for their violent tempers, often leading to yelling. George's parents are seen from Season 4 to Season 9.

★ 'Morty Seinfeld' (originally played by Phil Bruns, but most commonly played by Barney Martin) and 'Helen Seinfeld' (played by Liz Sheridan)—Jerry's parents. Morty was famous for obstinately sticking to his convictions; Helen couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't like her son Jerry. They were convinced of Jerry's poverty and never let him pay for anything. (Morty once tried to pay for Jerry's dinner, despite the fact that he didn't have his wallet.) These two characters are thought to be based on Jerry Seinfeld's parents. They can be seen in all seasons on occasions.

★ 'Uncle Leo' (played by Len Lesser)—Jerry's uncle and Helen's brother. He personified the eccentric old man and frequently belittled Jerry with comparisons to his own purportedly successful son. He usually greeted Jerry by saying, "Jerry! Hellooo!", while Jerry responded awkwardly, "Hello Uncle Leo...". He is seen in Seasons 2 to Seasons 9 on occasions.

★ 'David Puddy' (played by Patrick Warburton)—Elaine's on-again-off-again boyfriend. He was a competent auto mechanic, but also an airhead with numerous quirks. He can be seen in Seasons 6 and 9.

★ 'J. Peterman' (played by John O'Hurley)—Elaine's eccentric boss. He owned the J. Peterman apparel company, whose catalog Elaine worked on. Using the florid style of a treasure hunter, he typically rambled about his journeys to exotic locations in search of unique clothing. He can be seen in Season 6 to 9.

★ 'George Steinbrenner' (voiced by Larry David, played by Lee Bear, who was only ever seen from behind)—George's boss and owner of the New York Yankees. Steinbrenner's face was never shown. He was parodied for his arrogance and lack of touch with the realities of running of a baseball team. In edited scenes, the real George Steinbrenner made a cameo appearance and went out with Elaine. The scenes were cut due to time and can be seen in the 7th season DVD. He can be seen in the finale of Season 5 to 9.

★ 'Jackie Chiles' (played by Phil Morris)—Kramer's lawyer. He had a secretary named Suzy and set up appointments for his clients with an unseen "Dr. Bison." He also spoke with a rapid fire delivery and tended to overuse adjectives like 'preposterous' and 'outrageous'. Chiles was a caricature of real-world (now deceased) lawyer Johnnie Cochran. He can be seen in Seasons 7 to 9.

Plot

''Seinfeld'' violated several of the conventions of mainstream television. The show, which (correctly or not) is often described as "about nothing",^[1][2][3] became the first television series widely described as postmodern.^[4] Several elements of ''Seinfeld'' fit in with a postmodern interpretation. The show typically is driven humorously by dispersed superficial conflict and characters with strange dispositions.
The characters were "thirty-something singles ... with no roots, vague identities, and conscious indifference to morals."^[5] Usual conventions, such as isolating the characters from the actors playing them and separating the characters' world from that of the actors and audience, were broken. One example is the story arc in which the characters promote a television sitcom series named ''Jerry''. ''Jerry'' was much like ''Seinfeld'' in that Seinfeld played himself, and that the show was "about nothing". ''Jerry'' was launched in the 1993 season four finale, though unlike ''Seinfeld'', it was not picked up into a series.
On the set, the notion that the characters should not develop or improve throughout the series was expressed as the "no hugging, no learning" rule. This quote is almost referenced in an episode ("The Secret Code") where Kramer says to Jerry, "Well the important thing is, you learned something", to which Jerry replies, "No, I didn't."
The ''Seinfeld'' community can draw on a large amount of in-slang, "a lexicon of Seinfeldian code words and recurring phrases, that evolved around particular episodes".

Evolution

Seasons 1-3: The Early Years

The show premiered as ''The Seinfeld Chronicles'' on Thursday, May 31, 1990 on NBC. The show was not an immediate success. After the pilot was shown, on July 5, 1989, a pickup by the NBC network did not seem likely and the show was actually offered to Fox, which declined to pick it up. However, Rick Ludwin, head of late night and special events for NBC, diverted money from his budget, and the next four episodes: "Male-Unbonding," "The Stakeout," "The Robbery," and "The Stock Tip" were filmed.
''Seinfeld'' was championed by television critics in its early seasons, even as it had yet to cultivate a substantial audience. The series was generally seen as steadily improving over the course of its first four seasons. Although the first three seasons weren't popular during their original airings, through syndication and DVD releases they contain arguably some of the most popular episodes, such as "The Chinese Restaurant", "The Revenge", "The Phone Message", "The Pony Remark", "The Parking Garage", "The Tape", "The Red Dot", "The Stranded","The Subway", "The Deal" and "The Pez Dispenser". The early episodes tend to be more realistic than the later ones, dealing with the minutiae of daily life, such as getting stuck on the subway or in a Chinese restaurant.

