What's your favorite Seinfeld moment?
Ten years ago today, millions of people were bracing themselves for what would be the final episode of Seinfeld. Technically, it didn't go off the air until May 14th, 1998 (do you remember where you were and what you were doing that fateful day?), but by mid-March, everyone knew the end was nigh, and just the thought of a final episode caused diehards a lot of angst.
A decade later, and still not a month passes at my office where someone doesn't evoke Seinfeld—either quoting an episode (actually, generally mis-quoting, but whatever), recalling an episode ("How about the one where"¦") or referring to a zany situation as "something right out of a Seinfeld episode."
Poor Larry David. Around my office, every episode of Curb is parsed for Seinfeld moments and invariably held up against the more famous show—the barometer, as some call it—causing many to take sides as to whether or not each was better or worse than an episode of Seinfeld. Rumor has it, in Detroit a fight once broke out over just such an argument and one man pulled a plastic soup spoon. Granted, it's just a rumor, but coming from Detroit, you sorta have to believe it.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to let you all get it out of your systems once and for all. I mean, honestly, it is going on 10 years. What stage of grieving are we in here? Denial? So let us know your favorite Seinfeld moment already.
There were so many classics, everyone has his or her own favorite. Let's get a list going and see which one or two pops up the most often.
After the jump, you'll find a whole long list of curious facts about the show, via Ivy's Seinfeld Page. Many you probably know, but still more you probably don't.
Frank Costanza was played by two different actors: Jerry Stiller and John Randolph. George's 'real' wife was in the final episode of Seinfeld (She was in the court room). The Bubble Boy (Donald Sanger) was played by an old man, John Hayman. Larry David, co-creator, provided the voice of the faceless George Steinbrenner. The exterior of the gang's usual hang-out place is Tom's Restaurant in New York City, located on the corner of 112th and Broadway. The Soup Nazi's place is at the northeast corner of 55th and 8th in New York. Kramer was named Kessler in the first episode: The Seinfeld Chronicles. (Thanks to dstopczynskI@hotmail.com) Morty Seinfeld has been played by Barney Martin in every episode except for the second one, when Phil Bruns did. There is a real Kramer called Kenny Kramer, who is the inspiration for the character Cosmo Kramer. Michael Richards auditioned for Married With Children and almost became Al Bundy. Jerry loses $34,275.50 (Plus a TV, a stereo receiver, two charter tickets to Paris, a BMW, two meals at Mendy's, and numerous amorous visits from maid--actual values unknown). Kramer's obsessions are fresh fruit and golf. Elaine's first job was at Pendant Publishing. Elaine has a sister in St. Louis, and an uncle who worked with Lee Harvey Oswald in the Dallas book depository. George's first job was at Rick-Bar properties as a real estate agent. George is a "stall man". Jerry gargles six times a day. Kramer got a line in a Woody Allen movie. Jerry only wears button fly jeans. George met Jerry at JFK high school when George fell of a rope in gym class and landed on Jerry's head. Frank Costanza, George's dad, has saved every TV Guide fall preview since the beginning. Elaine was the cause for the end of Pendant Publishing. Newman inherited his mail route from Son of Sam. George has never said "I love you" except to a dog. Jerry relabels his jeans from a 32" waist to a 31". Jerry's two obsessions are Superman and cereal. (Thanks to satyalrk@email.uc.edu)(Rajiv Satyal) Did you know that the first line of the first episode (The Seinfeld Chronicles) is the same as the last line of the final episode. Jerry tells George, "See, now to me, that button is in the worst possible spot. The second button literally makes or breaks the shirt. Look at it, it's too high, it's in no-man's land". In the first episode George and Jerry are in the coffee shop when he says it, and in the final episode they are in the jail cell. (Thanks to jmd8658@labs.tamu.edu)(Janice Drabek) Did you know that the first episode Newman appeared in was The Suicide. (Thanks to FarleyZ57@aol.com) Prognosis Negative (The fake movie in "The Dog") was the name of an unproduced screenplay written by Larry David. (Thanks to PearlJam49@aol.com)(Mark) Jerry's real name is Jerome Seinfeld. (Thanks to PHOXZI85@aol.com) Jerry claims that he invented the "umbrella twirl" to attract customers back when he was an umbrella salesman. Jerry proposed to Elaine (Serenity Now episode). Kramer would name his child Isosceles. Kramer (Michael Richards) was in Problem Child. He plaed a prisoner. (Thanks to DryLcyYou@aol.com) Kramer was in the 1980's movie "Transillvania 6-5000" and played a wacky butler like character opposite Jeff Goldblum and Ed Bagely Jr.. Also, Jason Alexander is a Boston University graduate. (Thanks to Vandelay89@aol.com) Michael Richards also played in the movie - "Trial and Error." (Thanks to Vaj Bruce@aol.com) Michael Richards was on the dating game and also on the show Friday's way back. I believe he was also in Young Doctors in Love. (Thanks to AbbyRoad27@aol.com) Kenny Kramer (The real K-man!) is trying out for the U.S. Open Tennis tournament as a ball boy (ballperson) just like Kramer in the show did. (Thanks to CinnBOBka@aol.com) Both George and Elaine were in the movie "North." (Thanks to Steven Pearson) In real life the real Kramer really lived across the hall from George. (Thanks to PHOXZI85@aol.com) Earlier this year the J. Peterman company went bankrupt. (Thanks to Beagle1795@aol.com) When they show the outside of the apartment in the show "Will and Grace," It's the same shot from Seinfeld. (Thanks to Ib716snI83@hotmail.com) Elaine Benes wasn't in the pilot (The Seinfeld Chronicles). After that episode aired they decided that they needed a female character to kind of balance out the three males. (Thanks to Beagle1795@aol.com) Kramer had a dog in the first episode of Seinfeld (Seinfeld Chronicles). Kramer played Stanley Spadowski in UHF with Weird Al Yankovic. "Stanley Spadowski's Playhouse." (Thanks to McElhinny1@aol.com) Julia Louis Dreyfus played in the movie, 'Fathers Day'. (Thanks to LazyBoy207@aol.com) Micheal Richards was in the movie 'Unstrung Heros'. (Thanks to ElyseElyse@aol.com) When Micheal Richards was in school, he was always the class clown. In fact, he used to slide into his classrooms as a joke! (Thanks to ElyseElyse@aol.com) The "Kramer Entrance" was actually an accidental discovery. He was late for his cue, so he accidentally slid through the door. Everyone thought it was funny and decided to keep it. (Thanks to ElyseElyse@aol.com) Michael Richards was in an episode of 'Cheers' and a small part in 'So I married an axemurderer'. (Thanks to Antixism@aol.com) Michael Richards (Kramer) was in the movie 'Airheads' with Brenden Frasier and Adam Sandler. (Thanks to PHOXZI85@aol.com) Julia Louis Dreyfus and Tom Arnold were involved in a fued with each other that started when Julia Louis Dreyfus parked in his parking spot at their studio. The fued escalated and the two exchanged heated arguments. Finally Roseanne Arnold got involved and apparently wrote BITCH on Julia's windsheild using soap scuds. Finally NBC ended the ongoing problems because Roseanne Arnold was very powerful in Hollywood and they were afraid of what might happen. (Thanks to Gloopy7@aol.com) Did you know that Michael Richards once guest starred on an episode of Mad About You as the character Cosmo Kramer. I believe the premise was that when Paul was single, Kramer's apartment was his apartment and then when he got married, he sub-let it to Kramer. I haven't seen the episode in a while, so I can't be too sure if I have the premise right, but I know that Michael Richards appeared as Kramer on Mad About You. (Thanks to Beagle1795@aol.com) 'Ol George said 'i love you' once to this chick-as. You might have suspected he was rather apprehensive about it and also after all his worrying he said it to her and she didn't say it back. He said it again to her and she said "i know." (Thanks to cifelli@bellatlantic.net)(Wheaton) That Newman's only good quality is that he's merry. (Thanks to ProbePhage@aol.com) Michael Richards played the character "Feos" in Transylvania 6500. (Thanks to (georgeg@lorencook.com)(George Georgiades) Did you know that Julia Louis-Dreyfus was a cast member on Saturday Night Live during the 80's. She was on the show with Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal and Martin Short, among others, and her husband, Brad Hall was also