Editing Seinfeld

{{Short description|American television sitcom (1989–1998)}}
{{About|the American television sitcom}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Seinfeld logo.svg
| genre                = [[Sitcom]]<br />[[Slice of life]] <br />[[Dark comedy]]
| creator              = {{ubl|[[Larry David]]|[[Jerry Seinfeld]]}}
| showrunner           = Larry David (seasons 1–7)
| director             = {{ubl|[[Tom Cherones]] (seasons 1–5)|[[Andy Ackerman]] (seasons 6–9)|Various (seasons 1, 3, 6 & 8)}}
| presenter            = 
| starring             = {{ubl|[[Jerry Seinfeld]]|[[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]]|[[Michael Richards]]|[[Jason Alexander]]}}
| theme_music_composer = [[Jonathan Wolff (musician)|Jonathan Wolff]]
| composer             = Jonathan Wolff
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 9
| num_episodes         = 180
| list_episodes        = List of Seinfeld episodes
| executive_producer   = {{ubl|[[Larry David]] (1990–1996)|[[George Shapiro]]|[[Howard West]]|[[Andrew Scheinman]]|(1991–1993)|[[Jerry Seinfeld]] (1996–1998)|[[Alec Berg]] (1997–1998)|[[Jeff Schaffer]] (1997–1998)}}
| camera               = [[Multi-camera]]
| runtime              = 22–24 minutes
| company              = {{Plain list|
* Giggling Goose Productions (1989, pilot)
* Fred Barron Productions (1990, season 1)
* [[Howard West|West]]/[[George Shapiro|Shapiro]] Productions
* [[Castle Rock Entertainment]]
}}
| network              = [[NBC]]
| first_aired          = {{start date|1989|7|5}}
| last_aired           = {{end date|1998|5|14}}
| related              = ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''
| image_alt            = 
| released             = 
}}

'''''Seinfeld''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|aɪ|n|f|ɛ|l|d}} {{respell|SYNE|feld}}) is<!-- Do not change to "was" as fiction is written in present tense and remains as "is" per Wikipedia convention. See: [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Television/Style guidelines#Lead paragraphs]]. --> an American [[television sitcom]] created by [[Larry David]] and [[Jerry Seinfeld]] that originally aired on [[NBC]] from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of [[List of Seinfeld episodes|180 episodes]]. Its [[ensemble cast]] stars Seinfeld as a [[Jerry Seinfeld (character)|fictionalized version of himself]] and focuses on his personal life with three of his friends: best friend [[George Costanza]] ([[Jason Alexander]]), former girlfriend [[Elaine Benes]] ([[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]]), and neighbor from across the hall [[Cosmo Kramer]] ([[Michael Richards]]).

''Seinfeld'' is set mostly in and around the titular character's apartment in [[Manhattan]]'s [[Upper West Side]] in [[New York City]]. It has been described as "a show about nothing", often focusing on the [[slice of life|minutiae of daily life]].<ref name="BBC" /> Interspersed in all episodes of the first seven seasons are moments of [[stand-up comedy]] from the fictional Jerry Seinfeld, frequently related to the episode's events.

As a rising comedian in the late 1980s, Jerry Seinfeld was presented with an opportunity to create a show with NBC. He asked Larry David, a fellow comedian and friend, to help create a premise for a sitcom.<ref>{{cite book |last=Armstrong |first=Jennifer |date=2016 |title=Seinfeldia |location=New York |publisher=Simon & Schuster |pages=7–8 |isbn=978-1-4767-5610-3 |author-link=Jennifer Armstrong}}</ref> The series was produced by West-Shapiro Productions and [[Castle Rock Entertainment]] and is distributed in syndication by [[Sony Pictures Television]].{{refn|group=nb|name="nb distribution"|As Sony Pictures Television Studios since 2021; formerly known as '''[[Columbia TriStar Television|Columbia TriStar Television Distribution]]''' from 1995–2002.}} It was largely written by David and Seinfeld along with scriptwriters. A favorite among critics, the series led the [[Nielsen ratings]] in Seasons 6 and 9 and finished among the top two (along with ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'' of the same network) every year from 1994 to 1998. Only two other shows—''[[I Love Lucy]]'' and ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''—finished their runs at the top of the ratings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Looking back at 'I Love Lucy' 64 years later |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/10-love-lucy-article-1.2397434 |last=Dostis|first=Melanie|website=Daily News |location=New York |date=October 15, 2015 |access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref>

''Seinfeld'' is almost universally regarded as one of the greatest and most influential American shows of all time.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ew.com/gallery/tv-10-all-time-greatest/|title=TV: 10 All-Time Greatest |newspaper=Entertainment Weekly |date=June 27, 2013|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref><ref name=tvguideTop50>{{cite news|title=TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tv-guide-names-top-50-shows/|agency=Associated Press|date=April 26, 2002|author=Cosgrove-Mather, Bootie|access-date=February 16, 2022|work=CBS News}}</ref><ref name="Variety">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/lists/greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time/|title=The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|work=Variety|date=December 20, 2023}}</ref><ref name="writers guild of america">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-best-written-tv-series/list|title=101 Best Written TV Series|website=www.wga.org}}</ref><ref name="Sepinwall">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/best-tv-shows-of-all-time-1234598313/seinfeld-6-1234599287/|title=The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|first=Alan|last=Sepinwall|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=September 26, 2022|access-date=September 30, 2022}}</ref> Its most renowned episodes include "[[The Chinese Restaurant]]", "[[The Soup Nazi]]", "[[The Parking Garage]]",<ref>{{cite magazine|year=1997|title=Special Collector's Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time|magazine=[[TV Guide]]|issue=June 28 – July 4}}</ref> "[[The Marine Biologist]]", and "[[The Contest]]".<ref name=TVGuide100Episodes>"TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time and over 6.5 billion different people have watched an episode". ''[[TV Guide]]''; June 15, 2009; pp. 34–49.</ref> [[E!]] named it the "Number 1 reason [why] the '90s ruled".<ref name="e-101">[http://www.tv.com/e!s-101/reasons-the-90s-ruled-101---81/episode/315325/summary.html "Reasons the '90s Ruled 101 – 81"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926061345/http://www.tv.com/e!s-101/reasons-the-90s-ruled-101---81/episode/315325/summary.html |date=September 26, 2009 }}, TV.com</ref> Quotes from numerous episodes have become catchphrases in popular culture.

==Production==
===Conception===
''Seinfeld'' began as a 23-minute pilot titled "[[The Seinfeld Chronicles]]". Created by [[Jerry Seinfeld]] and [[Larry David]], developed by NBC executive Rick Ludwin, and produced by [[Castle Rock Entertainment]], it was a mix of Seinfeld's stand-up comedy routines and idiosyncratic, conversational scenes focusing on mundane aspects of everyday life like laundry, the buttoning of the top button on one's shirt, and the effort by men to interpret the intent of women spending the night in Seinfeld's apartment.<ref name=TVGuide>Battaglio, Stephen (June 30, 2014). "'Annoying' 'Disorienting' 'Boring': On ''Seinfeld's'' 25th anniversary an exclusive look at the memo that almost killed the show". ''[[TV Guide]]''. pp. 18–19.</ref>

The pilot was filmed at Stage 8 of [[Ren-Mar Studios|Desilu Cahuenga]] studios, the same studio where ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'' was filmed (seen by the crew as a good omen),<ref>{{cite video|people=[[Reiner, Rob]]|title=Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: Inside Looks – "The Seinfeld Chronicles"|medium=DVD|publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment|date=November 23, 2004}}</ref> and was recorded at Ren-Mar Studios in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]].<ref name=S1&2DVD-NAN>{{cite video|title=Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: Notes about Nothing – "The Seinfeld Chronicles"|medium=DVD|publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment|date=November 23, 2004}}</ref> The pilot was first screened to a group of two dozen NBC executives in [[Burbank, California]], in early 1989. This one, however, did not yield the explosion of laughter garnered by the pilots for the decade's previous NBC successes like ''[[The Cosby Show]]'' and ''[[The Golden Girls]].'' [[Brandon Tartikoff]] was not convinced the show would work. A Jewish man from New York himself, Tartikoff characterized it as "Too New York, too Jewish".<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Krieger|first=Rosalin|date=October 2003|title="Does he say the word Jewish?" – Jewish representations in Seinfeld|journal=Journal for Cultural Research|volume=7|issue=4|pages=387–404|doi=10.1080/1479758032000165048|s2cid=144869141|issn=1479-7585}}</ref> Test audiences were even harsher. NBC's practice at the time was to recruit 400 households by phone to ask them to evaluate pilots it aired on an unused channel on its cable system. An NBC research department memo summarized the pilot's performance among the respondents as "weak", which [[Warren Littlefield]], then second-in-command in NBC's entertainment division, called "a dagger to the heart".<ref name=TVGuide/> Comments included, "You can't get too excited about two guys going to the laundromat", "Jerry's loser friend George isn't a forceful character", "Jerry needs a stronger supporting cast", and "Why are they interrupting the stand-up for these stupid stories?"<ref name=S1&2DVD-NAN/> Seinfeld and David did not see the memo for several years, but after they became aware of it, they hung it in a bathroom on the set. Seinfeld comments, "We thought, if someone goes in to use this bathroom, this is something they should see. It fits that moment."<ref name=TVGuide/>

Around the time the show's pilot was filmed, Castle Rock Entertainment, which produced the show, had also produced another pilot for NBC that featured [[Ann Jillian]] in her almost-similarly eponymous TV series. When ''The Seinfeld Chronicles'' tested poorly with audiences, Castle Rock focused on Jillian's series, which tested better with audiences and received a full-season order. ''[[Ann Jillian (TV series)|Ann Jillian]]'' lasted only a single season of 13 episodes and was off the air by the end of 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/seinfeld-finale-at-20-hidden-tales-vault-a-comedians-bizarro-world-1111377/ |title='Seinfeld' Finale at 20: Hidden Tales From the Vault of a Comedian's Bizarro World |last=Freeman|first=Marc |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=May 13, 2018 |access-date=February 16, 2022 |quote=Castle Rock, which owned the series, had two pilots at NBC that year: Seinfeld and one with Ann Jillian. Whereas Seinfeld tested poorly, Ann Jillian tested through the roof and earned a 13-episode commitment. Castle Rock decided to focus on that.}}</ref>

===First seasons===
When NBC announced its 1989–90 (primetime) schedule in May 1989, ''The Seinfeld Chronicles'' was not included, but the show's supporters did not give up. The pilot first aired on July 5, 1989, and finished second in its time slot against the CBS police drama ''[[Jake and the Fatman]]'',<ref name=TVGuide/> receiving a [[Nielsen rating]] of 10.9/19.<ref name=S1&2DVD-NAN/> The ratings did not exhibit the regional skew Tartikoff predicted, much to the encouragement of the show's supporters. Ludwin canceled one of the [[Bob Hope]] specials budgeted for that season so the entertainment division had the money to order four more episodes of ''The Seinfeld Chronicles'', which formed the rest of [[Seinfeld (season 1)|the show's first season]] (the series was by then retitled to ''Seinfeld'')<ref name=TVGuide/><ref>{{cite web|last=Duffy|first=Mike|url=https://www.azcentral.com/ent/tv/articles/1125seinfeld.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723085248/http://www.azcentral.com/ent/tv/articles/1125seinfeld.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 23, 2012|title=Give thanks for 'The 'Seinfeld' Story'|publisher=azcentral.com|date=November 24, 2004|access-date=March 19, 2008}}</ref>—a move without which ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' columnist [[Phil Rosenthal]] later said there "would be no ''Seinfeld"''.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-08-21-0508210218-story.html |author= Rosenthal, Phil |author-link= Phil Rosenthal |date= August 21, 2005 |title= NBC executive stands apart by taking stands|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date= February 16, 2022}}</ref> Although this was a very low order number for a new series—and the smallest sitcom order in TV history<ref name=S1&2DVD-NAN/>—Castle Rock failed to find any other buyers when it shopped the show to other networks, and accepted the order.<ref name=TVGuide/> ''Seinfeld'' did not return to the airwaves until May 30, 1990, and it was another three years before it became a Top 5-rated show. Preston Beckman, in charge of NBC's research department at the time, reminisced, "The show was different. Nobody had seen anything like it. It wasn't unusual for poor-testing shows to get on the air, but it was very rare that they became hits."

