Seinfeldstill holds up as one of the funniest multicamera sitcoms ever made. Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David created a series unlike any other. It was so unique for the time, it almost didn’t survive in its early years. Once it became a hit, though,Seinfeldwas unstoppable for the rest of its nine-season run.
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Such a show does not come together without someinteresting stories behind the scenes.The entries below should make readers appreciateSeinfeldand those who brought it to life a little more. To some hardcore fans, many of these stories make almost too much sense, and really drive home why this show was so special.
10George Costanza Was Based On Woody Allen Before Larry David
Jason Alexander channeled a New York personalityfor George Costanza. Early in the series, the actor had Woody Allen in mind.In an interview,Jason Alexander said there was a point early on in the series where he realized George was heavily modeled after the series' creator, Larry David.
As viewers, it is significantly easier to see this connection after watchingsome episodes ofCurb Your Enthusiasm,which stars Larry David.
9Frank Costanza Was First Played By John Randolph
Frank Costanza, George’s father,first showed up in the season 4 episode “The Handicap Spot.“However, he was played by John Randolph and not Jerry Stiller, whose portrayal of the character eventually became iconic.
Only during the fifth season episode “The Puffy Shirt” did Jerry Stiller come in. Interestingly enough, scenes from “The Handicap Spot” were refilmed with Jerry Stiller, so John Randolph’s scenes do not show in streaming or regular syndication.
8Julia Louis-Dreyfus Was Pregnant During Seasons Three And Eight
Julia Louis-Dreyfus was pregnant twice during the show’s run. Season three and eight both had her performing while expecting a child. The producers and writers did not make her pregnancy a part of the show, and instead hid it throughout the season.
This was not a new practice in television. According to Jerry Seinfeld, they brought up the idea of Elaine just gaining weight to explain Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s change in appearance,but Louis-Dreyfus was not into it.
7The First Season Is Technically Four Half-Hour Specials
The first season is known asThe Seinfeld Chronicles.Because the original pilot tested so poorly,it was not ordered as a series. The pilot still aired, though, and a somewhat positive critical reaction prompted the network to order a season of four episodes — the smallest one ever.
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The budget for these episodes also came out of the specials branch of the network. These episodes are technically four half-hour specials, since themoney from them came out of canceling a Bob Hope television special.
6Susan Was Killed Off Because She Was Difficult To Work With
At the end of the seventh season, George’s fiance, Susan, dies from poison after licking too many cheap envelopes. Her death was written into the show after the actors realized she was difficult to work with.
In interviews, Jason Alexander reiterates that it had nothing to do with her as a person.He and the rest of the cast just did not vibe with her acting style.George’s reaction to her death is an iconic moment from the series.
5Larry Charles Wrote An Episode About Elaine Buying A Gun
Before directingBorat,Bruno, and several other films and documentaries, Larry Charles was a writer onSeinfeldfor years. He wrote and submitted an episode about Elaine buying a gun,but it was rejected because of the theme’s sensitive nature.
The comedian was pushing the edge even in these early days. Instead of this episode, which was called “The Bet,” the episode “The Phone Message” was produced instead.
4Chris Rock & Paul Schaefer Were In The Running For George
In a recent interview with Jason Alexander from Michael Rosenbaum, the actor details other performers who were in the running for the part of George. Among the names included were Chris Rock, Larry Miller, Dany DeVito, and Paul Schaefer.
Jason himself got the audition allegedly because of his part inPretty Woman,and also the creators' desire to audition some New York actors. He was confident he would not get the role, but TV destiny had other plans for the actor.
3The Controversial Penultimate Episode
The second-to-last episode ofSeinfeldinvolves the crew stuck in traffic because of the Puerto Rican Day parade. At the end of the episode, Kramer accidentally ignites the island’s flag and stomps out the flame. When the crowd sees him, they get angry and trash Jerry’s car, thinking it is Kramer’s.
Following this episode, some were upset by the desecration of the flag, along with a few other jokes about Puerto Rico that appeared in the episode.NBC issued an apology. The episode rarely shows up in syndicationas a result of the controversy.
2Jason Alexander Threatened To Leave If He Was Not Included In Every Episode
Jason Alexander is absent from only one episode in the entire series, “The Pen.” Upon knowing he was out of one episode early in the show’s run, the actor confronted Larry David andrequested to be let go from the show entirelyif he wasn’t indeed needed for every episode.
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Jason Alexander didn’t want to give up his other work opportunities for the show if he didn’t feel vital for every step of it. This was, of course, before the show was a giant success and took over the airwaves.
1What Jerry Said To The Rest Of The Cast During The Finale
One ofSeinfeld’smajor shticks was its lack of sentimentality, and this was mostly the attitude on set. However, right before filming the series finale, Jerry Seinfeld said a small, yet powerful phrase to the three other leads backstage before heading to stage.
He said,“For the rest of our lives when anybody thinks of one of us, they will think of the four of us. And I can’t think of any people that I would rather have that be true of.” Jason Alexander has said it was difficult for him to keep his emotions in check after hearing such touching words.
