Seinfeld TV Show Perhaps The Greatest Comedy Of All Time

Mar 7
06:55

2011

Craig Thornburrow

Craig Thornburrow

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The Seinfeld TV show, although another American television sitcom, is far from just another show on the airwaves. Full of laughter, every day scenarios, and plots people could relate to, this rather simple show is one of the top comedies of all time.

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The Seinfeld TV show,Seinfeld TV Show Perhaps The Greatest Comedy Of All Time Articles although another American television sitcom, is far from just another show on the airwaves.  The show debuted on July 5, 1989 on NBC and lived within families’ living rooms for many years to come.  Full of laughter, every day scenarios, and plots people could relate to, this rather simple show is one of the top comedies of all time.

The show aired from July 5, 1989 to May 14, 1998 lasting for a total of nine seasons, and is now in syndication.  Created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the show is set predominantly in an apartment block on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.  It features a number of Jerry’s friends and acquaintances, including the main stars George Costanza, Elaine Benes and Cosmo Kramer.

What made this show stand out from other sitcoms were the every-day scenarios that people could relate to.  None of the principal characters were related by family or work connections, yet remained close throughout. 

Every episode was something as simple as waiting in line at the movies, going out for dinner or buying a suit.  Yet the writing behind each episode was magnificently hilarious.  The view of the show is consistent with the philosophy of nihilism, the idea that life is pointless.

The structure of each episode is primarily based on the way the principal characters’ storyline is set.  There is a story thread presented in the beginning of each episode, and rapid scene-shifts between storylines bring all of the stories together by the end of the episode. 

The show maintained a strong sense of continuity between the characters and plots from past episodes that were frequently referenced or expanded upon.  Sometimes, story arcs would even span for multiple episodes and even entire seasons.  Perhaps the biggest difference between the Seinfeld TV show and other sitcoms is that the principal characters never learn their moral lessons throughout the seasons.

The show led the Nielsen ratings in its sixth and ninth seasons and finished among the top two ever year from 1994 to 1998.  Over the years it received countless awards and nominations in various categories.  It won an Emmy for “Outstanding Comedy Series” in 1993, a 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.

Perhaps the greatest achievement and recognition came in 2002 when TV Guide named the Seinfeld TV show as the greatest television program of all time.  And despite wrapping up the series in 1998, replayed episodes continue to create laughs day in and day out on various networks to this day.