When the program was first repeated on July 5, 1990, it received a rating of 13.9/26. These ratings were high enough to secure a second season.<ref name="S1&2DVD-NAN" /> NBC research showed that the show was popular with young male adults, a demographic sought after by advertisers. This gave NBC an incentive to keep broadcasting the show.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rapp|first=David|url=http://www.americanheritage.com/entertainment/articles/web/20060531-jerry-seinfeld-sitcom-television-nbc-kramer-comedian-stand-up-larry-david.shtml|title=Seinfeld: The Unlikeliest Success Story|publisher=American Heritage|date=May 31, 2006|access-date=March 19, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315041818/http://www.americanheritage.com/entertainment/articles/web/20060531-jerry-seinfeld-sitcom-television-nbc-kramer-comedian-stand-up-larry-david.shtml|archive-date=March 15, 2008}}</ref> One DVD reviewer, Britt Gillette, wrote that "this initial episode exhibits the flashes of brilliance that made ''Seinfeld'' a cultural phenomenon."<ref>{{cite web|last=Gillette|first=Britt|url=http://www.articlecity.com/articles/music_and_movies/article_518.shtml|title=Seinfeld (Seasons 1 & 2) DVD Review|publisher=Article City|date=September 20, 2006|access-date=June 16, 2019|archive-date=January 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122094547/http://www.articlecity.com/articles/music_and_movies/article_518.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Filming===
Other than the pilot, the series was filmed at [[CBS Studio Center]] in [[Studio City, Los Angeles]]. The first three seasons were filmed on Soundstage 19; it then moved to the larger Stage 9 for the remainder of its production.<ref name="Studio Sets Seinfeld">{{cite web |title=Seinfeld Film Locations|url=https://sites.google.com/site/seinfeldfilmlocations/other_locations}}</ref>  Despite numerous establishing shots taken in New York City,<ref name="Huffington Post">{{cite web |title=A guide to 'Seinfeld' filming locations in New York City|date=March 10, 2015|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-guide-to-seinfeld-filmi_b_6834026|work=HuffPost}}</ref> all scenes of the actors walking in New York were also filmed at CBS Studio Center, on their New York Street [[backlot]].<ref name="RobOnLocation.com Youtube">{{cite web |title=New York Backlot at CBS Radford|website = [[YouTube]]| date=September 5, 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc3TGBoxlBc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/zc3TGBoxlBc| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Street scenes and park scenes were filmed in the CBS Studio Centre's New York Street and Central Park backlots, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seinfeld |url=https://robonlocation.com/tv/seinfeld/ |website=Rob On Location|date=April 25, 2019 }}</ref>

A source of problems for the cast was the small sets, especially that of Jerry's apartment; Alexander noted, "If you knew you were doing a series for nine years, you would never build that set." Adding to the problem was that the scripts contained only minimal physical direction, leaving the actors needing help to come up with actions to perform while speaking. Eventually, they got into a routine of directing each other on how to make their movements look natural. Alexander said this helped them build chemistry with each other.<ref name="productionweek">{{Cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye3bFno_1NU |title=Jason Alexander discusses a typical week of production on "Seinfeld" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG |date=July 9, 2014 |author=Archive of American Television |publisher=YouTube |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Ye3bFno_1NU |archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Filming usually went long, as the cast and Larry David were perfectionists. If a joke did not elicit the desired reaction, they rewrote it and performed it again. In at least one case, "The Marine Biologist," this led to David writing an entirely new scene requiring Alexander to memorize a monologue in only a matter of minutes. [[Laugh track]]s were used only for matching shots, not for artificially adding laughter.<ref name=productionweek/>

Various locations used for establishing shots included Tom's Restaurant at 112th Street and Broadway (Monk's Cafe), Midtown West's Roosevelt Hospital (recurring exterior emergency room scene and indoor scenes in 'The Junior Mint' and 'The Bris'), Cornell Medical Centre at 525 East 68th Street, 22-39 37th Street, Queens (The Costanza's house), the Taconic State Parkway exit to the Hopewell Junction, Dutchess County, New York (driving scene in 'The Bubble Boy'), and the Amagansett farmers market, Long Island ('The Hamptons'). The exterior shot used for Jerry's New York apartment building was actually located at 757 S New Hampshire Avenue, Los Angeles. The real-life exterior of Pendant Publishing, Elaine's workplace, is located at 1325 Ave of the Americas, New York. The live stand-up comedy performed by Seinfeld at the beginning of most episodes was truly filmed at The Improv, a comedy club at 358 West 44th Street, Manhattan; though it closed in 1993, another comedy club operates at the site today.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Bubble Boy. |url=https://mapsaboutnothing.com/2013/05/14/the-bubble-boy/ |access-date=February 23, 2023 |website=Maps about nothing. A global guide to Seinfeld.|date=May 14, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Junior Mint |url=https://mapsaboutnothing.com/2013/05/14/the-junior-mint/ |access-date=March 1, 2023 |website=Maps about nothing. Maps of Seinfeld.|date=May 14, 2013 }}</ref> The [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] exterior seen in the show has now been demolished. Most office building establishing shots are real businesses and locations. Various real street locations can be gleaned from the car windows during driving scenes. By the final season, each episode of the series cost $3 million to $3.5 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times/131322659/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230906134803/https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times/131322659/|title=Moolah, moolah, moolah|newspaper=[[Asheville Citizen-Times]]|page=37|archivedate=September 6, 2023|date=May 14, 1998|accessdate=September 6, 2023|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

More than 120 episodes make reference to the [[Superman (franchise)|''Superman'' franchise]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.looper.com/844011/is-there-really-a-superman-reference-in-every-seinfeld-episode/ |title=Television Is There Really A Superman Reference In Every Seinfeld Episode? |website=Looper |last=Leeman |first=Zachary |date=April 26, 2022 |access-date=May 11, 2023}}</ref> [[Teri Hatcher]], who played Lois Lane on ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]'', plays Jerry's girlfriend Sidra. [[Paula Marshall]], who played Christina Riley on [[Superboy (TV series)|the ''Superboy'' TV series]], portrays the journalist Sharon, who Jerry says reminds him of Lois Lane. [[Sherman Howard]], who played Lex Luthor on ''Superboy'', portrays Roy. Superman logos and figurines frequently appear in Jerry's apartment. Seinfeld and Superman later appear in an American Express commercial. The show was written by David and Seinfeld, along with writers who included [[Larry Charles]], [[Peter Mehlman]], [[Gregg Kavet]], [[Carol Leifer]], [[David Mandel]], [[Jeff Schaffer]], [[Steve Koren]], [[Jennifer Crittenden]], [[Tom Gammill]], [[Max Pross]], [[Dan O'Keefe (writer)|Dan O'Keefe]], [[Charlie Rubin]], [[Marjorie Gross]], [[Alec Berg]], [[Elaine Pope]], and [[Spike Feresten]].

==Series overview==

===Plotlines===
Many ''Seinfeld'' episodes are based on the writers' real-life experiences, with the experiences reinterpreted for the characters' storylines. For example, George's storyline in "[[The Revenge (Seinfeld)|The Revenge]]" is based on Larry David's experience at ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=212 |title=Seinfacts: The Revenge |publisher=[[Sony Pictures]] |access-date=December 30, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216150813/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=212 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref> "[[The Contest]]" is also based on David's experiences. "[[The Smelly Car]]" storyline is based on Peter Mehlman's lawyer friend, who could not get a bad smell out of his car. "[[The Strike (Seinfeld)|The Strike]]" is based on Dan O'Keefe's dad, who made up his own holiday: [[Festivus]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=910 |title=The Strike |publisher=[[Sony Pictures]] |access-date=January 8, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216150844/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=910 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref> Other stories take a variety of turns. "[[The Chinese Restaurant]]" consists of George, Jerry, and Elaine waiting for a table throughout the entire episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=206 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Chinese Restaurant |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111123925/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=206 |archive-date=January 11, 2012 }}</ref> "[[The Boyfriend (Seinfeld)|The Boyfriend]]", revolving around [[Keith Hernandez]], extends through two episodes. "[[The Betrayal]]" is famous for using [[reverse chronology]] and was inspired by a similar plot device in a [[Harold Pinter]] play, [[Betrayal (play)|''Betrayal'']].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=908 |title=The Betrayal |publisher=[[Sony Pictures]] |access-date=January 8, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216150839/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=908 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref> Some stories were inspired by headlines and rumors, as explained in the DVD features "Notes About Nothing", "Inside Look" and "Audio Commentary." In "[[The Maestro (Seinfeld)|The Maestro]]", Kramer's lawsuit is roughly similar to the [[McDonald's coffee case]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=703 |title=The Maestro |publisher=[[Sony Pictures]] |access-date=January 8, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216150829/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=703 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref> "[[The Outing]]" is based primarily on rumors that Larry Charles heard about Jerry Seinfeld's sexuality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=416 |title=The Outing |publisher=[[Sony Pictures]] |access-date=January 8, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216150823/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=416 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref>

===Themes===
The series was often described as "a show about nothing".<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/s/seinfeld_7775675.shtml |title=Seinfeld |publisher=BBC |access-date=May 17, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427105254/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/s/seinfeld_7775675.shtml |archive-date=April 27, 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmovie.com/work/276165|title=Seinfeld: Overview|author=Erickson, Hal |publisher=[[Allmovie]]|access-date=May 17, 2007}}</ref> However, in 2014, Seinfeld stated: "The pitch for the show, the real pitch, when Larry and I went to NBC in 1988, was [that] we want to show how a comedian gets his material. The show "about nothing" was just a joke in an episode many years later, and Larry and I to this day are surprised that it caught on as a way that people describe the show because, to us, it's the opposite of that."<ref>{{cite web|last=Seinfeld|first=Jerry|title=Jerry Seinfeld here. I will give you an answer. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1ujvrg/jerry_seinfeld_here_i_will_give_you_an_answer/ceitvvp|website=Reddit|date=January 6, 2014 |access-date=January 15, 2015}}</ref> David similarly commented: "I like taking the worst qualities that a person has and trying to make something funny out of it. Doesn't everybody do terrible things and have terrible thoughts? Just by trying to be as funny, you're going to deal with a lot of things that are real, so the show's really about something. The whole thing about the show being about nothing is ridiculous."<ref>{{cite video |title=Seinfeld Season 5: Notes about Nothing - "The Mango" |medium=DVD |publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment |year=2005}}</ref>

Much of the show's humor is based upon repeated use of irony, incongruity, and (oftentimes unfortunate) coincidences. Additionally, guest characters are frequently introduced with little to no context, with a humorous focus on the atypical names of these characters, which often contain alliteration. In keeping with Seinfeld's reputation as a clean comedian,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Burkeman |first=Oliver |last2= |date=January 5, 2014 |title=Jerry Seinfeld on how to be funny without sex and swearing |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/jan/05/jerry-seinfeld-funny-sex-swearing-sitcom-comedy |access-date=July 12, 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> though the show frequently contains dialogue around sexual themes, the show notably avoids using almost all explicit sexual terminology. Notably, in the popular episode "[[The Contest]]", whose plot line concerns a contest amongst the main characters to see which one can go the longest without masturbating, the word 'masturbation' is never mentioned. ''Seinfeld'' broke several conventions of mainstream television. David is credited with refusing to follow a predictable sitcom formula that would have a romantic relationship develop between Jerry and Elaine.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hurd|first=Robert.|date=2006|title=Taking Seinfeld Seriously: Modernism in Popular Culture|journal=New Literary History|volume=37|issue=4|pages=761–776 |doi=10.1353/nlh.2007.0005|s2cid=55842151|issn=1080-661X}}</ref>

The show offers no growth or reconciliation to its characters and eschews sentimentality.<ref name="baltimore sun">{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1998-05-03-1998123008-story.html|title=The world according to 'Seinfeld' No hugging, no learning. No aging, commitment or obligation. We've laughed at such postmodern sentiments for nine years. Is there anything wrong with that?|last=Zurawik|first=David|date=May 3, 1998|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> An episode is typically driven by humor interspersed with the superficial conflicts of characters with peculiar dispositions. Many episodes revolve around the characters' involvement in the lives of others, with typically disastrous results. 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. Larry David was adamant from the beginning that he did not want the characters to mature, grow or learn from their past mistakes.<ref name="baltimore sun" /> The characters are "thirty-something singles with vague identities, no roots, and conscious indifference to morals."<ref>{{cite web |last=Hurd |first=R. Wesley |date=June 1998 |title=Postmodernism: A New Model of Reality |url=http://www.mckenziestudycenter.org/philosophy/articles/postmod.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624102627/http://www.mckenziestudycenter.org/philosophy/articles/postmod.html |archive-date=June 24, 2011 |access-date=June 30, 2007 |publisher=McKenzie Study Center}}</ref> Also unlike most sitcoms, there are no moments of [[pathos]]; the audience is never made to feel sorry for any of the characters. Even Susan's death in "[[The Invitations]]" elicits no genuine emotions from anybody in the show.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/1996/06/07/latest-tv-trend-death|title=Latest TV trend: Death|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|first=Nisid|last=Hajari|date=June 7, 1996|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> ''Seinfeld'' does not shy away from making light of tough topics, from death to illness to disability.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Iannone|first=Carol|date=Spring 2018 |title=Seinfeld: The Politically Incorrect Comedy: Far from being about nothing, the greatest sitcom of the 1990s was a satire of a world without rules. |url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A537983199/AONE?u=aacc_ref&sid=AONE&xid=995520ed.|journal=Modern Age|pages=51|via=Academic OneFile}}</ref><ref name="politically-incorrect">{{cite web |last=Iannone |first=Carol |title=Seinfeld: The Politically Incorrect Comedy |url=https://isi.org/modern-age/seinfeld-the-politically-incorrect-comedy/ |website=isi.org |date=April 11, 2018 |publisher=Modern Age |access-date=April 11, 2018}}</ref>

The show frequently engages in fourth-wall-breaking humor and self-satire. One such example is the [[story arc]], where the characters promote a TV sitcom series named ''Jerry''. The [[show within a show]], ''Jerry'' was much like ''Seinfeld'' in that it was "about nothing," and Seinfeld played himself. The fictional ''Jerry'' was launched in the Season 4 finale, but unlike ''Seinfeld'', it was not picked up as a series. ''Jerry'' is one of many examples of [[metafiction]] in the show. There are no fewer than 22 fictional movies featured, like ''Rochelle, Rochelle''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uproxx.com/tv/2014/10/all-the-fictional-movies-on-seinfeld-ranked/|title=All The Fictional Movies On 'Seinfeld,' Ranked|work=UPROXX|date=October 7, 2014}}</ref> Because of these several elements, ''Seinfeld'' became the first TV series since ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' to be widely described as [[postmodern]].<ref name="Grenz">{{cite book|title=A Primer on Postmodernism|isbn=978-0-8028-0864-6|last=Grenz|first=Stanley J.|author-link=Stanley Grenz|publisher=[[Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.]]|date=February 1996}}</ref>

Seinfeld is an avid [[Abbott and Costello]] fan and has cited ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show]]'' as an influence on ''Seinfeld'': "Everybody on the show knows I'm a fan. We're always joking about how we do stuff from their show. George and I will often get into a riff that has the rhythm from the old Abbott and Costello shows. And sometimes, I'll hit George in the chest the way Abbott would hit Costello". The series includes numerous references to the team. George Costanza's middle name is "Louis", after Costello.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/21/arts/seinfeld-as-opening-act-for-abbott-and-costello.html|title=Seinfeld as Opening Act For Abbott and Costello|first=Bill|last=Carter|date=November 21, 1994|access-date=January 19, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|url-access=limited}}</ref> "[[The Old Man (Seinfeld)|The Old Man]]" episode features a cantankerous character named "Sid Fields" as a tribute to the landlord on the team's TV show. Kramer's friend is named Mickey Abbott. A copywriter for the J. Peterman catalog is named Eddie Sherman, after the team's longtime agent. In Episode 30, Kramer hears the famous Abbott and Costello line, "His father was a mudder. His mother was a mudder."

