Seinfeld on All4

[buttgammon]

Currently in the latter stages of Series 8. It's been better than I remembered but there's a noticeable dip with 'The Pothole', 'The English Patient' and 'The Nap', until it recovers itself with 'The Yadda Yadda', which is a classic apart from the Kramer and Mickey storyline. Why do Americans have such a thing about dwarves?

[neveragain]

Those first three episodes you mention are great. I love Elaine's disdain of The English Patient and George under the desk.

[buttgammon]

Those first three episodes you mention are great. I love Elaine's disdain of The English Patient and George under the desk.

In fairness, there are a few things I love in those episodes: George under the desk and Steinbrenner's grandkids coming to visit him (with dog in tow), but also the film Sack Lunch.

[BeardFaceMan]

In fairness, there are a few things I love in those episodes: George under the desk and Steinbrenner's grandkids coming to visit him (with dog in tow), but also the film Sack Lunch.

I love the little world of films they created in the show, Rochelle Rochelle and the like.

[Captain Crunch]

Someone did cover art for all of them:

https://gunaxin.com/seinfelds-fictional-movie-posters

I'm still tempted from time to time to print them all out, cover old VHS tapes and make the display. 

[frajer]

Someone did cover art for all of them:

https://gunaxin.com/seinfelds-fictional-movie-posters

I'm still tempted from time to time to print them all out, cover old VHS tapes and make the display. 

Heh those are great. I'm sure I've suffered through Sack Lunch.

[Icehaven]

The idea of there being a film called Blimp about the Hindenburg was one of my favourite moments. I'd assumed it had an exclamation mark though, Blimp!

[kilgore]

I bumped into a fella at a gig that I recognised from a long time ago, and he told me he was in a thrash band called 'Man Hands', after the Seinfeld storyline.

I've always thought 'Prognosis Negative' would be a great name for a thrash band. The way George pronounces the title on the intercom has stuck with me more than anything else from the show, probably.

[dissolute ocelot]

The friends in Friends were awful people.

Yeah, it's definitely not that the characters in Seinfeld are worse than people in other sitcoms - sitcoms are all about bad behaviour, think of e.g. Cheers, Frasier, MASH, Home Improvement, Big Bang Theory, or Malcolm in the Middle for very mainstream shows about people who're often assholes. It is more that in Friends it's taken more lightly and skated over (tcch, Joey, he's so stupid!!!!) while Seinfeld really does burrow down into the consequences of bad behaviour.

[sutin]

Currently in the latter stages of Series 8. It's been better than I remembered but there's a noticeable dip with 'The Pothole', 'The English Patient' and 'The Nap', until it recovers itself with 'The Yadda Yadda', which is a classic apart from the Kramer and Mickey storyline. Why do Americans have such a thing about dwarves?

THE NAP?!?! That might very well be the greatest episode of any sitcom, ever!!

[thelittlemango]

Yeah, it's definitely not that the characters in Seinfeld are worse than people in other sitcoms - sitcoms are all about bad behaviour, think of e.g. Cheers, Frasier, MASH, Home Improvement, Big Bang Theory, or Malcolm in the Middle for very mainstream shows about people who're often assholes. It is more that in Friends it's taken more lightly and skated over (tcch, Joey, he's so stupid!!!!) while Seinfeld really does burrow down into the consequences of bad behaviour.

Also, the obsession with the shows only being good if the characters are likeable is weird, in Friends it makes sense because all the laughter track and plot suggests they're lovely and you disagree then it's failed but in Seinfeld and other shows like that it isn't a concern at all, likeability is a distant second to funny throughout, it's almost Jerry's real life mantra. Personally I don't give a shit if I like the characters, I'm not trying to be their mate, I just want to laugh.

[Wentworth Smith]

My favourite fake film has to be Chunnel as it reminds me that was once actually a thing people called it. Also, the snippets we get of it are great.

[Captain Crunch]

"Everybody, quick, get in the Chunnel"
"Everybody, quick, get out of the Chunnel"

[El Unicornio, mang]

Someone did cover art for all of them:

https://gunaxin.com/seinfelds-fictional-movie-posters

I'm still tempted from time to time to print them all out, cover old VHS tapes and make the display. 

These are good but would have preferred if they featured actors of the period the episodes are set. Death Blow featuring Wesley Snipes and Van Damme or something.

