The first episode of Seinfeld season 1, episode 1, “The Seinfeld Chronicles,” first aired on NBC on July 5, 1989, and it kicked off a historic nine-season run that would change the face of TV comedy. Upon rewatching that rough, unspectacular pilot episode today, however, I found it hard to see it as the jumping-off point for one of the most timeless and revolutionary sitcoms ever made.
Some sitcoms find their voice immediately and hit the ground running with a great first episode: Frasier, Futurama, Modern Family, Derry Girls, Arrested Development. That said, others have needed a couple of seasons to find their feet. The American remake of The Office started off too faithful to the UK original, Parks and Recreation needed a while to figure out Leslie Knope’s characterization, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia took a couple of seasons to figure out its idiosyncratic tone. Based on the shaky pilot episode, Seinfeld definitely falls into the latter category.
Seinfeld's Pilot Episode Doesn't Truly Represent What The Show Became
The Seinfeld Pilot Doesn't Have Witty Dialogue, Dovetailing Storylines, Or Even Elaine
The Seinfeld pilot isn’t at all representative of what the show would eventually become. The dialogue between Jerry and George in the pilot is an early prototype of the snappy repartee that would define the show, but it doesn’t have the razor-sharp wit that the series would develop in its later seasons. One of Seinfeld's signature moves in its later seasons was dovetailing storylines: weaving the A-plot and B-plot in and out of each other before an ironic twist brings them crashing together. But the Seinfeld pilot just has an A-plot, and it’s a pretty conventional sitcom storyline.
Every Way Seinfeld's Pilot Was Different From The Rest Of The Show
While it contains the core of the show's appeal, Seinfeld's pilot isn't quite the show that we all know and love, here's everything that's different.
In "The Seinfeld Chronicles", Jason Alexander plays George more like an impersonation of Woody Allen than the impersonation of Larry David he would do later on. Kramer would go on to become one of the most unique sitcom characters ever created, but in the pilot, there’s not much that separates Kramer from the nosy neighbors of other sitcoms, like Home Improvement’s Wilson or I Love Lucy’s Fred and Ethel. Arguably worst of all, Elaine Benes — one of the show’s most lovable characters — is absent. Considering her importance to the show, It doesn’t really feel like Seinfeld without Elaine.
Seinfeld Took Several Seasons To Become Great
It Wasn't Until Season 4 That Seinfeld Was Consistently Brilliant
It took a few years for Seinfeld to become truly great. There are early signs of greatness peppered throughout seasons 2 and 3. In season 2, episode 11, “The Chinese Restaurant,” and season 3, episode 6, “The Parking Garage,” Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David touched on what would make Seinfeld so unique, and what I love the most about the show: highlighting mundane everyday minutiae. “The Chinese Restaurant” takes place entirely in a restaurant where the characters are waiting for a table, and “The Parking Garage” takes place entirely in a parking garage where they’re trying to find their car.
Seinfeld season 4 brought the show’s most self-aware storyline as Jerry was approached by NBC executives about developing a semi-autobiographical sitcom (essentially an in-universe version of Seinfeld), which paved the way for beautifully meta humor that was way ahead of its time.
These are some of the funniest sitcom episodes ever written — and a handful of other episodes from seasons 2 and 3 are in those ranks — but the show wouldn’t become consistently brilliant until season 4. Seinfeld season 4 brought the show’s most self-aware storyline as Jerry was approached by NBC executives about developing a semi-autobiographical sitcom (essentially an in-universe version of Seinfeld), which paved the way for beautifully meta humor that was way ahead of its time. Season 4 is all bangers with classics like episode 7, “The Bubble Boy,” episode 11, “The Contest,” and episode 17, “The Outing.”
Seinfeld Wasn't An Immediate Hit With Viewers Upon Release
It Took A Few Years For Seinfeld To Find An Audience
Although it would go on to become one of the highest-rated TV shows of all time, it took a few years for Seinfeld to find an audience. According to the behind-the-scenes materials on the home media release, Seinfeld wasn’t an immediate hit in the ratings. NBC wanted to cancel the series after just one episode, but executive Rick Ludwin was convinced the show had potential and fought for a full-season order. NBC reluctantly ordered a four-episode first season — the shortest order in the history of American television — and after that, a 13-episode second season.
Why Seinfeld's Ending Is So Hated (& Why It's Actually Great)
Seinfeld's finale is one of the most divisive episodes of TV ever; however, the two-part season 9 finale is a fitting end to the long-running sitcom.
Seinfeld bounced around the schedule a lot before NBC finally found a timeslot that worked. Midway through season 4, when Seinfeld was moved from the 9pm slot on Wednesdays to the 9:30pm slot on Thursdays, where it aired right after Cheers, the series finally found solid popularity among audiences. From there, Seinfeld went from strength to strength and would eventually become one of the highest-rated shows on television. To this day, the series still has millions of dedicated fans watching reruns and streaming it on Netflix.
Seinfeld
- Release Date
- 1989 - 1998-00-00
- Network
- NBC
- Showrunner
- Larry David
WHERE TO WATCH
Seinfeld stars Jerry Seinfeld as a stand-up comedian whose life in New York City is made even more chaotic by his quirky group of friends who him in wrestling with life's most perplexing yet often trivial questions. Often described as "a show about nothing," Seinfeld mines the humor in life's mundane situations like waiting in line, searching for a lost item, or the trials and tribulations of dating. Co-starring is Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Jerry's ex-girlfriend and current platonic pal, Elaine Benes; Jason Alexander as George Costanza, Jerry's neurotic hard-luck best friend; and Michael Richards as Jerry's eccentric neighbor, Kramer.
- Writers
- Larry David
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
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