===Catchphrases===
Many terms were coined, popularized, or re-popularized in the series' run and have become part of popular culture,<ref>{{cite news|first=Caryn|last=James|url=https://www.nytimes.com/specials/seinfeld/sein5-11parting.html|title=Goodbye! Already|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=December 22, 2007|date=May 12, 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080123105924/http://www.nytimes.com/specials/seinfeld/sein5-11parting.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive -->|archive-date=January 23, 2008|url-access=limited}}</ref> including "[[The Yada Yada|Yada, yada, yada]]",<ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 22, 1999 |title=SEINFELD ASSESSES INFLUENCE |url=https://people.com/celebrity/seinfeld-assesses-influence/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080126200103/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,26334,615581,00.html |archive-date=January 26, 2008 |access-date=October 6, 2022}}</ref> "[[No soup for you!]]", "[[Master of my domain]]", "[[The Chaperone (Seinfeld)|That's a shame]]", and "[[Not that there's anything wrong with that]]." The lexicon of Seinfeldian code words and recurring phrases that evolved around particular episodes is referred to as [[Seinlanguage]], which is also the title of Jerry Seinfeld's best-selling book on humor.<ref name="Grenz" /> These terms include "[[man hands]]", "[[The Hamptons (Seinfeld)|shrinkage]]", "[[The Label Maker|regift]]", and "[[The Implant|double dip]]".

===Consumer products===
A recurring feature of ''Seinfeld'' was its inclusion of specific products, especially [[candy]], as plot points. These might be a central feature of a plot (e.g., [[Junior Mints]], [[Twix]], [[Chuckles]], [[Jujyfruits]], bite-size [[3 Musketeers (chocolate bar)|Three Musketeers]], [[Snickers]], [[Chunky (candy bar)|Chunky]], [[Oh Henry!]], [[Drake's Cakes|Drake's]] Coffee Cake and [[PEZ]]), or an association of candy with a guest character (e.g. Oh Henry! bars) or simply a conversational aside (e.g., Chuckles, [[Clark Bar]], [[Twinkies]]). A large number of non-candy products were also featured throughout the series.

The show's creators claim that they weren't engaging in a product placement strategy for commercial gain. One motivation for the use of real-world products, entirely 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.'"<ref>{{cite news|title=A look at some of the biggest hits in movie and TV product placement|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000901395|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011140335/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000901395 |archive-date=October 11, 2007 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=April 28, 2005|access-date=November 10, 2007|author=<!--Not stated-->}}</ref>

Many advertisers capitalized on the popularity of ''Seinfeld''. [[American Express]] created a [[webisode]] where Jerry Seinfeld and an animated [[Superman]] (voiced by [[Patrick Warburton]], who played the role of Puddy) starred in its commercial. The makers of the [[Contraceptive sponge|Today Sponge]] created the "Spongeworthy" game on their website, inspired by "[[The Sponge]]." An advertisement featured Jason Alexander in a [[Chrysler]] commercial. In this, Alexander acts much like his character George, and his relationship with [[Lee Iacocca]] plays on George's relationship with Steinbrenner. Similarly, Michael Richards was the focus of a series of advertisements for [[Vodafone]], which ran in [[Australia]], where he dressed and acted precisely like Kramer, including the trademark bumbling pratfalls. In addition, the show occasionally incorporated fictional products like a [[Scotch whisky|Scotch]] brand called "Hennigan's" (a blend of "[[Hennessy]]" and "[[Brannigans]]") and a [[canned meat]] product called "Beef-a-reeno" (a parody of "[[Chef Boyardee|Beef-a-roni]]").

===Music===
A signature of ''Seinfeld'' is its theme music. Composed by [[Jonathan Wolff (musician)|Jonathan Wolff]], it consists of distinct solo [[Sampling (music)|sampled]] [[electric bass]] riffs that open the show and connect the scenes, often accompanied by [[beatboxing]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaQ7y5OeHWI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/oaQ7y5OeHWI| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Entertainment Tonight – Jonathan Wolff Seinfeld music|work=YouTube|date=July 11, 2013 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> The bass music eventually replaced the original piano/synth music by Jep Epstein when it was played again after the first broadcast of [[The Seinfeld Chronicles|the pilot episode]]. The show lacked a traditional title track and the riffs were played over the first moments of dialogue or action. They vary throughout each episode and are played in an improvised funk style, matching the timing of Seinfeld's stand-up comedy delivery or transitions in the editing. An additional musical theme with an ensemble, led by a synthesized mid-range brass instrument, ends each episode.

In "[[The Note (Seinfeld)|The Note]]", the first episode of Season 3, the bumper music featured [[scatting]] female backup singers who sang a phrase that sounded like the tune "Easy to Beat". Jerry Seinfeld and executive producer Larry David both liked Wolff's additions, and three episodes were produced with this new style of music. However, they had neglected to inform NBC and Castle Rock executives of the change, and when the season premiere aired, the executives were surprised and unimpressed and requested that they return to the original style. The subsequent two episodes were redone, leaving this episode as the only one with additional music elements.<ref>Season 3 DVD: Inside Look of 'The Note'</ref> In the commentary of "The Note," Louis-Dreyfus facetiously suggests it was removed because the perceived lyric related closely to the low ratings at the time.<ref>Season 3 DVD: 'The Note' commentary</ref> In the final three seasons, the bits were tweaked slightly with more frantic rhythms; a bass guitar was added in addition to the sampled bass from earlier seasons. Throughout the show, the main theme could be restyled in different ways depending on the episode. For instance, in "The Betrayal," part of which takes place in India, the theme is heard played on a [[sitar]]. The soundtrack was given a digital release on July 2, 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/seinfeld-soundtrack-to-be-released-1235009969/|title='Seinfeld' Soundtrack to Be Released… Finally (EXCLUSIVE)|work=Variety|first=Jon|last=Burlingame|date=July 1, 2021|access-date=July 2, 2021}}</ref>
{{Track listing
| headline      = ''Seinfeld'' (Original Television Soundtrack)
| extra_column  = Episode(s)

| all_music = Jonathan Wolff.

| title1 = ''Seinfeld'' Theme
| length1 = 0:52

| title2 = ''Seinfeld'' Theme
| extra2 = "[[The Highlights of 100]]"
| length2 = 0:40

| title3 = ''Seinfeld'' Theme
| extra3 = "[[The Chronicle (Seinfeld)|The Chronicle]]"
| length3 = 0:33

| title4 = The Jerry Show Theme | extra4 = "[[The Pilot (Seinfeld)|The Pilot]], Part 2"
| length4 = 0:50

| title5 = Kramer's Pimpwalk
| extra5 = "[[The Wig Master]]"
| length5 = 0:53

| title6 = Jerry the Mailman
| extra6 = "[[The Andrea Doria (Seinfeld)|The Andrea Doria]]"
| length6 = 0:35

| title7 = Himalayan Walking Shoes
| extra7 = "[[The Hot Tub]]"
| length7 = 0:56

| title8 = John Jermaine Jazz #1 (feat. Bob Sheppard)
| extra8 = "[[The Rye]]"
| length8 = 2:52

| title9 = John Jermaine Jazz #2 (feat. Bob Sheppard)
| extra9 = "The Rye"
| length9 = 2:24

| title10 = John Jermaine Jazz #3 (feat. Bob Sheppard)
| extra10 = "The Rye"
| length10 = 2:48

| title11 = Kramer's Boombox
| extra11 = "[[The Package (Seinfeld)|The Package]]"
| length11 = 1:15

| title12 = Jerry vs Newman Chase
| extra12 = "[[The Soul Mate]]"
| length12 = 0:32

| title13 = Cable Guy vs Kramer Chase
| extra13 = "[[The Cadillac]], Part 2", "[[The Butter Shave]]"
| length13 = 2:10

| title14 = Noxin
| extra14 = "The Cadillac, Part 2"
| length14 = 1:18

| title15 = Jesus Is One (feat. Jack Diamond)
| extra15 = "[[The Burning (Seinfeld)|The Burning]]"
| length15 = 0:31

| title16 = Kramer's Crappy Banjo
| extra16 = "[[The Muffin Tops]]"
| length16 = 0:37

| title17 = Peterman in Burmese Jungle
| extra17 = "[[The Chicken Roaster]]"
| length17 = 0:37

| title18 = TV Cartoon / Wheels on the Bus
| extra18 = "[[The Contest]]"
| length18 = 1:00

| title19 = Finale Suitcase Montage
| extra19 = "[[The Finale (Seinfeld)|The Finale]]"
| length19 = 0:51

| title20 = Waiting for the Verdict Blues
| extra20 = "The Finale"
| length20 = 0:47

| title21 = This Night Show
| extra21 = "[[The Trip (Seinfeld)|The Trip]], Part 1"
| length21 = 0:50

| title22 = Rock Music Video
| extra22 = "The Trip, Part 1"
| length22 = 1:22

| title23 = The Lopper
| extra23 = "[[The Frogger]]"
| length23 = 0:33

| title24 = 1937 Wedding Cake Waltz
| extra24 = "The Frogger"
| length24 = 0:39

| title25 = Kramer Bachelor Auction
| extra25 = "[[The Barber (Seinfeld)|The Barber]]"
| length25 = 0:52

| title26 = Rochelle, Rochelle the Musical
| extra26 = "[[The Understudy (Seinfeld)|The Understudy]]"
| length26 = 0:42

| title27 = Pier Contemplation
| extra27 = "[[The Invitations]]"
| length27 = 0:39

| title28 = Loud Dixieland Band
| extra28 = "[[The Mom & Pop Store]]"
| length28 = 1:42

| title29 = Scarsdale Surprise
| extra29 = "[[The Summer of George]]"
| length29 = 0:33

| title30 = Checkmate/Chunnel/Death Blow
| extra30 = "[[The Movie]]", "[[The Pool Guy]]", "[[The Little Kicks]]"
| length30 = 4:02

| title31 = Blimp
| extra31 = "[[The Puerto Rican Day]]"
| length31 = 2:44

| title32 = The Pain & the Yearning
| extra32 = "[[The Comeback (Seinfeld)|The Comeback]]"
| length32 = 2:19

| title33 = George's Answering Machine (Greatest American Hero)
| extra33 = "[[The Susie]]"
| length33 = 0:29
}}

==Cast and characters==
===Main characters===
[[File: Seinfeld actors montage.jpg|thumb|Main cast: Seinfeld (upper left); Alexander (upper right); Richards (lower right); Louis-Dreyfus (lower left).]]
* [[Jerry Seinfeld (character)|Jerry Seinfeld]] ([[Jerry Seinfeld|himself]]) – Jerry is a "minor [[celeb]]" [[stand-up comedian]] who is often depicted as "[[Everyman|the voice of common sense and reason]]" amid the general insanity generated by the people in his world. The in-show character is a mild [[germophobe]] and [[Obsessive–compulsive disorder|neat freak]] as well as an avid [[Superman]], [[New York Mets]], and [[breakfast cereal]] fan. Jerry's apartment is the center of a world visited by his eccentric friends and a focus of the show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/about/?sl=cast_and_characters&tab=jerry&type=char |title=Seinfeld Cast and characters – Jerry |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=December 11, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212015442/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/about/?sl=cast_and_characters |archive-date=December 12, 2007 }}</ref>
* [[George Costanza]] ([[Jason Alexander]]) – George has been Jerry's best friend since high school. He is stingy, conniving, pedantic, and jealous of others' achievements.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seinfeld – Cast and Characters |url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/about/?sl=cast_and_characters&tab=george&type=char |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127162844/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/about/?sl=cast_and_characters&tab=george&type=char |archive-date=January 27, 2012 |access-date=March 7, 2012 |publisher=Sony Pictures}}</ref> He is depicted as a loser who is perpetually lacking confidence about his capabilities. He rants and lies easily about his profession, relationships, and almost everything else, which usually creates trouble for him later. He often uses the alias Art Vandelay when lying or concocting a cover story. Despite these shortcomings, George is very reliable to his friends and has success in dating women, and he eventually secures a steady career as an assistant to the traveling secretary for the [[New York Yankees]]. The character of George was based on Larry David himself.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Donaldson |first=Mark |date=2023-03-13 |title=Seinfeld Had A "Real" George Costanza (Not Larry David) |url=https://screenrant.com/seinfeld-real-george-costanza-explained/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Elaine Benes]] ([[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]]) – Elaine is Jerry's ex-girlfriend and later friend. Generally depicted as smarter than her friends, she is friendly while also being sarcastic, somewhat elitist, and hot-tempered. She is occasionally depicted as [[vegetarian]] or [[pescatarian]], without the strength of conviction to keep this up regularly. She sometimes tends to be too honest with people (usually by losing her temper), which often gets her into trouble.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/about/?sl=cast_and_characters&tab=elaine&type=char |title=Seinfeld Cast and characters – Elaine |publisher=Sony pictures |access-date=December 11, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217220207/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/about/?sl=cast_and_characters&tab=elaine&type=char |archive-date=December 17, 2007 }}</ref> She usually gets caught up in her boyfriends' quirks, eccentric employers' unusual behaviors and idiosyncrasies, and the maladjustment of total strangers. She tends to make poor choices in men she dates and is often overly reactive. She works for a time at Pendant Publishing with Mr. Lippman. Later she is hired as a personal assistant for Mr. Pitt. She eventually worked for the J. Peterman catalog as a writer. Elaine is popularly described as an amalgamation of David's and Seinfeld's girlfriends during their early days in [[New York City|New York]] as struggling comedians.
* [[Cosmo Kramer]] ([[Michael Richards]]) – Kramer is Jerry's [[slacker]] neighbor. His trademarks include his humorous upright [[pompadour hairstyle]], vintage clothes, and energetic sliding bursts through Jerry's apartment door. Kramer was heavily based on a neighbor of David's during his amateur comedic years in Manhattan.<ref name=":1" /> At times, he appears [[naïve]], uneducated, and impulsive, and at other times, quick-witted, helpful, and empathetic; similarly he is exaggeratedly successful, socially, with his charisma and laid-back personality. This is seen in his success with women and employers. He has been described as a "[[Hipster (contemporary subculture)|hipster]] doofus." Although he never holds a steady job, he is rarely short of money and frequently invents wacky schemes that often work at first but eventually fail. Kramer is friends with [[Newman (Seinfeld)|Newman]], and they work well together despite their differences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/about/?sl=cast_and_characters&tab=kramer&type=char |title=Seinfeld Cast and characters – Kramer |publisher=Sony pictures |access-date=December 11, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217215856/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/about/?sl=cast_and_characters&tab=kramer&type=char |archive-date=December 17, 2007 }}</ref> He often provides [[slapstick]] gags.

