Why are we still watching Seinfeld re-runs 11 years later?

Because it is far and away the best sitcom on TV with The Office the only other show in the same league.

How can this be? What was it and what is it that continues to make this show so special, so historic?

Is it that this show about nothing is a show about all of us? When we laugh so hard at the hum drum plots are we really laughing at ourselves? I am a piker compared to some hard core Seinfeld enthusiasts but I find myself getting hysterical about scenes I have watched at least 20 times over the years.

The show began in 1990 and was the top rated show for most of the next 8 years until the final episode May14,1998.

The non-secret of this series unbelievably consistent success is the cast. There has never been a cast this good and I doubt there ever could be.From the most insignificant role of the doorman to the 4 stars,Jerry,George,Elaine and Cosmo, every actor and every guest are perfect.

Newman,Jerry's mom and dad,George's insane parents,David Putty,Mr. Pitt,Susan,Uncle Leo,Kenny Bania,Tim Whatley,Jackie Chiles, the Soup Nazi,and Mr. Peterman. On and on, the dwarf rolling on the ground wrestling with Kramer,Elaine dancing at the Xmas party,the goofy girl who walked wihtout swinging her arms, the no fat yogurt which almost kills Rudy Guliani.

Jerry and George had different girl friends just about every week and all of them had some distinct character flaw which turned these "nothing" guys off.

I liked the episodes best when the 4 stars were doing something in unison, whether at the parking garage,in the Hamptons,in the bakery on the way to a party,and at the movies.

The producer,Larry David became a mega star in his own right a few years later as did Jerry Stiller who is a 100 times funnier than his son, Ben. Ironically Ben Stiller makes more in one movie than his dad did in his whole career.

When this show was still in it's first season, the critics doubted it would be picked up for a second season. I confess I wasn't watching it at the time. I didn't get it until late in the second season,wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a continuous,on going story ,or each week,a story in itself. Once I caught on I became addicted to it and I still am.

Click on the video clip below and enjoy again the hilarious Soup Nazi episode. I can never watch it just once.



Comment: You will note that yesterday's post on molesting priests has been pulled from the page. I hope to repost it today or tomorrow after I do some rewriting.