I first stumbled across 'Seinfeld' late last year, while flicking through channels and I can honestly say that it left me extremely surprised. As a thirteen year old used to the sappy family-friendly comedies such as 'Everybody Loves Raymond' and 'Friends', I was quite amazed that this show that everyone was talking about, was devoting an entire episode to masturbation.
A day later, I tuned in again and I was surprised once more, but for a very different reason. IT WAS BRILLIANT! How come I had never come across it before?
Seinfeld's genius cannot be summed up easily. It has absolutely amazing actors playing the parts who are obviously enjoying themselves - one many occasions you can see smirks forming across Jerry's face, it has unbelievably funny situations which the characters find themselves in, and it has excellent writers - chiefly Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld - who manage to turn normal everyday situations in full blown moments of genuine comedy.
When you watch 'Seinfeld' you are guaranteed three things - Elaine to have a wonderfully funny break-up with another unlucky guy who strolled into her neurotic ways of dating, George to be chasing after anything with a skirt on - with hilarious consequences, and Kramer falling over and performing some of the best slapstick comedy seen since John Cleese in 'Fawlty Towers'. But where does this leave the show's namesake and Superman, if you will? Well, Jerry starts off many of the episodes with superbly observational stand-up comedy and for most of the episode he is in the middle of all of his friends' completely insane lives. But that's not to say that he is normal whatsoever. He is absolutely miles from it.
Although all of these would be reason enough to proclaim Seinfeld as the greatest comedy that America, or anywhere has ever produced, there is one more reason why Seinfeld is, in my view, the greatest show ever. It lies in the writing. While episodes of other comedies may seem to be made up as they go along, I can safely say that Seinfeld is the best-written comedy programme in history. The writers take completely irrelevant and pointless situations and make whole episodes of magnificent comedy out of them. Each episode is made up of at least two or three different stories which manage to link up perfectly in the end. Sometimes I devote the 30 minutes of the show, trying to work out how it will end, but I'm never able to guess it. For example, in one episode Elaine dates a guy who breaks up horribly with women, and is therefore attacked by his ex's frequently. Meanwhile, George is trying to get a good apartment by convincing the board that his life is a complete mess, and he therefore deserves a break for once. Right up until the last moment, it appears as if George's wish will come true, but he is beaten by who? Elaine's ex, the bad break-up guy, who got the apartment by telling the board of all the times he has been attacked by women in the street. It's a brilliant ending which I could not predict and proves once more, that Seinfeld really is THE GREATEST SHOW OF ALL TIME.
Sure, Season Nine may have thrown us some duffers, but overall no television comedy has had such a magnificent strike-rate, created so many phrases now used in everyday life, and influenced so many people. Shows have come and gone since it ended eight years ago, but none have even been half as hilarious as Seinfeld.
Like Jerry's idol, Superman, it is respected by everyone, and will never be forgotten. 10/10
A day later, I tuned in again and I was surprised once more, but for a very different reason. IT WAS BRILLIANT! How come I had never come across it before?
Seinfeld's genius cannot be summed up easily. It has absolutely amazing actors playing the parts who are obviously enjoying themselves - one many occasions you can see smirks forming across Jerry's face, it has unbelievably funny situations which the characters find themselves in, and it has excellent writers - chiefly Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld - who manage to turn normal everyday situations in full blown moments of genuine comedy.
When you watch 'Seinfeld' you are guaranteed three things - Elaine to have a wonderfully funny break-up with another unlucky guy who strolled into her neurotic ways of dating, George to be chasing after anything with a skirt on - with hilarious consequences, and Kramer falling over and performing some of the best slapstick comedy seen since John Cleese in 'Fawlty Towers'. But where does this leave the show's namesake and Superman, if you will? Well, Jerry starts off many of the episodes with superbly observational stand-up comedy and for most of the episode he is in the middle of all of his friends' completely insane lives. But that's not to say that he is normal whatsoever. He is absolutely miles from it.
Although all of these would be reason enough to proclaim Seinfeld as the greatest comedy that America, or anywhere has ever produced, there is one more reason why Seinfeld is, in my view, the greatest show ever. It lies in the writing. While episodes of other comedies may seem to be made up as they go along, I can safely say that Seinfeld is the best-written comedy programme in history. The writers take completely irrelevant and pointless situations and make whole episodes of magnificent comedy out of them. Each episode is made up of at least two or three different stories which manage to link up perfectly in the end. Sometimes I devote the 30 minutes of the show, trying to work out how it will end, but I'm never able to guess it. For example, in one episode Elaine dates a guy who breaks up horribly with women, and is therefore attacked by his ex's frequently. Meanwhile, George is trying to get a good apartment by convincing the board that his life is a complete mess, and he therefore deserves a break for once. Right up until the last moment, it appears as if George's wish will come true, but he is beaten by who? Elaine's ex, the bad break-up guy, who got the apartment by telling the board of all the times he has been attacked by women in the street. It's a brilliant ending which I could not predict and proves once more, that Seinfeld really is THE GREATEST SHOW OF ALL TIME.
Sure, Season Nine may have thrown us some duffers, but overall no television comedy has had such a magnificent strike-rate, created so many phrases now used in everyday life, and influenced so many people. Shows have come and gone since it ended eight years ago, but none have even been half as hilarious as Seinfeld.
Like Jerry's idol, Superman, it is respected by everyone, and will never be forgotten. 10/10
- Alan Skelton