===Recurring characters===
{{Main|List of Seinfeld characters}}
Many characters have made multiple appearances, notably Jerry's parents, Morty and Helen Seinfeld, who reside in Florida; George's parents, the overbearing Frank and Estelle Costanza; George's on-again, off-again fiancée Susan Ross; Jerry's [[Uncle Leo]]; Elaine's variety of bosses, Mr. Lippman, Mr. Pitt and J. Peterman; Elaine's on-again, off-again boyfriend David Puddy; and Kramer's friend, [[Newman (Seinfeld)|Newman]], a mail carrier who lives in the same building and is Jerry's nemesis. In addition to recurring characters, ''Seinfeld'' features numerous celebrities who appear as themselves or as girlfriends, boyfriends, bosses, and other acquaintances.

; Seinfeld's girlfriends
A number of actresses made guest appearances as Seinfeld's love interests in single episodes:

* Isabel ([[Tawny Kitaen]]) – "[[The Nose Job]]" (season 3, episode 9)
* Nina ([[Catherine Keener]]) – "[[The Letter (Seinfeld)|The Letter]]" (season 3, episode 20)
* Marla ([[Jane Leeves]]) – "[[The Virgin (Seinfeld)|The Virgin]]" (season 4, episode 10)
* Sidra ([[Teri Hatcher]]) – "[[The Implant]]" (season 4, episode 19)
* Amy ([[Anna Gunn]]) – "[[The Glasses]]" (season 5, episode 3)
* Jody ([[Jennifer Coolidge]]) – "[[The Masseuse (Seinfeld)|The Masseuse]]" (season 5, episode 9)
* Jane ([[Jami Gertz]]) – "[[The Stall]]" (season 5, episode 12)
* Meryl ([[Courteney Cox]]) – "[[The Wife (Seinfeld)|The Wife]]" (season 5, episode 17)
* Margaret ([[Marita Geraghty]]) - "[[The Big Salad]]" (season 6, episode 2)
* Jeannie ([[Janeane Garofalo]]) – "[[The Invitations]]" (season 7, episode 24)
* Ellen ([[Christine Taylor]]) – "[[The Van Buren Boys]]" (season 8, episode 14)
* Jenna ([[Kristin Davis]]) – "[[The Pothole]]" (season 8, episode 16)
* Beth ([[Debra Messing]]) – "[[The Yada Yada]]" (season 8, episode 19)
* Valerie ([[Lauren Graham]]) – "[[The Millennium (Seinfeld)|The Millennium]]" (season 8, episode 20)
* Alex ([[Melinda Clarke]]) – "[[The Muffin Tops]]" (season 8, episode 21)
* Lanette ([[Amanda Peet]]) – "[[The Summer of George]]" (season 8, episode 22)
* Patty ([[Lori Loughlin]]) – "[[The Serenity Now]]" (season 9, episode 3)
* Sara ([[Marcia Cross]]) – "[[The Slicer]]" (season 9, episode 7)

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Seinfeld episodes}}
{{:List of Seinfeld episodes}}

[[File:Tom's Restaurant, Seinfeld.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tom's Restaurant]], a diner at [[112th Street|112th St.]] and Broadway in Manhattan, was used as the exterior image of [[Monk's Café]] in the show]]
Compared to other family and group [[sitcoms]] of the era, ''Seinfeld'' stood out. The principal characters are not related by family or work-associated connections but remain distinctly close friends throughout the series. Many characters were based primarily on Seinfeld's and David's real-life acquaintances. Two prominent recurring characters were fictional depictions of actual well-known people: [[Jacopo Peterman]] of the [[The J. Peterman Company|J. Peterman]] catalog (based on [[John Peterman]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=707 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sonypictures.com |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516044745/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=707 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> and [[George Steinbrenner (Seinfeld character)|George Steinbrenner]], owner of the [[New York Yankees]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=521 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173017/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=521 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> Many characters were introduced as new writers got involved with ''Seinfeld''. Other characters based on real people include the [[Soup Nazi]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=706 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119040252/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=706 |archive-date=January 19, 2012 }}</ref> and [[Jackie Chiles]], who was based on [[Johnnie Cochran]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=703 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009191401/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=703 |archive-date=October 9, 2012 }}</ref>

Episodes have separate plot strands, but the characters' stories often intertwine at the end. The narratives reveal the creators' "consistent efforts to maintain the intimacy" among the small cast of characters.<ref>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}}</ref>

The show maintains a strong sense of [[continuity (fiction)|continuity]], as characters and plots from past episodes are often referenced or expanded on. Occasionally, story arcs span multiple episodes or entire seasons, such as [[Seinfeld (season 4)|Season 4]], which revolves around the [[television pilot|pilot]] pitch to NBC by Jerry and George. Another example is Jerry's girlfriend Vanessa, who appears in "[[The Stake Out (Seinfeld)|The Stake Out]]" and with whom he ends the relationship when things do not work out in "[[The Stock Tip]]". [[Larry David]], the head writer and executive producer for the first seven seasons, was praised for keeping a close eye on minor details and ensuring the main characters' lives remained consistent and believable. ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'', David's later comedy series, also had an overarching plot for all but the first season.

A major difference between ''Seinfeld'' and the sitcoms that preceded it is that the principal characters never learn from their mistakes. In effect, they are indifferent and even callous toward the outside world and sometimes one another. A [[mantra]] of the show's producers was "No hugging, no learning."<ref>{{cite news|title=About Seinfeld|url=http://www.tv1.com.au/Shows/Seinfeld/About/|publisher=[[TV1 (Australia)|TV1]]|access-date=January 22, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831074136/http://www.tv1.com.au/Shows/Seinfeld/About/|archive-date=August 31, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'}}s TV critic [[Ken Tucker]] has described them as "a group dynamic rooted in jealousy, rage, insecurity, despair, hopelessness, and a touching lack of faith in one's fellow human beings."<ref>Tucker, Ken. "The Fantastic 4" in ''Entertainment Weekly'': Special Seinfeld Issue. ''Entertainment Weekly''. May 4, 1998, p. 13.</ref> This leads to very few happy endings, except at somebody else's expense. More often in every episode, situations resolve with characters getting a justly deserved [[:wikt: comeuppance|comeuppance]].

=== Seasons 1–3 ===
{{Main|Seinfeld season 1|Seinfeld season 2|Seinfeld season 3}}
[[Image:757 New Hampshire Ave 2.jpg|thumb|The Los Angeles building used to depict the exterior of Jerry's apartment building at 129 West 81st Street, Manhattan]]
The show premiered as ''[[The Seinfeld Chronicles]]'' on July 5, 1989. After it aired, a pickup by NBC seemed unlikely, and the show was offered to [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]], which declined to pick it up. [[Rick Ludwin]], head of late night and special events for NBC, however, diverted money from his budget by canceling a [[Bob Hope#Broadcasting|Bob Hope television special]], and the next four episodes were filmed.<ref name="Season 1 & 2 DVD review">{{cite web|last=Boudreaux |first=Jonathan |url=http://www.tvdvdreviews.com/seinfeld1.html |title=Seinfeld: Season 1 & 2 DVD Review |publisher=tvdvdreviews.com |date=November 24, 2004 |access-date=April 22, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418075527/http://www.tvdvdreviews.com/seinfeld1.html |archive-date=April 18, 2008 }}</ref>{{r|littlefield20120529}} These episodes were highly rated as they followed summer re-runs of ''[[Cheers]]'' on Thursdays at 9:30&nbsp;p.m., and the series was finally picked up. At one point, NBC considered airing these episodes on Saturdays at 10:30&nbsp;p.m. but gave the slot to a short-lived sitcom called ''[[FM (American TV series)|FM]]'' instead. The series was renamed simply ''Seinfeld'' as a precautionary measure due to the failure of the short-lived 1990 [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] series with a similarly sounding title, ''The Marshall Chronicles''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lI_qCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT21|title=Seinfeld FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Show About Nothing|first=Nicholas|last=Nigro|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|date=June 1, 2015|access-date=December 29, 2015|isbn=9781495035357}}</ref> After airing the remaining four episodes of its first season the summer of 1990, NBC ordered 13 more episodes.   David believed that he and Seinfeld had no more stories to tell and advised Seinfeld to turn down the order, but Seinfeld agreed to the additional episodes.<ref name="littlefield20120529">{{cite interview|title=QA: Former NBC honcho offered Jerry Seinfeld over $100 million for one more 'Seinfeld' season|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/qa-former-nbc-honcho-offered-jerry-seinfeld-over-100-million-for-one-more-seinfeld-season|date=May 29, 2012|access-date=February 16, 2022|last=Littlefield|first=Warren|subject-link=Warren Littlefield|interviewer=Gostin, Nicki|work=Fox411}}</ref> Season 2 was bumped off its scheduled premiere of January 16, 1991, due to the outbreak of the [[Persian Gulf War]]. It settled into a regular time slot on Wednesdays at 9:30&nbsp;p.m. and eventually flipped with veteran series ''[[Night Court]]'' to 9 p.m.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/26/us/seinfeld-says-it-s-all-over-and-it-s-no-joke-for-nbc.html|title=Seinfeld Says It's All Over, And It's No Joke for NBC|date=May 5, 1998|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Bill|last=Carter|url-access=limited}}</ref>

TV critics championed ''Seinfeld'' in its early seasons, even as it was slow to cultivate a substantial audience. For the first three seasons, Jerry's stand-up comedy act would bookend at the beginning and end of each episode, even functioning as transitions during the show. A few episodes set a benchmark for later seasons. "[[The Deal (Seinfeld episode)|The Deal]]" establishes Jerry and Elaine's relationship by setting rules about having sex while remaining friends.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=213 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Deal |publisher=Sony Pictures |date=May 2, 1991 |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010172948/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=213 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> "[[The Parking Garage]]" was the first episode shot with no audience for the episode and, after "[[The Chinese Restaurant]]", to not show Jerry's apartment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=306 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Parking Garage |publisher=Sony Pictures|access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116052213/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=306 |archive-date=November 16, 2011 }}</ref> "[[The Keys (Seinfeld episode)|The Keys]]" contains a crossover to [[CBS]] show ''[[Murphy Brown]]'', marking the first such cooperation between rival networks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=321 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Keys|publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010172940/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=321 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> "[[The Busboy]]" introduces George, Kramer and Elaine as having their own storylines for the first time. Although Castle Rock Entertainment's Glenn Padnick thought Seinfeld was too generous, showcasing his co-stars' comedic talent became a trademark throughout the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=203 |title=Seinfeld -– Now Playing  |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114031559/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=203 |archive-date=November 14, 2012 }}</ref>

Larry Charles wrote an episode for Season 2, "[[The Bet (episode)|The Bet]]," in which Elaine buys a gun from Kramer's friend. This episode was not filmed because the content was deemed unacceptable, and it was replaced by the episode "[[The Phone Message]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=207 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The phone message |publisher=Sony pictures |access-date=October 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216150808/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=207 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref> "[[The Stranded (Seinfeld)|The Stranded]]," which aired during Season 3, was initially intended for Season 2. At the beginning of this episode, Jerry clears up the continuity error over George's real estate job.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=209 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=August 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219225606/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=209 |archive-date=December 19, 2008 }}</ref>

=== Seasons 4–5 ===
{{Main|Seinfeld season 4|Seinfeld season 5}}
Season 4 marked the sitcom's entry into the [[Nielsen ratings]] Top 30. It contains several of the most popular episodes, such as "[[The Bubble Boy (Seinfeld episode)|The Bubble Boy]]", in which George and the bubble boy argue over ''[[Trivial Pursuit]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=407 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118152059/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=407 |archive-date=January 18, 2012 }}</ref> and "[[The Junior Mint]]" in which Jerry and Kramer accidentally fumble a mint in the operating room.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=421 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925045350/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=421 |archive-date=September 25, 2011 }}</ref> This was the first season to use a story arc of Jerry and George creating their own sitcom, ''Jerry''. Also, at this time, the use of Jerry's stand-up act slowly declined, and the stand-up segment in the middle of ''Seinfeld'' episodes was cut.