Seasons 4-5: Seinfeld's Prime

Season 4 marked the sitcom's entrance into the Nielsen ratings Top 30, coinciding with a handful of high-profile episodes, such as "The Bubble Boy", "The Outing","The Airport", and "The Junior Mint". This was also the first season to use a story arc, which was Jerry and George creating their own sitcom, ''Jerry''.
Much publicity followed the controversial "The Contest", an Emmy Award-winning episode written by co-creator Larry David, whose subject matter (masturbation) was considered very risqué. Nevertheless, the word "masturbation" was never used in the script itself, instead substituted by a variety of oblique references. Midway through that season ''Seinfeld'' was moved from its original 9 p.m. time slot on Wednesdays to 9:30 p.m. on Thursdays, following ''Cheers'', which gave the show even more popularity. The show won the Emmy Award for ''Outstanding Comedy Series'' in 1993, beating out its family-oriented competitor Home Improvement, which at the time was a big hit for NBC's rival ABC.
Season 5 was also a hit season as it contained many popular episodes such as "The Mango", "The Lip Reader", "The Puffy Shirt", "The Marine Biologist", "The Hamptons", "The Opposite" and many more. Another story arc was used where George returns to live with his parents for the entire season. This was also the first season to be shown on the 9 p.m. time slot on Thursdays, replacing ''Cheers''. The show was again nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, but lost to the Cheers spin-off Frasier, which was only in its first season. Seinfeld was nominated for the same award every year for the rest of its run but would keep losing to Frasier.

Seasons 6-7: Maintaining the Top

Season 6 found the show changing directors (Andy Ackerman replacing Tom Cherones) and quickening its pace, to the displeasure of some. Even so, the series remained well-regarded and produced some of its most famous shows, such as "The Fusilli Jerry", "The Chinese Woman", "The Jimmy", "The Face Painter", and "The Switch" which finally revealed Kramer's first name, Cosmo. A story arc for this season was Elaine working for the eccentric Mr. Justin Pitt. This was also the first season in which ''Seinfeld'' landed at #1 on the Nielsen ratings.
Season 7 was according to the cast, crew and many critics, when the series fully returned to form. Another story arc was introduced in which George became engaged to former girlfriend Susan Ross, whose life he had derailed a few seasons back. He spends most of the season regretting the engagement and trying to get out of it. Garnering its highest ratings yet, ''Seinfeld'' went on to produce some of its most famous episodes—namely "The Soup Nazi", in which Elaine gets revenge on a draconian owner of a soup restaurant, "The Hot Tub", "The Maestro", "The Sponge", "The Wig Master", and "The Rye".

Seasons 8-9: Life Without Larry David

Larry David left at the end of season 7, although he continued to voice Steinbrenner, so Seinfeld assumed David's duties as showrunner, and, under the direction of a new writing staff, ''Seinfeld'' became more of a fast-paced, absurdist show. The humor began to rely heavily on slapstick, and storylines occasionally delved into pure fantasy like "The Bizarro Jerry" when Elaine is torn between exact opposites of her friends. Still, the eighth season episodes remain strong; some notable episodes are "The Little Kicks" showing Elaine's horrible dancing, "The Yada Yada" and "The Muffin Tops".
Season 9 includes the episodes "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Dealership", "The Slicer", "The Betrayal" (the only backwards episode), "The Puerto Rican Day" and the unforgettable "The Finale".

Ending

Jerry Seinfeld on the cover of ''TIME'' magazine in 1998.

