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Summary
Jerry Seinfeld stars in this television comedy
series as himself, a comedian. The premise of this sitcom is Jerry and
his friends going through everyday life, discussing various quirky situations
that we can all relate to (especially if we live in New York). The eccentric
personalities of the offbeat characters who make up Jerry's social circle
contribute to the fun.
Cast
Jerry Seinfeld .... Jerry Seinfeld
Julia Louis-Dreyfus .... Elaine Benes
Michael Richards .... Cosmo Kramer
Jason Alexander .... George Costanza
rest of cast listed alphabetically
Richard Fancy .... Mr. Lippman (1991-1998)
Estelle Harris .... Estelle Costanza (1992-1998)
Richard Herd .... Wilhelm (1995-1998)
Wayne Knight .... Newman (1992-1998)
Len Lesser .... Uncle Leo (1991-1998)
Barney Martin .... Morty Seinfeld
John O'Hurley .... J. Peterman (1995-1998)
Liz Sheridan .... Helen Seinfeld
Jerry Stiller .... Frank Costanza (1993-1998)
Heidi Swedberg .... Susan Biddle Ross (1992-1993,
1995-1996)
Patrick Warburton .... David Puddy (1995-1998)
DVD Summaries
Season 1 & 2
Nothing? Seinfeld is a show about everything! It's about the appeal
of the posse and coma etiquette. It's about importing and exporting. It's
about sneaking a peek, and seeing the baby. It's about this, that, and
the other. TV Guide ranked Seinfeld the best TV series of all time. It
has become the master of its syndication domain. Its most devoted fans
can quote each episode chapter and verse; their absorption of each scene's
minutiae anything but a trivial pursuit. With such fervent devotion to
the show, and demand for its DVD release, series creators Jerry Seinfeld
and Larry David could have easily just OK'd a bare-bones set containing
nothing but the episodes. Not that there would have been anything wrong
with that, but instead, the creative team came together to create extensive
and encyclopedic features that make this four-disc set buy-worthy. The
candid and revealing audio commentaries and interviews, deleted scenes
and original episode promos, and optional "Notes About Nothing" pop-ups
are as irresistible as a Drake's coffee cake.
It's always fun and instructive to return to the humble beginnings
of a series that became a pop culture benchmark. Here are Kramer's first
not-so-grand entrance, Jerry's first contemptuous "Hello, Newman," and
Elaine's first "Get Out!" shove. But what is most revelatory about these
episodes from the first two seasons is what Jason Alexander, during his
commentary for the episode "The Revenge," calls a "sweet quality" that
somehow redeems these characters' more base instincts. Consider the scene
in which Jerry gives a freshly unemployed George some career guidance,
or Jerry and Elaine's palpably affectionate banter throughout. The "Inside
Look" episode intros offer fascinating insights into this singular show
that subverted sitcom convention with such now-classic episodes as "The
Chinese Restaurant," in which Jerry, George, and Elaine wait in vain for
a table. We learn, for example, why movie tough guy Lawrence Tierney, who
guest starred in "The Jacket," never reprised his role as Elaine's father.
All of this, of course, is yadda yadda yadda to Seinfeld fans, whose patience
for the show's DVD debut has been amply rewarded. As Elaine screams in
the third-season episode, "The Subway," "It's not nothing, it's something!"
--Donald Liebenson
Season 3
For Seinfeld, the third season's--for want of a better word--the charm.
The show has found its misanthropic voice (by season's end, a fed-up Elaine
tells herself, "I gotta get some new friends"), the ensemble has a firmer
grasp of their characters, and the writers rise to the occasion with episodes
that have entered the Seinfeld pantheon, including the Seinfeld equivalent
of a Very Special Episode, "The Boyfriend," with Keith Hernandez and the
J.F.K. parody, "The Library," featuring Philip Baker Hall channeling Jack
Webb as library bookhound Bookman, "The Pez Dispenser," and "The Keys,"
with an L.A.-bound Kramer winding up on Murphy Brown. Michael Richards,
especially, comes into his own this season as Kramer. The first two seasons
built up the mystique of this "man-child"/"parasite." So while he was absent
in season 2's "The Chinese Restaurant," he is now out and about with the
close-knit, albeit dysfunctional, trio. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has some of
her giddiest golden moments, zonked on painkillers in "The Pen," or, as
a bored party guest in "The Stranded," telling an obnoxious bride-to-be
that "Maybe the dingo ate your baby." And don't get us started on Jason
Alexander as George, series co-creator Larry David's neurotic and angst-ridden
alter-ego. To paraphrase what Julia Roberts said of Denzel Washington,
we don't want to live in a world where Alexander doesn't have an Emmy.
But it's the extensive bonus features that give this four-disc set
"hand" over other TV-on-DVD releases. The "Inside Look" episode intros,
optional pop-up "Notes About Nothing," and candid, albeit a little too
casual, commentaries offer a fount of information to even the most obsessive
Seinfeld fans. We learn that even the most outrageous episodes, such as
"The Pez Dispenser," were inspired by real-life events. Especially telling
is Alexander's observation that Jerry never really socialized with the
other ensemble members. This has extended to the commentaries: Seinfeld
pairs with David on some episodes, while Alexander, Richards and Dreyfus
team up on others. They are gracious to the guest stars and extras, and
mostly mum on Jer. --Donald Liebenson
* Source of Information imdb.com |