Much publicity followed the controversial episode "[[The Contest]]", an [[Emmy Award]]-winning episode written by David, whose subject matter was considered inappropriate for prime-time network TV. To circumvent this taboo, the word "[[masturbation]]" was never used in the script, instead substituted for by a variety of oblique references.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=411 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173057/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=411 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> Midway through that season, ''Seinfeld'' was moved from its original 9:00&nbsp;p.m. time slot on Wednesdays to 9:30&nbsp;p.m. on Thursdays, following ''[[Cheers]]'' again, which gave the show even more popularity. Ratings also sparked the move, as [[Tim Allen]]'s sitcom ''[[Home Improvement (TV series)|Home Improvement]]'' on ABC had aired at the same time, and ''Home Improvement'' kept beating ''Seinfeld'' in the ratings. NBC moved the series after [[Ted Danson]] announced the end of ''Cheers'' and ''Seinfeld'' quickly surpassed the ratings of the 9:00&nbsp;p.m. ''Cheers'' reruns that spring.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-03-04-ca-474-story.html|author=Cerone, Daniel|title=Seinfeld Is Suddenly Something|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 4, 1993|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> The show won an Emmy Award for ''Outstanding Comedy Series'' in 1993, beating out its family-oriented, time-slot competitor ''Home Improvement'', which was only in its second season on rival network ABC.

Season 5 was an even bigger ratings hit, consisting of popular episodes, such as "[[The Puffy Shirt]]", in which Jerry feels embarrassed wearing a "pirate" shirt on ''[[The Today Show]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=503 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117030920/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=503 |archive-date=November 17, 2012 }}</ref> "[[The Non-Fat Yogurt]]" featuring [[Rudy Giuliani]], the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] then-mayor-elect of New York,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=508 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118040205/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=508 |archive-date=November 18, 2012 }}</ref> and "[[The Opposite]]" in which George, doing the opposite of what his instincts tell him he should do, lands a job with the New York Yankees and Elaine leaves "Pendant Publishing" because of a comedy of errors that led to its demise. Another story arc has George returning to live with his parents. Amid the story arc, Kramer creates and promotes his [[coffee table book]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=521 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Opposite |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173017/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=521 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> The show was again nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, but lost to the ''Cheers'' spin-off ''[[Frasier]]'', then in its first season. ''Seinfeld'' was nominated for the same award every year for its entire run but, after its win at the [[45th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1994, always lost to ''Frasier'', which went on to win a record 39 Emmy Awards in its 11-season run.

=== Seasons 6–7 ===
{{Main|Seinfeld season 6|Seinfeld season 7}}
In Season 6, [[Andy Ackerman]] replaced [[Tom Cherones]] as director of the show. The series remained well regarded and produced some of its most famous episodes, such as "[[The Beard]]", in which Jerry is put through a lie detector test to make him admit that he watched ''[[Melrose Place]]'';<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=615 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sonypictures.com |access-date=January 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201175528/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=615 |archive-date=February 1, 2014 }}</ref> "[[The Switch (Seinfeld)|The Switch]]", in which Kramer's mom, Babs, reveals that his first name is Cosmo;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=610 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Switch |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516031736/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=610 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> and "[[The Understudy (Seinfeld)|The Understudy]]", in which Elaine meets J. Peterman for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=621 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117122953/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=621 |archive-date=November 17, 2011 }}</ref> Story arcs used in this season were Elaine working as a personal assistant to her eccentric boss Justin Pitt and George's parents' temporary separation. This was the first season in which ''Seinfeld'' reached No. 1 in the Nielsen Ratings. The use of Jerry's stand-up act declined, and the end stand-up segment no longer appeared because the storylines for all four characters grew denser.

In Season 7, a story arc involved George getting engaged to his ex-girlfriend, Susan Ross, after the pilot ''Jerry'' proved unsuccessful. In it, George spends most of the season regretting and trying to get out of the engagement. Along with the regular half-hour episodes, two notable one-hour episodes were "[[The Cadillac]]", in which George plans to date award-winning actress [[Marisa Tomei]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=714 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516034018/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=714 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> and "[[The Bottle Deposit]]," with Elaine and Sue Ellen Mischke participating in a bidding war to buy JFK's golf clubs in an auction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=721 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=[[Sony Pictures]]|access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516031807/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=721 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref>

=== Seasons 8–9 ===
{{Main|Seinfeld season 8|Seinfeld season 9}}
''Seinfeld''{{'}}s final two seasons were considered distinct from the earlier seasons. Most noticeably, David left the writing crew (but returned to write "[[The Finale (Seinfeld)|The Finale]]" in 1998), resulting in Seinfeld taking over David's duties as [[showrunner]], and, under the direction of a new writing staff, ''Seinfeld'' became a faster-paced show. The show no longer contained extracts of Jerry performing stand-up comedy—Jerry had no time or energy for this with his new responsibilities—and storylines occasionally delved into fantasy and broad humor. For example, in "[[The Bizarro Jerry]]", Elaine is torn between exact opposites of her friends and Jerry dates a woman who has the now-famous "man hands".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=803 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Bizarro Jerry |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117185550/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=803 |archive-date=January 17, 2012 }}</ref> Some notable episodes from Season 8 include "[[The Little Kicks]]", showing Elaine's horrible dancing,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=804 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Little Kicks |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173001/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=804 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> and "[[The Chicken Roaster]]", which portrays the ''[[Kenny Rogers Roasters]]'' chicken restaurant, which opened during that time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=808 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures|access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516045149/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=808 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> A story arc in this season involves Peterman going to [[Burma]] in "[[The Foundation (Seinfeld)|The Foundation]]"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=801 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516041857/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=801 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> until he recovered from a nervous breakdown in "[[The Money]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=813 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sonypictures.com |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219023930/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=813 |archive-date=December 19, 2011 }}</ref> followed by Elaine writing Peterman's biography in "[[The Van Buren Boys]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=814 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sonypictures.com |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130032028/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=814 |archive-date=November 30, 2012 }}</ref> which leads to Kramer's parody of Kenny Kramer's Reality Tour seen in "[[The Muffin Tops]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=821 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Muffin Tops |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173006/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=821 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref>

The final season included episodes like "[[The Merv Griffin Show (Seinfeld)|The Merv Griffin Show]]", in which Kramer converts his apartment into a talk-show studio and plays the character of talk-show host,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=906 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516031219/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=906 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}</ref> "[[The Betrayal]]" that presents in reverse chronological order what happened to Sue Ellen's wedding in India, and "[[The Frogger]]" in which George pushes a ''[[Frogger]]'' machine across the street, mimicking the action of the game itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=918 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Frogger |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173013/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=918 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> The last season included a story arc in which Elaine has an on/off relationship with [[David Puddy|Puddy]]. Despite the enormous popularity and willingness of the cast to return for a tenth season, Seinfeld decided to end the show after Season 9, believing he would thereby be able to ensure the show would maintain its quality and go out on top.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=894&dat=19971226&id=dMEKAAAAIBAJ&pg=6835,4244882&hl=en |title='Seinfeld' to end on 'peak' this spring |last1=Bauder |first1=David |date=December 26, 1997 |website=Google News |publisher=The Daily Courier |access-date=September 28, 2016}}</ref> NBC offered Seinfeld $110 million—a record $5 million an episode for a 22-episode tenth season—but he declined.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/qa-former-nbc-honcho-offered-jerry-seinfeld-over-100-million-for-one-more-seinfeld-season/ |title=QA: Former NBC honcho offered Jerry Seinfeld over $100 million for one more 'Seinfeld' season |first=Nicki |last=Gostin |date=May 29, 2012 |website=Fox News  |access-date=September 14, 2017 }}</ref>

A major controversy caused in the ninth season was the accidental burning of a [[Puerto Rican flag]] by Kramer in "[[The Puerto Rican Day]]". This scene caused a furor among Puerto Ricans, and as a result, NBC showed this episode only once. Seinfeld defused the protestors by not letting this episode continue in syndication, as revealed in "Inside Look" on DVD.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=920 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Puerto Rican Day |access-date=October 25, 2008 |publisher=Sony Pictures |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216150849/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=920 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref> However, the episode would be added to the syndicated rerun package several years later uncut.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2002/10/30/forbidden-seinfeld-puerto-rican-flag-burning-episode-slips-back-on-air/ |title=Forbidden 'Seinfeld'; Puerto Rican Flag Burning Episode Slips Back On Air |last=Starr |first=Michael |newspaper=New York Post |date=October 30, 2002 |access-date=April 17, 2018}}</ref>

===Series finale===
{{Main|The Finale (Seinfeld)}}
After nine years on the air, NBC and Seinfeld announced on December 25, 1997, that the series would end production the following spring in 1998. The announcement made the front page of the major New York newspapers, including ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carter |first1=Bill |title=Seinfeld Says It's All Over, And It's No Joke for NBC |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/26/us/seinfeld-says-it-s-all-over-and-it-s-no-joke-for-nbc.html |access-date=May 17, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=December 26, 1997 |page=A1|url-access=limited}}</ref> Seinfeld was featured on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's first issue of 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101980112,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050129064628/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101980112,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 29, 2005|title=Time Magazine Cover: Jerry Seinfeld|date=January 12, 1998|access-date=May 17, 2007|magazine=Time}}</ref> The series ended with a 75-minute episode (cut to 60 minutes in [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]], in two parts) written by co-creator and ex-executive producer Larry David, which aired on May 14, 1998. Before the finale, a 45-minute retrospective clip show, "[[The Chronicle (Seinfeld)|The Chronicle]]", was aired. The retrospective was expanded to an hour after the original airing and aired again on NBC as an hour-long episode, and has since aired in syndication.

It was the first episode since the finale of season 7, "[[The Invitations]]", to feature opening and closing stand-up comedy acts by Seinfeld. The finale was filmed before an audience of NBC executives and friends of the show. The press and public were shut out of the taping to keep its plot secret; those who attended the shoot of the final episode were required to sign written "vows of silence".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9804/08/seinfeld.email/|title=The 'Seinfeld' e-mail for April 8, 1998 |publisher=[[CNN.com]]|date=April 8, 1998|access-date=May 17, 2007}}</ref> The secrecy only seemed to increase speculation about how the series would end. The episode's producers gave false information to the media, spreading a rumor about Newman ending up in the hospital and Jerry and Elaine sitting in a chapel, presumably to marry.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/36158/clues_seinfeld_sign_off|title=Clues to "Seinfeld" Sign Off|author=Ryan, Joal|publisher=[[E! News]]|date=March 27, 1998|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref>

The final episode enjoyed a historic audience,<ref>{{Cite news|title = 'Seinfeld's' Finale Ends Up in Sixth Place of All Time|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-16-ca-50143-story.html|newspaper = Los Angeles Times|date = May 16, 1998|access-date = February 16, 2022|issn = 0458-3035|first = Brian|last = Lowry}}</ref> estimated at 76.3 million viewers<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nededog |first1=Jethro |title=The 20 most-watched TV show finales of all time, ranked |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/most-watched-tv-show-finales-of-all-time-2017-5 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |work=Business Insider}}</ref> (58% of all viewers that night) making it the fourth-most watched regular series finale in U.S. TV history, behind ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'', ''Cheers'' and ''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Carter|first=Bill|date=May 8, 2004|title='Friends' Finale's Audience Is the Fourth Biggest Ever|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/08/arts/friends-finale-s-audience-is-the-fourth-biggest-ever.html|access-date=July 16, 2021|issn=0362-4331|url-access=limited}}</ref> However, the finale received mixed reviews from critics and fans of the show. The finale poked fun at the many rumors that were circulating, seeming to move into multiple supposed plots before settling on its actual storyline—a lengthy trial where the gang is prosecuted for violating a "[[Duty to rescue|Duty to Rescue]]" law and sentenced to prison terms.

According to ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine, Seinfeld's earnings from the show in 1998 came to US$267 million, including syndication earnings.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-03-08-9903090088-story.html|title=Seinfeld's $267 Million Tops Celebrity-pay List In Forbes|work=Chicago Tribune|date=March 8, 1999|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> He refused NBC's offer of $5 million per episode, or over $100 million total, to continue into a tenth season. The offer NBC made to Seinfeld was over three times higher per episode than anyone on TV had ever been offered before.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uproxx.com/tv/where-does-the-cast-of-big-bang-theory-rank-among-the-25-highest-paid-tv-stars-of-all-time/|title=The Highest Paid TV Actors Of All Time Per Per Episode|work=UPROXX|date=August 5, 2014}}</ref> Seinfeld told the network that he was not married nor had children, and wished to focus on his personal life.<ref name="cnnrating">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9712/26/seinfeld/|title=Seinfeld calls decision to end show "all about timing"|work=CNN|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=December 26, 1997|access-date=December 18, 2007}}</ref>{{r|littlefield20120529}} As reported in July 2007, he was the second-highest earner in the TV industry, earning at the time $60 million a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2007/10/01/Oprah-Seinfeld-top-TVs-richest/UPI-91401191240657/|title=Oprah and Seinfeld top TV's richest|date=October 1, 2007|access-date=December 18, 2007}}</ref> The episode became the first to command over $1 million a minute for advertising—a mark previously attained only by the [[Super Bowl]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1997-06-01/seinfeld|title=Seinfeld|website=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=June 2, 1997 |access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref>

==Reception and legacy==
Elizabeth Magnotta and Alexandra Strohl analyze the success of ''Seinfeld'' with recourse to the [[Theories of humor#Incongruity theory|incongruity theory]] of humor: "The Incongruity Theory claims that humor is created out of a violation of an expectation. For humor to result from this unexpected result, the event must have an appropriate emotional climate, {{sic|comprised |hide=y|of}} the setting, characters, prior discourse, relationships of the characters, and the topic."<ref>{{cite journal| author = Magnotta, Elizabeth and Alexandra Strohl| title = A linguistic analysis of humor: A look at ''Seinfeld''| journal = Working Papers of the Linguistics Circle| volume = 21| issue = 1| pages = 126–135| url = http://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/WPLC/article/view/5944|access-date=August 2, 2012| date = November 14, 2011}}</ref> Specifically, Magnotta and Strohl focus on "[[The Marine Biologist]]", where George is embroiled in yet another lie, and on "[[The Red Dot]]," where George tries to save a few dollars at Elaine's expense by giving her a marked-down [[Cashmere wool|cashmere]] sweater.