Hype

After nine years on the air, Jerry Seinfeld announced on December 26, 1997, that the series would end production the following spring. The announcement made the front page of all the major New York newspapers, including the ''New York Times''. Jerry Seinfeld was even featured on the cover of ''Time'' magazine's first issue of 1998.^[6]
The series ended with a 75-minute episode (cut down to 60 minutes in syndication, in two parts) written by returning co-creator and former executive producer Larry David, which aired on May 14, 1998. Before the finale a one-hour retrospective and clip show aired which included memorable scenes from the show's past nine seasons.
It also was the first episode since the seventh season to feature opening and closing stand-up acts by Jerry Seinfeld. The finale was filmed in front of an audience of NBC executives and additional friends of the show. The press and the public were shut out of the filming for the sake of keeping its plot secret, and all who attended the finale signed written "vows of silence".^[7] The secrecy only seemed to increase speculation on how the series would end. Some suggested Jerry and Elaine would marry, and more cynical fans favored Julia Louis-Dreyfus's suggestion that the foursome die in a car accident after all their wishes come true. The producers of the show tweaked the media about the hype, spreading a false rumor about Newman ending up in the hospital and Jerry and Elaine sitting in a chapel, presumably to marry.^[8]
The episode aired on the same day that Frank Sinatra died, and its airing may have been somewhat overshadowed by this event, but nonetheless it enjoyed a huge audience (''see List of most-watched television episodes''), estimated at 76 million viewers. This makes the episode the third most watched finale in television history,^[9] but received mixed reviews from both critics and fans of the show. The actual finale poked fun at the many rumors that were circulating, seeming to move into several supposed plots before settling on its true storyline—a lengthy trial in which Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer are prosecuted for lack of humanity, and are sentenced to one year in jail. The last conversation in this final episode repeats the very first conversation from the pilot episode, discussing the positioning of a button on George's shirt. In the finale, the characters vaguely recall having the conversation before.
Jerry Seinfeld holds both the record for the "most money refused" according to the Guinness Book of World Records by refusing an offer to continue the show for $5 million per episode, and another record for the Highest Ever Annual Earnings For A TV Actor. The show itself held the record for the Highest Television Advertising Rates until 2004, when the final episode of ''Friends'' aired.

Awards

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

DVD releases

Main articles: Seinfeld DVD releases

In 2004, a deal was negotiated to make ''Seinfeld'' available on DVD for the first time. Due to legal problems with the cast involving episode commentaries and other DVD extras, the release was pushed back. The first three seasons were released on November 23, 2004 and Season 4 was released on May 17, 2005. Season 5 and Season 6 were released on November 22, 2005. Season 7 was released on November 21, 2006 and Season 8 was released on June 5, 2007. Season 9 and The Complete Series are going to be released on November 6, 2007.

Life after Seinfeld

The "''Seinfeld'' curse"

Alexander and Richards have attempted unsuccessfully to launch new sitcoms as title-role characters. Despite decent acclaim and even some respectable ratings, almost every show was canceled quickly, usually within the first season. This has given rise to the term "''Seinfeld'' curse" to describe sitcom failure by an actor following massive success on an ensemble show. Shows specifically cited regarding the ''Seinfeld'' curse are Jason Alexander's ''Bob Patterson'' and ''Listen Up!'', Michael Richards' ''The Michael Richards Show'', and Julia Louis-Dreyfus' ''Watching Ellie''. This phenomenon was mocked in Larry David's hit HBO show ''Curb Your Enthusiasm,'' in which Larry David brings up the idea to Jason Alexander that he should do a show about Alexander's inability to shake the 'George' title in order to move on with his career. When David and Alexander begin feuding in the show, Larry David takes the idea to Julia Louis-Dreyfus. They plan to begin working on a show called "Aren't you Evelyn?" but after Larry David blows their chances with every network they meet, Julia gets sick of wasting her time and bows out of the idea.
Since the end of the program, Alexander has acted in film, theater and television, including guest appearances on Larry David's HBO series ''Curb Your Enthusiasm''. Louis-Dreyfus also appeared on "''Curb''" and has received on-screen and voice credits in television (such as ''Arrested Development'') and animated film. Louis-Dreyfus is starring in the CBS sitcom ''The New Adventures of Old Christine'', which debuted in March 2006 to strong ratings and has been consistent ever since. The show was also renewed for a second season. Its 35 episodes make it the longest running show starring a ''Seinfeld'' alumnus since ''Seinfeld'' ended. Louis-Dreyfus also received an Emmy Award for lead actress in a comedy series for her role as Christine. In her acceptance speech, Louis-Dreyfus held up her award and exclaimed, "I’m not somebody who really believes in curses, but curse this, baby!"^[10] The "''Seinfeld'' curse" was discussed in the opening of ''Saturday Night Live'' episode on May 13, 2006, hosted by Louis-Dreyfus. The show was also renewed for its third season, and will return as a midseason replacement, through the 2007-08 season. Alexander and Seinfeld also appeared in this episode of ''SNL''. Richards continues to appear in new film and television work as well. In November 2006, controversy arose concerning racial epithets Richards shouted at black hecklers during a live comedy show.^[11] He apologized for his statements a few days later by means of a telecast on David Letterman's talkshow on the request of Jerry Seinfeld.
"It's so completely idiotic.... It's very hard to have a successful sitcom," Larry David once said of the curse.^[12] Most new sitcoms do not enjoy the success of hits like ''Seinfeld'', though David's ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' went on to win Emmy Awards; the series relied on his signature humor, embodied in the ''Seinfeld'' character of George.
Patrick Warburton, who played David Puddy, was also hit by the curse when his superhero-themed show, ''The Tick'', was canceled after just one season. However, he has found success in voice acting. His repertoire includes the voice of Joe Swanson in ''Family Guy'', the title character of ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'', Steve Barkin in ''Kim Possible'', the Wolf in ''Hoodwinked,'' and Kronk in ''The Emperor's New Groove'', ''Kronk's New Groove'', and the ''The Emperor's New School''. Lately, he can be seen on ABC's show ''Less Than Perfect'' as Jeb Denton, and on Adult Swim's ''The Venture Brothers'' as Brock Samson. Since February 5, 2007 he stars in a new series, ''Rules of Engagement''.

