I’ve been trying to watch more scripted TV shows lately in a small effort to observe and learn more about screenwriting. So, I decided to rewatch “Seinfeld” from the very beginning.
Before doing this, I’ve seen episodes of “Seinfeld” many times. My parents loved the show when it premiered, and I remember seeing the show right along with them. Of course, I’ve seen the repeats dozens of times, too, but not in order.
So, I started with season one, episode one.
Before I go into favorite episodes and scenes, I’ll say that the DVDs (yes, I watched them on DVDs) had lots of interviews with the cast, Larry David, and NBC executives that were a part of the show.
The one thing I can’t stop thinking about is how this was a show that absolutely would have never been created if it weren’t for the privilege of Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. They basically told NBC to f*ck off at every corner of the production, never accepting notes on the show, and not taking no as an answer… which, okay, cool, it was a funny show that people loved.
But, watching it as an aspiring screenwriter, it’s frustrating to see that skill, talent, and even connections had nothing to do with the success of this show. It was pure celebrity.
This show would’ve been ripped to shreds in a writer’s group, and the initial ratings proved that theory. It wasn’t until well into season one that viewers started to understand what the show was about (nothing).
Please know that I’m not dissing this show — it’s hilarious! It’s just one of those things that, watching it now, I’m like wow something like this could never happen for me or my fellow writing group members.
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, here are some of my favorite scenes:
Season 3, Episode 14: The Pez Dispenser. Jerry brings a Tweetie Bird Pez dispenser to George’s girlfriend’s piano performance and ultimately ruins George’s relationship.
Season 6, Episode 21: Fusilli Jerry. Kramer makes figurines out of pasta, and the one he makes for Jerry is… silly.
Season 7, Episode 13: The Seven. George says he wants to name one of his future children Seven, which results in him going to extreme lengths to protect the name, but the funniest part of this line is the conversation he has with Jerry about other possible names.
Season 9, Episode 6: The Merv Griffin Show. Kramer finds the set from The Merv Griffin show in a dumpster, so he puts it back together in his apartment, and starts interviewing visitors as guests.
Season 9, Episode 16: The Burning. Elaine borrows Puddy’s car to find it has a “Jesus fish” on the back and all of the presets are programmed to religious stations. Puddy tells Elaine she’s going to hell, and her impression of the devil is HILARIOUS.
Season 9, Episode 18: The Wedding Cake. This is famously the “Frogger” episode, but it’s also when Peterman shows Elaine the slice of cake from the royal wedding in 1937 (that he bought for $29,000)… which Elaine eats. She replaces it with a slice of Entenmann’s, but is outed by a cake appraiser.
Of course, there are so many iconic scenes and episodes that are fun to watch, especially in the context of the entire series.
I had a lot of fun rewatching this… what should I watch next?
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