In "Translating ''Seinfeld''", Jennifer Armstrong observes that ''Seinfeld'' is less famous among non-English speakers as its unique style of humor is "too cultural and word-based to make for easy translation".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/6/24/8809723/jerry-seinfeld-tv-show-international-translation|title=Translating Seinfeld|last=Armstrong|first=Jennifer|date=June 25, 2015|website=The Verge|access-date=December 2, 2018}}</ref> Carol Iannone sums up the legacy of this American hit in her ''Modern Age'' article "''Seinfeld'': The Politically Incorrect Comedy" when she says, "It may be the first situation comedy truly to achieve the status of art."<ref name=":0" /><ref name="politically-incorrect" /> Nod Miller, of the [[University of East London]], has discussed the self-referential qualities of the show:

{{blockquote|''Seinfeld'' is suffused with [[postmodern]] themes. To begin with, the boundary between reality and fiction is frequently blurred: this is illustrated in the central device of having Jerry Seinfeld play the character Jerry Seinfeld. In the show's fourth season, several episodes revolved around the narrative of Jerry and George (whose character is co-creator Larry David's alter ego) pitching 'a show about nothing' based on the everyday life of a stand-up comedian to NBC. The reaction of the fictional NBC executives, by all accounts, mirrored the initial responses of those who eventually commissioned ''Seinfeld''. The fourth season ends with [[The Pilot (Seinfeld)|"The Pilot"]], an episode focusing on the casting, taping and screening of the show-within-the-show, ''Jerry''. This episode also illustrates neatly the self-referential quality which is one of ''Seinfeld''{{'}}s hallmarks. The series finale was so replete with references to earlier shows as to render it largely incomprehensible to those not already well-versed in the personae and preoccupations of the ''Seinfeld'' universe.<ref>{{cite web| author = Miller, Nod| title = Applying Insights from Cultural Studies to Adult Education: What Seinfeld Says About the AERC| url = http://www.adulterc.org/Proceedings/1999/99miller.htm| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140624022756/http://www.adulterc.org/Proceedings/1999/99miller.htm| url-status=dead| archive-date = June 24, 2014| publisher = Adult Education Research Conference| access-date = August 1, 2012}}</ref>}}

[[William Irwin (philosopher)|William Irwin]] has edited an anthology of scholarly essays on philosophy in ''Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing''. Some entries include "The Jerry Problem and the [[Socratic Problem]]", "George's Failed Quest for [[Happiness]]: An Aristotelian Analysis", "Elaine's Moral Character", "Kramer the 'Seducer{{'"}}, "Making Something Out of Nothing: Seinfeld, [[Sophistry]] and the Tao", "Seinfeld, [[Subjectivity]], and [[Sartre]]", "Mr. Peterman, the [[Wicked Witch of the West]], and Me" and "Minimally Decent Samaritans and Uncommon Law".<ref>{{cite book| author = Irwin, William| title = ''Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing''|publisher= Open Court 2000|year=2000 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=3j3D55NItH0C&q=seinfeld+pitch+aristotelian&pg=PA2018|access-date=August 1, 2012| isbn = 9780812694093}}</ref>

===U.S. television ratings===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width:100%"
|-
|+ TV viewership in the United States
|-
! rowspan="2" colspan="2" |Season
! rowspan="2" |TV season
! rowspan="2" |Episodes
! rowspan="2" |Timeslot
! colspan="2" |Original air dates
! colspan="3" |[[Nielsen Company|Nielsen ratings]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brooks |first1=Tim |last2=Marsh |first2=Earle |date=2007 |title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present |publisher=Ballantine Books |pages=1693–1695 |isbn=978-0-345-49773-4 |edition=Ninth }}</ref>
! colspan="2" | Most watched episode
|-
! Season premiere
! Season finale
! Rank
! Rating
! Viewers<br />(millions)
! Title
! Viewers<br />(millions)
|-
| style="background:#339be9" | || '''[[List of Seinfeld episodes#Season 3 (1989–90)|1]]''' || [[1989–90 United States network television schedule|1989–90]] || 5 || Wednesday at 9:30 pm <small>(Episode 1)</small><br />Thursday at 9:30 pm <small>(Episodes 2–5)</small> || July 5, 1989 || June 21, 1990 || rowspan {{n/a}} || rowspan {{n/a}} || 19.26 || "[[The Stake Out (Seinfeld)|The Stake Out]]"
|| 22.5<ref name="USA Today staff 1990-06-06">{{cite news|url=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TIHU89_R9xg/Sq-wLg2qhEI/AAAAAAAAAGo/kyOFwWPCK1w/s1600/Ratings_19900528.jpg|title='Seinfeld' is a standup hit|work=USA Today|date=June 6, 1990|access-date=December 30, 2013|page=D3}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#f7d712;"| || '''[[List of Seinfeld episodes#Season 2 (1991)|2]]''' || [[1990–91 United States network television schedule|1990–91]] || 12 || Wednesday at 9:30 pm <small>(Episodes 1–4, 12)</small><br />Thursday at 9:30 pm <small>(Episodes 5–11)</small> || January 23, 1991 || June 26, 1991 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || 18.07 || "[[The Apartment (Seinfeld)|The Apartment]]"
|| 24.7<ref name="USA Today staff 1991-04-10">{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|work=[[USA Today]]|date=April 10, 1991|page=D3}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#244d8d" | || '''[[List of Seinfeld episodes#Season 3 (1991–92)|3]]''' || [[1991–92 United States network television schedule|1991–92]] || 23 || Wednesday at 9:30 pm <small>(Episodes 1–11, 18)</small><br />Wednesday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episodes 12–17, 19–23)</small> || September 18, 1991 || May 6, 1992 || #42 || 12.5 || 17.66 || "[[The Letter (Seinfeld)|The Letter]]"
|| 22.3<ref name="USA Today staff 1992-04-01">{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|work=[[USA Today]]|date=April 1, 1992|page=D3}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#49a9a3" | || '''[[List of Seinfeld episodes#Season 4 (1992–93)|4]]''' || [[1992–93 United States network television schedule|1992–93]] || 24 || Wednesday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1–3, 5–15)</small><br />Wednesday at 9:30 pm <small>(Episode 4)</small><br />Thursday at 9:30 pm <small>(Episodes 16–22)</small><br />Thursday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episode 23)</small><br />Thursday at 8:30 pm <small>(Episode 24)</small> || August 12, 1992 || May 20, 1993 || #25 || 13.7 || 20.91 || "[[The Pilot (Seinfeld)|The Pilot]]"
|| 32.8<ref name="Gable 1993-05-26">{{cite news|title='Cheers' brings happy times to NBC|work=[[USA Today]]|date=May 26, 1993|author=Gable, Donna|page=D3}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#4c5385" | || '''[[List of Seinfeld episodes#Season 5 (1993–94)|5]]''' || [[1993–94 United States network television schedule|1993–94]] || 22 ||rowspan="5"| Thursday at 9:00&nbsp;pm|| September 16, 1993 || May 19, 1994 || #3 || 19.6 || 29.59 || "[[The Stall]]" and "[[The Marine Biologist]]"
|| 35.0<ref name="USA Today staff 1994-01-12">{{cite news|title='Improvement' leads ABC charge|work=USA Today|date=January 12, 1994|author=DeRosa, Robin|page=D3}}</ref><ref name="USA Today staff 1994-02-14">{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|work=USA Today|date=December 14, 1994|page=D3}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#6d9cb3" | || '''[[List of Seinfeld episodes#Season 6 (1994–95)|6]]''' || [[1994–95 United States network television schedule|1994–95]] || 24 || September 22, 1994 || May 18, 1995 || #1 || 20.6 || 30.06 || "[[The Switch (Seinfeld)|The Switch]]"
|| 36.6<ref name="USA Today staff 1995-01-11">{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|work=[[USA Today]]|date=January 11, 1995|page=D3}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#5f5758" | || '''[[List of Seinfeld episodes#Season 7 (1995–96)|7]]''' || [[1995–96 United States network television schedule|1995–96]] || 24  || September 21, 1995 || May 16, 1996 || #2 || 21.2 || 33.19 || "[[The Engagement (Seinfeld)|The Engagement]]"
|| 37.6<ref name="Graham 1995-09-27">{{cite news|title=NBC Sunday starters stumble|work=[[USA Today]]|date=September 27, 1995|page=D3|author=Graham, Jefferson}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#b5b7bc;"| || '''[[List of Seinfeld episodes#Season 8 (1996–97)|8]]''' || [[1996–97 United States network television schedule|1996–97]] || 22  || September 19, 1996 || May 15, 1997 || #2 || 20.5 || 32.48 || "[[The Money]]"
|| 37.34<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41303321/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 13–19, 1997)|date=January 22, 1997|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=April 9, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#68471a" | || '''[[List of Seinfeld episodes#Season 9 (1997–98)|9]]''' || [[1997–98 United States network television schedule|1997–98]] || 24  || September 25, 1997 || May 14, 1998 || #1 || 22.0 || 38.03<br />(32.15)<ref name="ReferenceA">Excluding ''[[The Finale (Seinfeld)|The Finale]]'' (76.26 million viewers) and ''[[The Clip Show]]'' (58.53 million viewers)</ref> || "[[The Finale (Seinfeld)|The Finale]]"<br />("[[The Puerto Rican Day]]")
|| 76.26<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41306012/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (May 11–17, 1998)|date=May 20, 1998|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=April 24, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref><br />(38.78)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41304257/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (May 4–10, 1998)|date=May 13, 1998|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=April 24, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>
|}

===Awards and honors===
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Seinfeld}}
''Seinfeld'' has received awards and nominations in various categories throughout the mid-1990s. It was awarded the [[Emmy]] for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1993, [[Golden Globe Award]] for Best TV Series (Comedy) in 1994, and [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 1995, 1997 and 1998.<ref name="1st ASG awards">{{Cite web|title=The Inaugural Screen Actors Guild Awards &#124; Screen Actors Guild Awards|url=https://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/inaugural-screen-actors-guild-awards|access-date=February 8, 2023|website=www.sagawards.org}}</ref><ref name="3rd ASG awards">{{Cite web|title=The 3rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards &#124; Screen Actors Guild Awards|url=https://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/3rd-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|access-date=February 8, 2023|website=www.sagawards.org}}</ref><ref name="4th ASG awards">{{Cite web|title=The 4th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards &#124; Screen Actors Guild Awards|url=https://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/4th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|access-date=February 8, 2023|website=www.sagawards.org}}</ref> Apart from these, the show was also nominated for an Emmy award from 1992 to 1998 for Outstanding Comedy Series, Golden Globe award from 1994 to 1998 for Best TV-Series (Comedy), and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series from 1995 to 1998. The show even received the [[Peabody Award]] in 1993.