Successes

Alexander was also the voice of ''Duckman'', a series whose 1994 until 1997 run coincided with ''Seinfeld'', as well as guest-starring as "Leonard" on ''Malcolm in the Middle''. Wayne Knight has since had roles of similar importance to Newman, as the underhanded computer programmer in the very successful "Jurassic Park", as in the not-so-successful ''The Edge'', and as police officer Don Orville in ''3rd Rock from the Sun''. He has also done some voice acting, notably as the dragon Dojo in ''Xiaolin Showdown'', The Evil Emperor Zurg in ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'', and later on, as Mr. Blik in the Nickelodeon cartoon ''Catscratch''. The actor who really broke "the curse" was Jerry Stiller, who was cast successfully as Arthur, Doug Heffernan's annoying father-in-law in ''The King of Queens''. Bryan Cranston, who had a semi-recurring role on ''Seinfeld'' as Dr. Tim Whatley, was cast as Hal in the successful FOX sitcom ''Malcolm in the Middle''. He also had a recurring role as Doug Heffernan's annoying neighbor Tim Sacksky on ''The King of Queens''.
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''. He was topped in this effort by Kelly Monaco, but won the subsequent "rematch". O'Hurley has gone on to make cameo appearances in many other programs, including ''Spongebob Squarepants'' and ''Drake & Josh'', and has done numerous television commercials for GCI, an Alaskan phone and Internet communications company. In addition, he appeared in a commercial for Progressive Insurance, in which he portrayed a character very similar to the Peterman character. On September 11, 2006, O'Hurley began hosting ''Family Feud'', replacing Richard Karn. Also, in a case of life imitating art, O'Hurley became a major investor in the real-life J. Peterman catalog company, and sits on the company's board of directors.