[PowerButchi]

Brian Bosworth. Richard Norton.

DEATHBLOWWWWWW

Also starring Cynthia Rothrock.

Featuring Jim The Anvil Neidhart as Barry.

[Spode]

Seems like as good a place as any to say that Morty Seinfeld is a big nobhead.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Seems like as good a place as any to say that Morty Seinfeld is a big nobhead.

That's not what his coffee mug said.

[Menu]

"Everybody, quick, get in the Chunnel"
"Everybody, quick, get out of the Chunnel"

That's brilliant.

[Icehaven]

Seems like as good a place as any to say that Morty Seinfeld is a big nobhead.

Was there any interesting reason why they changed the actor after the parent's first appearance?

[DrGreggles]

Was there any interesting reason why they changed the actor after the parent's first appearance?

Nothing interesting, it just became apparent that it was going to be a bigger recurring role rather than just a bit part, so they recast based on that.

[good times]

Finally got round to watching the finale after putting it off for a bit as part of an overall rewatch.

While it is clearly fairly weak from a comedy perspective, it wasn't as excruciatingly awful as I remember. The trial section seemed to go on a lot less longer, and was a lot less fan-servicey than it felt on the original watching.

As an idea for a sitcom ending it's actually quite clever/original/brave/whatever and in keeping with the show's philosophy. It's just not massively well executed or written.

I think by far the worst aspect of the finale is the half-hearted crowbarring in of the "does Elaine love Jerry?" angle, as it hadn't been alluded to since Season 1 and I can't imagine either hardcore or casual fans giving a shit about it. It was also massively at odds with Elaine's gradual descent into nihilism and meanness in the last few seasons.

Maybe it was meant to be a piss-take (eg. of Ross/Rachel) but again the execution of it wasn't strong enough to convey this in a way that wasn't super cringeworthy and against the spirit of the whole show.

One thing I did like about the finale which I'd kind of forgotten was the double bluff of NBC wanting to turn Seinfeld into a series again. Setting us up for this happy ending before stomping all over it and sending them to jail instead is pretty funny as a concept.

[famethrowa]

I think by far the worst aspect of the finale is the half-hearted crowbarring in of the "does Elaine love Jerry?" angle, as it hadn't been alluded to since Season 1 and I can't imagine either hardcore or casual fans giving a shit about it. It was also massively at odds with Elaine's gradual descent into nihilism and meanness in the last few seasons.

Yes that was unnecessary. They've already had casual, time-filling sex throughout the show, it's not a Who's The Boss will they/won't they thing, they did!

[Menu]

Yes that was unnecessary. They've already had casual, time-filling sex throughout the show, it's not a Who's The Boss will they/won't they thing, they did!

And it's not even a good joke. "I love U- nited Airlines". It's barely a joke at all, and it's in service of a plot point that undermines the whole spirit of the show. I mean, I genuinely ask the question: wtf were they thinking? Maybe they were all exhausted but in that case Larry David should shoulder most of the blame.

[colacentral]

To be fair, I think it was a parody of final episodes, running through the standard set of expectations that people have when a series ends: the characters might fall in love, the characters might die, etc. It's been a long time since I've seen it but I remember that being a running joke in that first part. Obviously, "will they become rich and successful?" is in there too.

[neveragain]

Yeah, the first half is all about setting up things that don't happen (the three you mention in particular).

[mr. logic]

One line I do love in the finale is:

'I'm sick of health. Health's not doing it for me anymore.' - Which is classic Larry David. Interrogating an accepted truism.

[thr0b]

I always feel that in many ways Seinfeld and Curb are the same show. Just after half a decade of recasting leading to a rebrand, relocation and occasional guest-spots from the original cast.

And more swearing.

[QDRPHNC]

Curb has nowhere near the finesse.

[BeardFaceMan]

I always feel that in many ways Seinfeld and Curb are the same show. Just after half a decade of recasting leading to a rebrand, relocation and occasional guest-spots from the original cast.

And more swearing.

Curb has certainly reused bits of Seinfeld, like Larry getting annoyed at Jeff for not having anything to read on a plane and just sitting, which is what happened with Elaine and Puddy.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I always feel that in many ways Seinfeld and Curb are the same show. Just... more swearing.

This is the crux of why I've never truly warmed to CYE.