''[[TV Guide]]'' named it the [[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|greatest TV show of all time]] in 2002,<ref name=tvguideTop50/> and in 2013, the magazine ranked it as the second-greatest TV show.<ref name="auto">{{cite magazine |last1=Fretts |first1=Bruce |last2=Roush |first2=Matt |title=The Greatest Shows on Earth |magazine=TV Guide Magazine |volume=61 |issue=3194–3195 |pages=16–19 }}</ref> A 2015 ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' survey of 2,800 actors, producers, directors, and other industry people named ''Seinfeld'' as their #5 favorite show.<ref name="thr20150916">{{Cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-tv-shows-ever-top-819499/ |title=Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows |date=September 16, 2015 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> In 2022, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked ''Seinfeld'' as the sixth-greatest TV show of all time.<ref name="Sepinwall"/> In 2023, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' ranked ''Seinfeld'' as the eighth-greatest TV show of all time.<ref name="Variety"/>

==Distribution==
Free streaming service [[Channel 4 (VoD service)|Channel 4]] has been running ''Seinfeld'' in its original 4:3 format since February 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/global/channel-4s-all-4-acquires-u-k-streaming-rights-to-seinfeld-1203492378/|title=Channel 4's All 4 Acquires U.K. Streaming Rights to 'Seinfeld'|date=February 4, 2020}}</ref> On April 29, 2015, it was officially announced, during [[Hulu]]'s [[upfronts]] presentation in [[New York City|New York]], that all nine seasons of ''Seinfeld'' would  [[Streaming media|stream]] on the platform starting in June 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/4/29/8513149/seinfeld-streaming-exclusively-hulu|title=Hulu confirms it's the exclusive streaming home of Seinfeld|first=Jacob|last=Kastrenakes|publisher=Vox Media|work=The Verge|date=April 29, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|user=hulu|number=593416595621453825|title=In the beginning, there was TV. Yada yada yada. "Seinfeld" is coming soon to #hulu. #HuluUpfront15|author=Hulu|date=April 29, 2015|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> The deal was for around $130 million to $180 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/4/28/8512345/hulu-reportedly-lands-streaming-rights-to-all-180-seinfeld-episodes|title=Hulu reportedly lands streaming rights to all 180 Seinfeld episodes|first=Sam|last=Byford|publisher=Vox Media|work=The Verge|date=April 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407210059/https://www.theverge.com/2015/4/28/8512345/hulu-reportedly-lands-streaming-rights-to-all-180-seinfeld-episodes |archive-date=April 7, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> On May 20, 2015, Hulu announced that every episode would be available starting June 24, 2015.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=hulu|number=601058892932485120|title=Sweet Fancy Moses, every "Seinfeld" episode is on #hulu 6/24. Get ready for #AllTheNothing|author=Hulu|date=May 20, 2015|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> Hulu's streaming rights for the series expired on June 23, 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nexttv.com/news/seinfeld-set-to-depart-hulu-on-june-23-transition-to-netflix | title= 'Seinfeld' Set to Depart Hulu on June 23, Transition to Netflix | first = Daniel | last = Frankel | access-date = July 14, 2021 | work = Next TV | date= June 16, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/seinfeld-leaving-hulu.html|title=Say Your Good-byes, Seinfeld Is Leaving Hulu This Month|last1=Salazar|first1=Savannah|last2=Adalian|first2=Josef|date=June 17, 2021|website=Vulture|access-date=July 14, 2021}}</ref> In January 2017, [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] acquired the UK rights to all seasons of ''Seinfeld'' for its [[Amazon Prime Video]] streaming service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.c21media.net/amazon-gets-seinfeld-in-uk/|title=Amazon gets Seinfeld in UK}}</ref>

On November 8, 2016, the Australian streaming service [[Stan (streaming service)|Stan]] announced via [[Twitter]] that later in the week all episodes would be available to stream for the first time in Australia.<ref>{{Cite tweet|user=StanAustralia|number=795732579492110336|title=You're going to want to turn your sound on for this announcement...|author=Stan|access-date=February 16, 2022|date=November 7, 2016}}</ref> All episodes were available from November 11, 2016, with the remastered versions of all episodes on the service featuring HD and Widescreen enhancements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mediaweek.com.au/stan-seinfeld-sony-pictures/|title=180 Seinfeld episodes come to Stan with new Sony Pictures Television deal |website=MediaWeek|access-date=November 29, 2016|date=November 7, 2016 }}</ref> The widescreen offered was cropped from the original 4:3 format negatives, thus resulting in better visual quality than the previously available DVD version, however, the top and bottom portions of the frame were cut out to achieve the widescreen aspect ratio. In April 2020, all seasons of ''Seinfeld'' were also made available on-demand via pay television service [[Foxtel]], as well as its internet-based alternative [[Foxtel Now]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediaweek.com.au/foxtel-opens-comedy-vaults-with-complete-seasons-of-classics/|title=Foxtel opens comedy vaults with complete seasons of classics |website=MediaWeek|date=March 31, 2020 |access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref>

In September 2019, [[Netflix]] and [[Sony Pictures]] announced that Netflix had acquired the exclusive global streaming rights for ''Seinfeld'', starting on October 1, 2021, superseding the above Hulu and Amazon rights. As of 2023, Netflix's version of ''Seinfeld'' is available in [[4K resolution]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/09/netflix-becomes-master-of-seinfeld-domain-buys-exclusive-streaming-rights/ | title= It's real and it's spectacular: Netflix buys exclusive rights to stream Seinfeld | first = Sam | last = Machkovech | date = September 16, 2019 | access-date = September 16, 2019 | work = [[Ars Technica]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/16/20868736/seinfeld-netflix-2021-hulu-friends-streaming-wars|title=Seinfeld is heading to Netflix in 2021|last=Alexander|first=Julia|date=September 16, 2019|website=The Verge|access-date=September 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/seinfeld-why-seinfeld-leaving-hulu-when-seinfeld-coming-netflix-1603317|title='Seinfeld': Why It's Leaving Hulu and When It's Coming to Netflix|last=Desborough|first=Jenny|date=June 23, 2021|website=Newsweek|access-date=June 24, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2021/06/seinfeld-not-on-streaming-netflix-hulu.html|title=Seinfeld Won't Be Streaming Anywhere for a While, and That's Good for Netflix|last=Adalian|first=Josef|date=June 17, 2021|website=Vulture|access-date=June 24, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/video/netflix-announces-premiere-date-for-180-episode-seinfeld-library-issues-cheeky-press-release/|title=Netflix Announces Premiere Date For 180-Episode 'Seinfeld' Library, Issues Cheeky Press Release|last=Tapp|first=Tom|date=September 1, 2021|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=September 17, 2021}}</ref> The transition was criticized as the show, initially displayed in 4:3 aspect ratio, had been converted to 16:9, resulting in some gags getting cropped, similarly to how ''[[The Simpsons]]'' was initially rendered on [[Disney+]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/story/seinfeld-netflix-episodes-cropped-widescreen-ratio|title=Seinfeld Is Finally On Netflix, But There's a Catch|website=GQ|last=Rindner|first=Grant|date=October 5, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/seinfeld-netflix-hd-cropping-removes-jokes-183004013.html|title='Seinfeld' hits Netflix, but some jokes have been cropped out of view|website=Engadget|last=Ingraham|first=N.|date=October 3, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/1/22704399/seinfeld-aspect-ratio-netflix-4k-widescreen-letterbox-streaming-hd|title=What's the deal with Seinfeld's aspect ratio on Netflix?|website=The Verge|last=Gartenberg|first=Chaim|date=October 1, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> Netflix has yet to comment on this situation.

===Home media releases===
The hour-long, two-part [[clip show]] episode "[[The Highlights of 100]]" became the first ''Seinfeld'' episode available on home video when it was released on [[VHS]] in 1995 by food company [[General Mills]]. [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]] (formerly Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment) released all nine seasons of ''Seinfeld'' on [[DVD]] in Regions 1, 2 and 4 between 2004 and 2007.<ref name="TV show region 1"/> On November 6, 2007, ''Seinfeld: The Complete Series'' was released on DVD. The complete series box set includes a 2007 "roundtable" reunion of the four main cast members and Larry David; only highlights of this were also included in the Season 9 set.

The first complete series box set in Australia (Region 4) was released on October 24, 2007. The second boxset was released on December 2, 2008, and was a Collectible Fridge design packaging. On August 5, 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Seinfeld - Complete Collection|url=https://www.sanity.com.au/products/2208972/Seinfeld---Complete-Collection|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Sanity|language=en}}</ref> another Limited-Edition boxset was released, similar to the first boxset but does not include the book and the packaging was slightly different. On November 23, 2011,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Seinfeld - The Complete Series|url=https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/seinfeld-the-complete-series-32-dvd|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=JB Hi-Fi|language=en|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112005442/https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/seinfeld-the-complete-series-32-dvd|url-status=dead}}</ref> an additional Limited-Edition boxset was released. On November 14, 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Seinfeld – Season 1-9 {{!}} Complete Series – Festivus Edition|url=https://www.sanity.com.au/products/2395111/Seinfeld---Season-1-9--Complete-Series---Festivus-Edition|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Sanity|language=en}}</ref> a ''Festivus Celebration Edition'' was released which contained napkins and cups, playing cards and thumb wrestle gadgets. On August 12, 2020,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Seinfeld – Season 1–9 {{!}} Complete Series|url=https://www.sanity.com.au/products/2518134/Seinfeld---Season-1-9--Complete-Series|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Sanity|language=en}}</ref> yet another ''Complete Series'' boxset was released.

The entire series was released on [[Blu-ray]] (in the cropped 16:9 aspect ratio) and [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K Ultra HD Blu-ray]] (in the original 4:3 aspect ratio) on December 17, 2024.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/seinfeld-blu-ray-release-where-to-buy-1235145585/ |title='Seinfeld' Will Finally Be Released on Blu-Ray on Dec. 17, Just in Time for Festivus |magazine=Rolling Stone |first=Jonathan |last=Zavaleta |date=October 30, 2024 |access-date=October 31, 2024}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
! style="padding:0 8px;" rowspan="2"| DVD name
! style="padding:0 8px;" colspan="3"| Release dates
|-
! [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]]
! [[DVD region code#2|Region 2]]
! [[DVD region code#4|Region 4]]
|-
| Vol 1: Seasons 1 & 2
| November 23, 2004<ref name="TV show region 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/shows/Seinfeld/3743|title=Seinfeld region 1 DVD release dates|publisher=[[TVShowsOnDVD.com]]|access-date=March 23, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405033944/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/shows/Seinfeld/3743|archive-date=April 5, 2008}}</ref>
| November 1, 2004<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0002W1488|title=Season 1&2 (Region 2)|publisher=Amazon.co.uk|access-date=March 20, 2008|date=November 2004}}</ref>
| October 13, 2004<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-seasons-1-2-4-dvd-set/231401|title=Season 1&2 (Region 4)|publisher=JB Hi-Fi Online|access-date=March 21, 2008|archive-date=February 13, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110213222608/http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-seasons-1-2-4-dvd-set/231401|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| Vol 2: Season 3
| November 23, 2004<ref name="TV show region 1"/>
| November 1, 2004<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0002W148I|title=Season 3 (Region 2)|publisher=Amazon.co.uk|access-date=March 20, 2008|date=November 2004}}</ref>
| October 18, 2004<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-3-4-dvd-set/231402|title=Season 3 (Region 4)|publisher=JB Hi-Fi Online|access-date=March 21, 2008|archive-date=December 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209072602/http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-3-4-dvd-set/231402|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| Vol 3: Season 4
| May 17, 2005<ref name="TV show region 1"/>
| June 13, 2005<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0007XIEUS|title=Season 4 (Region 2)|publisher=Amazon.co.uk|access-date=March 20, 2008|date=June 13, 2005}}</ref>
| May 25, 2005<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-4-4-dvd-set/236302|title=Season 4 (Region 4)|publisher=JB Hi-Fi Online|access-date=March 21, 2008|archive-date=October 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003061021/http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-4-4-dvd-set/236302|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| Vol 4: Season 5
| November 22, 2005<ref name="TV show region 1"/>
| November 28, 2005<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000AN33LK|title=Season 5 (Region 2)|publisher=Amazon.co.uk|access-date=March 20, 2008|date=November 28, 2005}}</ref>
| November 23, 2005<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/drama-romance/seinfeld-season-5-4-dvd-set/247230|title=Season 5 (Region 4)|publisher=JB Hi-Fi Online|access-date=March 21, 2008|archive-date=January 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114134248/http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/drama-romance/seinfeld-season-5-4-dvd-set/247230|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| Vol 5: Season 6
| November 22, 2005<ref name="TV show region 1"/>
| November 28, 2005<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000AMYIVU|title=Season 6 (Region 2)|publisher=Amazon.co.uk|access-date=March 20, 2008|date=November 28, 2005}}</ref>
| style="padding:0 8px;"| November 23, 2005<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-6-4-dvd-set/247231|title=Season 6 (Region 4)|publisher=JB Hi-Fi Online|access-date=March 21, 2008|archive-date=October 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003061026/http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-6-4-dvd-set/247231|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| Vol 6: Season 7
| style="padding:0 8px;"| November 21, 2006<ref name="TV show region 1"/>
| November 20, 2006<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/seinfeld-season-7.html|title=Season 7 (Region 2) review|publisher=dvdactive.com|access-date=March 25, 2008}}</ref>
| November 8, 2006<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-7-4-dvd-set/263167|title=Season 7 (Region 4)|publisher=JB Hi-Fi Online|access-date=March 21, 2008|archive-date=January 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114130104/http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-7-4-dvd-set/263167|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| Vol 7: Season 8
| June 5, 2007<ref name="TV show region 1"/>
| June 4, 2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realmovienews.com/dvd/reviews/1480 |title=Season 8 (Region 2) review |publisher=realmovienews.com |access-date=March 24, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302155646/http://www.realmovienews.com/dvd/reviews/1480 |archive-date=March 2, 2008 }}</ref>
| June 13, 2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-8-4-dvd-set/272374|title=Season 8 (Region 4)|publisher=JB Hi-Fi Online|access-date=March 21, 2008|archive-date=January 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114125722/http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-8-4-dvd-set/272374|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| Vol 8: Season 9
| November 6, 2007<ref name="TV show region 1"/>
| style="padding:0 8px;"| November 19, 2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/seinfeld-season-9.html|title=Season 9 (Region 2) Review|publisher=dvdactive.com|access-date=March 25, 2008}}</ref>
| October 24, 2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-9-4-dvd-set/279328|title=Season 9 (Region 4)|publisher=JB Hi-Fi Online|access-date=March 21, 2008|archive-date=January 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114130735/http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/seinfeld-season-9-4-dvd-set/279328|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| Complete Series (Original)
| November 6, 2007<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Jerry-Seinfeld/dp/B000VECAEE/ref=tmm_dvd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1614993852&sr=8-1 |title=Seinfeld: The Complete Series [DVD] |website=Amazon.com |access-date=December 22, 2021 }}</ref>
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
|-
| Complete Series (Reissue)
| November 5, 2013<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Studio1-Seinfeld-Serie-Completa-DVD-Box/dp/B00EIJTLK4/ref=tmm_dvd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1614993852&amp;sr=8-1 |title=Studio1 Seinfeld: La Serie Completa DVD Box Set |website=Amazon.com |date=November 5, 2013 |access-date=December 22, 2021 }}</ref>
| style="padding:0 8px;"| October 9, 2018<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.ca/Seinfeld-Complete-Box-Set-Repackage/dp/B07FVFL6K5/ref=tmm_dvd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1611070150&amp;sr=8-3|title = Seinfeld: Complete Series Box Set (Repackage) – DVD|date = October 9, 2018}}</ref>
| {{n/a}}
|}