Consumer products

A recurring feature of ''Seinfeld'' was its use of specific products, especially candy, as plot points. These might be a central feature of a plot (e.g. Junior Mints, Twix, Jujyfruits, Snickers, Nestlé Chunky, Oh Henry! and Pez), or an association of a candy with a guest character (e.g. Oh Henry! bars), or simply a conversational aside (e.g. Chuckles). Non-candy products featured in ''Seinfeld'' include Rold Gold pretzels (whose advertisements at the time featured Jason Alexander), Kenny Rogers Roasters (a chicken restaurant chain), Oreo Cookies, Ben & Jerry's, H&H Bagels, Drake's Coffee Cakes, Pepsi, Bosco Chocolate Syrup, Cadillac, Saab, Ford Escort, Tyler Chicken, Specialized Bicycles, BMW, Volvo, Toyota, Tupperware, Calvin Klein, Klein Bicycles, Ovaltine, Arby's, TV Guide, Trump Tower, the board games Risk, Boggle, Mello Yello, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, and Battleship, Entenmann's and the J. Peterman clothing catalog. The computers in Jerry's apartment are always Apple Macintosh; the featured model changed every few seasons to reflect Apple's latest offerings. Also seen throughout the show's run were many different brands of cereal.
One product placement, for Snapple, was inserted as a parody of product placement; when offered some by Elaine in the middle of a conversation, the character Babu Bhatt's(An owner of a Pakistani restaurent named as "Dream Cafe") brother declines, calling the drink "too fruity."
The show's creators claim that they were not engaging in a product placement strategy for commercial gain. One of the motivations for the use of real-world products, quite unrelated to commercial considerations, is the comedy value of funny-sounding phrases and words. "I knew I wanted Kramer to think of watching the operation like going to see a movie," explained Seinfeld writer/producer Andy Robin in an interview published in the Hollywood Reporter. "At first, I thought maybe a piece of popcorn falls into the patient. I ran that by my brother, and he said, 'No, Junior Mints are just funnier.'"
Nevertheless, Seinfeld is widely credited by marketers and advertisers with effecting a change in attitude toward product placement in US primetime TV shows. Product placement became more common in TV shows after Seinfeld demonstrated that a successful show could work specific products into its plots and dialogue.
Although not exactly product placement but of a fanboyism as Jerry, himself a real life collector, several episodes feature a Porsche-themed painting (depicting a 904 GTS race car competing in the 1964 Targa Florio race in Italy, which it won) on a wall in Seinfeld's apartment. An issue of Excellence magazine, a Porsche-centered publication, is also featured prominently on an outdoor magazine rack. Similarly, the episode The Pledge Drive takes place at the real-life public television station WNET.
Two other types of advertising also capitalized on ''Seinfeld''. One is a "Webisode", a reverse form of product placement. In this form, instead of inserting its product into an episode, American Express "inserted" Jerry Seinfeld and an animated Superman (voiced by Patrick Warburton, who also acted on the show, playing the role of David Puddy) into its commercial. The second type is the commercial use of the show's actors, such as Jason Alexander in a Chrysler commercial. In this type, which ran after the series ended, Alexander behaves much like his character George, and his relationship with Lee Iacocca plays on his George's relationship with George Steinbrenner. Similarly, Michael Richards was the focus of a series of advertisements for Vodafone which ran in Australia where he dressed and behaved exactly like Kramer, including the trademark bumbling pratfalls.
In addition to placement of actual products, repeated mention and use of the fictional Hennigan's whiskey was inserted throughout the series. With the exception a few notable episodes (and then usually relating to Elaine or her current beau), alcohol was typically absent from consumption or mention.

Music

A signature of ''Seinfeld'' is its theme music: distinct solo sampled bass guitar riffs which open the show and connect the scenes, often accompanied by a "percussion track" composed of mouth noises, such as pops and clicks.
These short riffs were composed by Jonathan Wolff and are considered groundbreaking in their use as sitcom music. They vary throughout each episode and are played in an improvised funk style with slap bass. An additional musical theme with an ensemble, led by a synthesized mid-range brass instrument, ends each episode.
In the first episode of Season Three, the bumper music also featured a scatting female jazz vocalist. However, this was featured for only that one show. In the final three seasons (7, 8, and 9), the bits were tweaked slightly to give them more frenetic rhythms and the occasional hint of guitar.
''Non-original music featured in the show:''

★ "Vesti la giubba" from Pagliacci - Ruggiero Leoncavallo - In "The Opera".

★ "Theme from ''The Godfather''"- Nino Rota - In "The Bris".

★ Selected music from "The Barber of Seville" - Gioacchino Rossini - In "The Barber".

★ "Wouldn't It Be Nice" - The Beach Boys - In "The Hamptons". (This song was performed by a sound-alike band because it was cheaper than buying the rights to the original Beach Boys track.)

★ "''Superman'' (Main Theme)" - John Williams - In "The Race" and "The Clip Show, Part 1".

★ Sonata No. 8 Op. 13 "Pathetique" - Ludwig van Beethoven - In "The Pez Dispenser".

★ "Everybody's Talkin'" - Harry Nilsson - In "The Mom & Pop Store".

★ "Hello" - Lionel Richie - In "The Engagement", "The Invitations", and "The Voice".

★ "Downtown" - Petula Clark - In "The Bottle Deposit, Part 1". George looks for clues about his work assignment when Wilhelm mentions the song to him.

★ "Morning Train (9 to 5)" - Sheena Easton - In "The Bizarro Jerry" and "The Butter Shave".

★ "Shining Star" - Earth, Wind and Fire - In "The Little Kicks". Elaine does the infamous dry heave dance to this. Also, in "The Bookstore". Peterman begins dancing with a female coworker to this song at the Annual Peterman Party.

★ "Adagio for Strings" - Samuel Barber - In "The Fatigues". Frank Costanza has a flashback to his days as a cook in the Korean War.

★ "Desperado" and "Witchy Woman" - Eagles - In "The Checks".

