Saturday, 31 January 2009

Seinfeld

Something reminded me of Seinfeld a few weeks back and somehow I got to looking it up on the internet. I wish I could remember why I did that. Anyway, I read that Seinfeld was voted the best sitcom ever, or something close to that, and that inspired me to download the whole series to watch during the school holidays.

I remembered the few episodes that I saw on SA Television were quite good, but after watching the first series I was starting to doubt my own memory. The first season sucked big time. I am wondering how this show ever got in to a second season. The characters felt forced, Jerry’s jokes at the beginning and end of the show were terrible and the people laughed at nothing. Worse, they felt the need to show people laughing at his nothing. Despite all of this, I endured in to the second season where everything took a turn for the better. The second season was more like the Seinfeld I remembered and by the third season they were on full throttle.

One of the things I find remarkable about the show is the number of now well known and even famous actors who appeared as guests. In almost every episode there is an actor whom I would imagine was relatively unknown at the time, but who I have seen in quite a few things by now.

In a 1993 episode you can see Stifler’s Mom in her very first TV appearance. She was not that bad looking back then. Courteney Cox made an appearance as Seinfeld’s fake wife. This was about 6 months before the first episode of Friend. She had about 25 TV and Film appearances by then, but I am sure most people will agree that it was Friends what made her truly famous.

Interestingly, “Janice” from friends also made an appearance. I was amazed to hear her normal voice, and the woman is quite good looking. Did you know she auditioned for the role of Monica in Friends?

One of the most interesting moments so far was when Teri Hatcher, from Lois & Clark fame, was asked my Elaine if her boyfriend thought that he was Superman. There was no audience laugh, so I have no idea if it was intended to be funny, but I sure found it funny.

When I finish all nine seasons of Seinfeld, I think I will move on to an audio book. I found The Satanic Verses online. I think I will give that a go.

1 comment:

White Rice said...

You are absolutely right. So many went on to notoriety. To name a few:
Patrick Warburton
Debra Messing
Kathy Griffin
Kristin Davis.

Not to mention Uncle Rico from Napolean Dynamite...