a cast member. (Thanks to Beagle1795@aol.com) The boy in the hospital who was promised by Kramer that Paul O'Neill would hit two homeruns and catch a fly ball in his hat in order to get the birthday card for Steinbrenner that was signed by the team, is also the boy who was starring on the TV show when Kramer and Mickey were the stand-ins. (Thanks to Zup999@aol.com) George's ATM password is BOSCO. (Thanks to alain.e.garciadubus@attcanada.net) The restaurant O'Neal's was used twice in Seinfeld. Once when Jerry and Elaine go out with Kramer and the low-talker, and once when Elaine loses a bet from Todd Gak and she meets his parents. (Thanks to Zup999@aol.com) Did you know that in "The Airport" the guy who stinks up the bathroom before Elaine goes in is Seinfeld writer Larry Charles. (Thanks to WEIER@prodigy.net) That the mother and the child with the dirty mouth in "The Nonfat Yogurt" re also in the episode "The Parking Space." (Thanks to WEIER@prodigy.net) The guy in "The Frogger" who is suppose to get the truck is also on the bus on The Peterman Reality Tour in "The Muffin Tops." (Thanks to WEIER@prodigy.net) The guy who drives the black Saab in "The Puerto Rican Day" also comes out of the movie "Firestorm" with Jerry in the "The Engagement" while George is stuck seeing "The Muted Heart" with Susan. (Thanks to WEIER@prodigy.net) Kramer used to work for H&H bagels, but went on strike for 12 years. (Thanks to ansakt99@student.umu.se) George often claims to be an arcitect. (Thanks to ansakt99@student.umu.se) Jerry once gave george the important mission to exercise the gascets in his toilet. (Thanks to ansakt99@student.umu.se) Kramer once made a hole in one...in a vale. (Thanks to ansakt99@student.umu.se) Jerry didn´t throw up for 13 years. A black and white cookie put a stop to that. (Thanks to ansakt99@student.umu.se) Mr Lippman started a shop called "Top of the Muffin" after the end of pendant publishing. (Thanks to ansakt99@student.umu.se) In the episode where George gets into a fight with Ruthie, the lady at Monk's, he stops with kramer in the street to get a pack of gum; the man selling the gum is Larry David. (Thanks to Zup999@aol.com) Did you know in "The Muffin Top" when Kramer takes the stumps to Jiffy Dump the man who won't let Kramer "dump the stumps" is the same man in the episode where Susan's friend is traveling with Joseph and Kramer to get to wear the technicolored dream coat. Also when Elaine wants the Nicole Miller dress, she dates Craig who hit on her right in front of Jerry when George parks his car in Jiffy Park and the same man won't admit that hookers are doing business in the cars. (Thanks to Allie52927@aol.com) The mohair sweater in the sniffing accountant is also worn by Mrs. Sokol's daughter who George dates while trying to get an unemployment extension. (Thanks to Kinetic999@aol.com) If you look closely in the episode "The parking garage," you can see mirror images of the people walking around the garage. This is because they used mirrors to make the studio look like a large parking garage. (Thanks to Kinetic999@aol.com) The Jackie Chiles actor was in an episode before the Jackie Chiles character was created. He appeared as a cop who calls Jerry "Mr. Steinfeld" when Kramer gets Jerry an illegal cable hookup. (Thanks to Kinetic999@aol.com) If you pay attention, you can notice that Jason Alexander is actually dying of laughter in the scene when elaine throws George's hair piece out of the window. (Thanks to Kinetic999@aol.com) You can hear Jerry laughing at Jason during the scene in which George is asking the Reverend about a death certificate for an airline rebate. Jerry is completely off stage and George piles up his plate with a bunch of appetizers (probably wasn't part of the original script). (Thanks to Kinetic999@aol.com) The actress that plays the woman who fired George from his new job as a bra salesman (Christa Miller from The Drew Carey Show) also plays the woman who dates George and eats his peach pit. (Thanks to presumably_so@hotmail.com) In The Engagement while George and Susan are in the movie theatre after seeing The Muted Heart, Jerry and an unknown character are walking out of another theater talking about how good "Firestorm" was. Now... that unknown character is the SAME guy in The Puerto Rican Day who the gang refers to as "Maroon Golf" (Thanks to squirt10_@yahoo.com)