Jerry Seinfeld is a cherished comedian with a collection of accolades, but he will always be best remembered for his appearance as himself in the Larry David-written 90’s sitcom Seinfeld. Many argue that the program is one of the best sitcoms to ever have graced the television set and its global following is unending. The show has had such a significant impact on the world of television and its comedy gold will live on as it is picked up by streaming services and skits can be found on YouTube. Whether you are new to the world of Seinfeld or are a die-hard fan of Jerry and his shenanigans, peek behind the production curtain to find out the rare facts about the show you should know.
Double back
Each episode in Seinfeld tends to be cyclical in design and jokes that launch viewers into the mishaps of the episode will be double backed on at the end of episodes. It is not a unique tactic to land a joke but one that Seinfeld perfected and this is made all the more significant considering that this was used for the very first and last episodes of the entire show. The shirt button joke that introduced us to Jerry would be mimicked in a conversation between George and Jerry in the final minutes of the show.
Things may have been different
The role of George Costanza was originally rejected by highly acclaimed stand-up comedian Jake Johannsen, who had received enormous amounts of praise for his This’ll Take About an Hour HBO comedy special. Reports suggest that Jerry begged Jake to accept the role but for some reason or the other, things fell through. Whether you feel like this was a blessing disguise or an unfortunate misstep, one cannot take away from the incredible work Jason Alexander did on the show.
Far from each other
Despite Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ indelible portrayal of Elaine, the actress and character couldn’t be further from one another than they are. They are polar opposites and Julia even admits to Elaine being “nuts”. The differences begin with the fact that Elaine is constantly finding herself in relationships with men across New York and Julia married at the age of 20 and continues with the fact that Julia is level-headed and confident whereas Elaine suffers from low self-esteem.
Larry’s time to shine
Larry David is a beloved comedian and it would be such a shame if he didn’t feature in Seinfeld in one way or another. But, despite being uncredited for the roles, Larry found a way to include his voice without having to feature as an actor. If you listen closely, you will catch the voice of Larry David as an MTA subway announcer, a boxing referee, a soap opera director, and Yankees-owner George Steinbrenner.
A forgotten script
Seinfeld has always leaned on the fence of controversy, after all, it is a comedy television series. But, there is a line and even the bravest comedians have their controversial limits. This occurred behind the scenes of the episode titled “The Phone Message”, a replacement script drafted by Larry when the actors felt that they could not go on with the original script direction. Who knows what Larry David did with the script but not airing it was probably in everyone’s best interests.