===Syndication===
According to [[Barry Meyer]], chairman of [[Warner Bros. Entertainment]] (parent company of Castle Rock Entertainment), ''Seinfeld'' made $2.7 billion through June 2010 through [[Broadcast syndication#Off-network syndication 2|off-network syndication]] and cable syndication.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pilkington|first=Ed|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/jun/07/jerry-seinfeld-rerun-repeat-fees|title=TV show Seinfeld earn $2.7bn from reruns|newspaper=The Guardian|date=June 7, 2010|access-date=June 7, 2010|location=London}}</ref> {{as of|2017|02}} the show had made an estimated $4.06 billion in syndication. [[Steve Bannon]], who invested in the show, later said, "We calculated what it would get us if it made it to syndication. We were wrong by a factor of five".<ref name="craw20170208">{{Cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2017/02/08/steve-bannon-is-still-making-money-from-seinfeld-reruns/ |title=Steve Bannon is still making money from 'Seinfeld' reruns |last=Craw |first=Victoria |date=February 8, 2017 |work=The New York Post |access-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref> In September 2019, it was announced that [[Viacom (2005–2019)|Viacom]] (now [[Paramount Global]]) had acquired cable syndication rights to the series from [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]], with it airing on [[Comedy Central]] beginning in October 2021, [[Nick at Nite]] from May 31, 2022, until November 12, 2022, and [[TV Land]] since February 11, 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/09/seinfeld-viacom-cable-rights-comedy-series-comedy-central-paramount-network-tv-land-1202740519/|title='Seinfeld': Viacom Nabs Cable Rights To Comedy Series|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=September 21, 2019|access-date=September 21, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2021/09/seinfeld-comedy-central-series-new-cable-home-jerry-seinfeld-promo-video-1234833717/ |title='Seinfeld': Comedy Central To Be Series' Exclusive New Cable Home; Jerry Seinfeld Stars In Promo Touting Lunch |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=September 15, 2021 |website=Deadline |language=en |access-date=September 17, 2021}}</ref>

==={{anchor|HD}}High-definition versions===
There are two [[High-definition television|high-definition]] versions of ''Seinfeld''. The first is that of the network television (non-syndicated) versions in the original aspect ratio of 4:3 that were downscaled for the DVD releases. Clips from this high-definition version in its upscale were seen on [[NBC]] during ''The Seinfeld Story'' special.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14589923#post14589923|title='Seinfeld' in HD on TBS HD! Page 2|date=November 21, 1999 |publisher=videojanitor|access-date=September 23, 2009}}</ref> Syndicated broadcast stations and the cable networks [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]] and [[Comedy Central]] (and also [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]) began airing the syndicated version of ''Seinfeld'' in HD. Unlike the version used for the DVD, Sony Pictures cropped the top and bottom parts of the frame while restoring previously cropped images on the sides from the [[35mm movie film|35mm film]] source to use the entire 16:9 frame.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.engadget.com/2008-09-03-seinfeld-goes-hd-on-tbs-hd.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130116201359/http://www.engadget.com/topics/hd/2008/09/03/seinfeld-goes-hd-on-tbs-hd|archive-date= January 16, 2013|title=Seinfeld goes HD on TBS HD|date=September 3, 2008|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref>

==After ''Seinfeld''==

===Another scene===
On the November 1, 2007, episode of ''[[The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]]'', Jerry Seinfeld mentioned the possibility of shooting one last scene after the characters leave jail. He mentioned that he was too busy to do it at the time, but did not announce what the scene would entail, as its production is not a certainty.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Episode dated 1 November 2007|series=The Daily Show|series-link=The Daily Show|network=[[Comedy Central]]|credits=Axler, Rachel; Bleyer, Kevin; Blomquist, Richard; Bodow, Steve; Carvell, Tim; Havlan, J.R.; Scott Jacobson, Scott; Javerbaum, David; Karlin, Ben; Kutner, Rob; Lieb, Josh; Means, Sam; Reich, Jason; Ross, Jason; Stewart, Jon|airdate=November 1, 2007}}</ref> In a commentary from the final season [[DVD]], Seinfeld outlines that he and Jason Alexander spoke about this scene being in Monk's Cafe, with George saying "That was brutal" about the foursome's stint in prison.<ref>{{cite video|title=[[Seinfeld (season 9)|Seinfeld Season 9]]: Notes about Nothing&nbsp;– "The Finale"|medium=DVD|publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment|date=November 6, 2007}}</ref>

On an episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' that Jerry Seinfeld hosted on October 2, 1999, a sketch was produced that showed what life was like for Jerry behind bars after being transferred to the fictional prison portrayed on the [[HBO]] series ''[[Oz (TV series)|Oz]]''.<ref>[[Saturday Night Live season 25]]</ref> The roughly four-minute sketch shows the opening credits for the HBO series with clips of Jerry mixed in doing various activities around the prison. The sketch continues and mixes in different storylines from both ''Oz'' and ''Seinfeld'' and has Jerry interacting with various characters from the show in his typical quick-witted, sarcastic way.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://snltranscripts.jt.org/99/99aoz.phtml | title=SNL Transcripts: Jerry Seinfeld: 10/02/99: Oz| date=October 8, 2018}}</ref>

===The ''Seinfeld'' "curse"===
<!--"SEINFELD CURSE" SECTION — PLEASE NOTE BEFORE EDITING: This section deals exclusively with "Seinfeld curse" shows, that is, shows 1] starring Jason, Michael, and Julia in title roles, 2] following directly upon the end of Seinfeld, 3] and which were quickly canceled. DO ''not'' add other shows here, especially shows currently in production; add them above.-->
Louis-Dreyfus, Alexander, and Richards have all tried to launch new sitcoms as title-role characters. Almost every show was canceled quickly, usually within the first season. This gave rise to the term ''Seinfeld curse'': the failure of a sitcom starring one of the three, despite the conventional wisdom that each person's ''Seinfeld'' popularity should almost guarantee a strong, built-in audience for the actor's new show. Shows specifically cited regarding the ''Seinfeld curse'' are Julia Louis-Dreyfus's ''[[Watching Ellie]]'', Jason Alexander's ''[[Bob Patterson (TV series)|Bob Patterson]]'' and ''[[Listen Up (TV series)|Listen Up]]'', and Michael Richards' ''[[The Michael Richards Show]]''. This phenomenon was mentioned throughout the second season of [[Larry David]]'s HBO program ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'', which aired in 2001. In real life, David has repeatedly dismissed the idea of a curse, saying, "It's so completely idiotic. It's very hard to have a successful sitcom."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gregbaerg.com/articles/David.html|title='Curb's' Larry David: 'Seinfeld' Curse 'Idiotic'|author=Baerg, Greg|publisher=[[Zap2it]]|date=March 5, 2002|access-date=May 17, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=An Extremely Awkward Encounter with Larry David |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a5955/larry-david-interview-0709/ |first=Scott |last=Raab |date=September 18, 2009 |work=Esquire}}</ref>

The success of Louis-Dreyfus in the 2006–2010 [[CBS]] sitcom ''[[The New Adventures of Old Christine]]'', which included winning the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series]] in 2006, led many to believe that she had broken the curse.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Ryan|first1=Amy|title=Has Julia Louis-Dreyfus broken the 'Seinfeld' curse?|date=March 21, 2006|url=https://ew.com/article/2006/03/21/old_christine_c/|access-date=February 8, 2023|website=EW.com|language=en}}</ref> 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!"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/53166/emmys_clock_into_quot24quot_quotofficequot |last=Hall |first=Sarah|title=Emmys Clock into "24", "Office"|publisher=[[E! News]]|date=August 27, 2006|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> The show produced [[100 episodes|enough episodes]] to air in [[rerun]]s in [[broadcast syndication|syndication]] for several years, something the other shows did not achieve.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cbs-cancels-shows-including-ghost-53669/|title=CBS cancels seven shows, including 'Ghost,' 'Case'|last=Hibberd|first=James|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 18, 2010|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> The ''Saturday Night Live'' episode hosted by Louis-Dreyfus made references to the curse. Nevertheless, the series' ratings declined soon after, and it was canceled after the fifth season. She went on to win six further Emmys (for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series) for her acclaimed performance as Vice President [[Selina Meyer]] in the HBO comedy series ''[[Veep]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/awards/julia-louis-dreyfus-wins-emmy-lead-actress-comedy-series-1202559690/|title=Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes Emmy history|last=Turchiano|first=Danielle|date=September 18, 2016|website=Variety|access-date=September 18, 2017}}</ref>

===''Curb Your Enthusiasm''===
{{Main|Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 7|Seinfeld (Curb Your Enthusiasm)}}
Early in March 2009, it was announced that the ''Seinfeld'' cast would reunite for [[Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 7|season seven]] of ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2009/03/05/seinfeld-cast-t|author=Rice, Lynette|title=Exclusive: 'Seinfeld' cast to appear on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=March 5, 2009|access-date=February 16, 2022|archive-date=February 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217054513/https://ew.com/article/2009/03/05/seinfeld-cast-t/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The cast first appeared in the third episode of the season, all playing fictional versions of themselves. The season-long story is that Larry David tries to initiate a ''Seinfeld'' reunion show as a ploy to win back his ex-wife, Cheryl. Along with the four main characters, some ''Seinfeld'' supporting actors like [[Wayne Knight]], [[Estelle Harris]] and [[Steve Hytner]] appeared in the ninth episode at a table read for the reunion show. Although much dialogue in ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' is improvised, the plot was scripted, and the ''Seinfeld'' special that aired within the show was scripted and directed by ''Seinfeld'' regular [[Andy Ackerman]], making this the first time since ''Seinfeld'' went off the air that the central cast appeared together in a scripted show.

===''Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee''===
{{Main|Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee#ep22|l1=The Over-Cheer (Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee)}}
[[Jerry Seinfeld]], Jason Alexander, and Wayne Knight, playing their respective ''Seinfeld'' characters, appeared in a spot presented during halftime of [[Super Bowl XLVIII]] on February 2, 2014.<ref name="Superbowl">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/business/media/halftime-brings-a-much-anticipated-seinfeld-reunion.html?_r=0|title=Halftime Brings a Much-Anticipated 'Seinfeld' Reunion|date=February 2, 2014|access-date=February 2, 2014|first=Bill|last=Carter|url-access=limited}}</ref> [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] came up with the idea of doing such a spot, due in part to the Super Bowl's location being New York City adjacent that year.<ref name="Superbowl" /> An uncut version appeared on [[Crackle.com]] immediately afterward, as an episode of ''[[Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee]]'' titled "The Over-Cheer," establishing Seinfeld's character on the series as an older version of his ''Seinfeld'' character.<ref name="Superbowl" /> Although the spot was used to advertise Seinfeld's web series, it was not considered a commercial, as Sony, which produces the series, did not pay for it.<ref name="Superbowl" /> While Seinfeld indicated that the webisode would probably be the last cast reunion, saying, "I have a feeling you've seen the final coda on that very unique experience," <ref>{{cite web|last=Etkin|first=Jaimie|title=Jerry Seinfeld Thinks That "Seinfeld" Super Bowl Reunion Is The Last One We'll See|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/jaimieetkin/jerry-seinfeld-thinks-that-seinfeld-super-bowl-reunion-is-th|work=BuzzFeed |department=Entertainment|access-date=February 18, 2014|date=February 3, 2014}}</ref> since then, [[Michael Richards]] and [[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]] have also appeared in episodes.

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=nb}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===General references===
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
* Mirzoeff, Nicholas. "Seinfeld". [[British Film Institute]], TV Classics. 2007. {{ISBN|1-84457-201-3}}.
* {{cite book |last=Fretts |first=Bruce |title=The Entertainment Weekly Seinfeld Companion |location=New York| publisher=Warner Books |year=1993 |isbn=0-446-67036-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/entertainmentwee00fret |url-access=registration}}
* Dawson, Ryan (2006). ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20130516030853/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan.dawson87/rd286/rock/seinfeld.html "Seinfeld: a show about something"]'' [[Cambridge University]].
* {{cite book |editor-first=William |editor-last=Irwin |title=Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing |location=Peru, Illinois |publisher=Open Court Publishing Company |date=1999 |isbn=0-8126-9409-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/seinfeldphilosop00irwi/ |url-access=registration}}.
* 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}}.
* {{cite book| last=Gattuso |first=Greg |title=The Seinfeld Universe: The Entire Domain| location=New York |publisher=Citadel Press |date=1996 |isbn=0-8065-2001-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/seinfelduniverse0000gatt/ |url-access=registration}}.
* Murphy, Noah. ''Seinfeld: A Beginner's Guide''. Brisbane: Penguin Books. 2011.
* {{cite book| last=Seinfeld |first=Jerry |author-link=Jerry Seinfeld |title=SeinLanguage |publisher=Bantam |year=1993 |isbn=0-553-09606-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/seinlanguage00sein/ |url-access=registration}}.
* Weaver, D.T. & Oliver, M.B. (2000) Summary of the paper: [https://web.archive.org/web/20041011074235/http://www.psu.edu/dept/medialab/research/prodplace.html "Television Programs and Advertising: Measuring the Effectiveness of Product Placement Within Seinfeld."]
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q23733|display=''Seinfeld''|n=no|b=no|v=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no|s=no|wikt=no|c=Category:Seinfeld|voy=Seinfeld Tour}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb title|0098904}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes TV |seinfeld | Seinfeld }}
* {{epguides|Seinfeld}}
* [http://www.emmys.com/shows/seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' Emmys]
* [https://www.seinfeldscripts.com/seinfeld-scripts.html ''Seinfeld'' scripts]

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