Seinfeld is a sitcom consisting of 8 seasons (180 episodes) that ran from 1989-1998. It was created by two comedians - Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, with Seinfeld playing the title character - a fictional version of himself.

 

It centers on the lives of 4 friends living in the upper west side of Manhattan. It follows Jerry Seinfeld, his ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes, his best friend from high school George Costanza, and his neighbour Cosmo Kramer.

 

It was ranked the number one television show of all time by TV guide; and although it is commonly described as a “show about nothing”, the creators felt quite the opposite. They saw Seinfeld as a fully relatable show about the mundaneness of everyday life (such as waiting in line, dating, losing something). The writers got their material from their lives, ensuring that the situations were realistic and relatable.

 

The show did not sugar coat their characters, often showing them in a negative light - such as intervening in other people’s lives to a disastrous end. This causes the audience to never feel empathy towards these characters, even during the death of one of their fiancées. These lack of emotional connection with the characters is something that was not often seen during the time, making Seinfeld unique.

 

Throughout the course of the show, the main cast as well as the supporting cast has used unique phrases that have caught on to millions of viewers.

Examples: “yada yada yada”, “these pretzels are making me thirsty”, “double-drip”, “re-gifter”, “not that there’s anything wrong with that”, “sponge worthy”

Suggesting the impact that this show has had on society over the years of its original run as well as the years after during syndication.

 

A major theme that comes up throughout the series is religion, the sitcom often shows the main cast making fun of a variety of religions. However, they do not single out religion in any way, as they make fun of every aspect of life - marriage, death, having children.