The show about nothing still has a strong impact on people today; with “Seinfeld” now available on streaming services, some people are still running into the antics of Jerry and his three blundering buddies Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George Costanza (Jason Alexander), and of course, Jerry’s neighbor Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards).
The show boasts an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes as a certain timelessness to it that fans just can’t forget. With Larry David at the helm, “Seinfeld” was a revolutionary venture into the sitcom world where the main characters never had any character growth whatsoever, with hundreds of lines that live rent-free in fans’ minds over 20 years after the ending of “Seinfeld” aired. The plotlines were ridiculous and some a little too uncomfortable to the point that they haven’t aged well as people look back. That doesn’t stop viewers from continuing to enjoy the gang’s hijinks or a sit down at Monk’s dinner.
Some fans might wish they could take a gander at what “Seinfeld” might be like today. Many popular ’90s TV shows like “Sex and the City” and “Fresh Prince of Bel-air” have received revivals, so why not a redemption story for Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine?
As it happens, Jerry Seinfeld offered his own two cents on the subject when a fan of “Seinfeld” inquired about what it would be like for “Seinfeld” to still be airing today.
It would change how people enjoy the source material of Seinfeld
On Jerry Seinfeld’s AMA Reddit thread, mullac posed the question: “What if Seinfeld still on tv today?”
Seinfeld answered, “Everything would have had to change. The character would have gotten married and started families, I suppose.” It’s interesting to consider what that might mean and how that could come along. Jerry and George both came close to tying the knot during “Seinfeld,” but ultimately didn’t. In today’s day and age, maybe the characters would’ve experienced self-growth that led to marriage, or perhaps it means that they would fall in love with people as terrible as them. Do fans want or need that, though?
“Everything has its life cycle and if you respect it, people enjoy it longer.” Seinfeld went on. He then called out “The Hangover” trilogy. “If you made just one, the movie would be a comedy legend.” Since the films spanned three entries, Seinfeld felt that it compromised the quality of the original.
Reddit commenter Mitcheli1 wrote, “Couldn’t agree with you more. ‘Seinfeld’ ended at the exact right time. ”
Perhaps “Seinfeld” is better left alone. So fans can remember the iconic show for what it was rather than revisit what could be a disastrous revival. Sometimes you can’t catch lightning in a bottle twice.