★ "Theme from ''The Greatest American Hero''"^[13] Joey Scarbury- In "The Susie".^[14]

★ "Three Times a Lady" - The Commodores - In "The Pothole".

★ "Mañana (Is Good Enough For Me)" - Jackie Davis - In "The Blood".

★ "Slow Ride" - Foghat - In "The Slicer". Elaine tunes into her bedside radio and offers up a few characteristic dance moves.

★ "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" - Iron Butterfly - In "The Slicer". Elaine makes an attempt to phone the repairman.

★ "Mexican Radio" - Wall of Voodoo - In "The Reverse Peephole".

★ "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" - Green Day - In "The Clip Show, Part 2".

★ "La donna è mobile" - Giuseppe Verdi - Episode with The Maestro (Scene where Elaine jumps into the Maestro's car and he begins conducting)

Trivia

★ Superman is rumoured to be referenced in all of the episodes of the show, either during discussions or as picture or a figurine. However this has never actually been proven.

★ All Seinfeld episode titles start with the word 'The', with the exception of "Male Unbonding" (episode 2 from season 1), and the original title for the pilot episode "The Seinfeld Chronicles" (Good News, Bad News).^[15]

★ The show's original name was ''Stand-Up'' then ''The Seinfeld Chronicles'' before they finally settled on ''Seinfeld''.

★ The audience that Jerry performs stand-up comedy to is actually the show's studio audience.

★ Jerry is the only character to appear in every episode; George isn't in The Pen, Kramer isn't in The Chinese Restaurant and The Pen, and Elaine isn't in The Seinfeld Chronicles, The Trip, Part 1 and The Trip, Part 2.

See also

★ Must See TV

★ List of Seinfeld episodes

★ List of Seinfeld girlfriends

References

1. Editorial: Good-bye Seinfeld Miller, Patrick D.
2. Seinfeld: Overview Erickson, Hal
3. Seinfeld
4. A Primer on Postmodernism, , Stanley J., Grenz, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., ,
5. Postmodernism: A New Model of Reality
6. TIME Magazine Cover: Jerry Seinfeld
7. The 'Seinfeld' e-mail for April 8, 1998
8. Clues to "Seinfeld" Sign Off Ryan, Joal
9. Wikipedia - List of most-watched television episodes: Most watched Series Finales
10. Emmys Clock into "24," "Office" Hall, Sarah
11. "Kramer's" Racist Tirade -- Caught on Tape
12. 'Curb's' Larry David: 'Seinfeld' Curse 'Idiotic' Baerg, Greg
13. The Greatest American Hero
14. The Susie
15. Episode list for "Seinfeld"


★ Fretts, Bruce. ''The Entertainment Weekly Seinfeld Companion''. New York: Warner Books. 1993. ISBN 0-446-67036-7.

★ Dawson, Ryan (2006). ''"Seinfeld: a show about something"'' Cambridge University.

★ William Irwin (Ed.). ''Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing''. Peru, Illinois: Open Court Publishing Company. 1999. ISBN 0-8126-9409-0.

★ Gantz, Katherine. ''"Not That There's Anything Wrong with That": Reading the Queer in Seinfeld''. In Calvin Thomas (Ed.). ''Straight with a Twist: Queer Theory and the Subject of Heterosexuality''. Champaign. Illinois: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06813-0.

★ Gattuso, Greg. ''The Seinfeld Universe: The Entire Domain''. New York: Citadel Press. 1996. ISBN 0-8065-2001-9.

★ Robin, Andy (April 28, 2005). '''Junior Mints are just funnier'''

★ Rosenthal, Phil (November 18, 2004). ''Gold, Jerry! Gold!'' Chicago Sun Times.

★ Seinfeld, Jerry. ''Sein Language''. Bantam. 1993. ISBN 0-553-09606-0.

★ Weaver, D.T. & Oliver, M.B. (2000) Summary of the paper,"Television Programs and Advertising: Measuring the Effectiveness of Product Placement Within Seinfeld".

External links

★ Seinfeld.com, the Official Site from Sony Pictures Television

★ the Official Seinfeld myspace page

★

★

★ Seinfeld Blog

★ SeinFAQ—The Unofficial Seinfeld FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

★ ''Seinfeld'' episodes at TV.com

★ SeinfeldChronicles.com—includes all 180 scripts

★ SeinfeldScripts.com—includes all scripts

★ Seinfeld Quiz—Seinfeld Trivia questions

★ Seinfeld Behind The Scenes and Trivia