There was a thread about classic comedy you've never seen a while ago and several posters in that were telling me I really should watch Seinfeld, but I can't find the thread now so I'll mention it here instead; I finally got round to it a few weeks ago, I've just finished series 3, and I'm just starting to see what all the fuss is about*. Dunno if I'm going to binge all the way through 9 series but when I put something else on generally after a few minutes I think "Nah, think I'll watch a few more Seinfelds instead", so it's reeled me in. I'm not finding it half as dated as I expected to, considering it's 30 years old, although it doesn't generally seem the kind of humour/writing that dates too badly (I don't include the stand up bits in that though, they seem quite lame now. Did they at the time too?) although there's inevitably a few jokes and bits that probably wouldn't turn up in a comedy in the last decade or so. Even just considering how it looks only certain things like payphones, some haircuts, jumpers tucked into belts etc. really stick out, and to me it doesn't look half as different to now as, say the 60s did to the 90s, but maybe that's just because I'm old enough to remember the 90s so it doesn't seem like another era the same way times you're too young to remember do.
The studio audience are just starting to whoop a bit when Kramer walks in so I can see where that's going, although tbh I think his enforced quirkiness is one of the most dated/of it's time things about the writing, so I don't find him half as funny as I probably would if I'd watched it when it was first on. I'm hoping he isn't dialled up to 11 as the audience reaction gets louder and louder?
Also on the negative side, that f*****g theme tune. But generally yes so far I'm glad I finally managed to see it, even if it's bizarre seeing the rapey lawyer from Pretty Woman getting attractive women throwing themselves at him.
*That was another thing, knowing it's considered by loads of people to be the best sitcom of all time does make watching it with a clear eye difficult. The global equivalent of your mate putting you off something by trying too hard to make you like it.