 There's Wayne Knight, the man who portrays Newman. Someone saw Kramer's Michael Richards in a dark sedan, and yes, even the king of secrets himself, Jerry Seinfeld, in his silver porch. After Seinfeld cranked out nine seasons from 1989 to 1998, introducing the world to Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander, as well as co-creator Larry David. I was very worried when the show got successful and the budget did expand. They said you could spend whatever you wanted that the comedy was gonna suffer. After Seinfeld popularized terms like re-gifter and double-dipping and spawned catchphrases like, hello Jerry, hello Newman. These pretzels are making me thirsty. Not that there's anything wrong with that, yada, yada, yada. And of course, Serenity Now. Oh yeah, also this. Nothing for you. After Seinfeld won three Golden Globes, 10 Primetime Emmys and six SAG Awards, being named one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Jerry Seinfeld for Seinfeld. There's a lot of cleavage in this room. From the years 1989 to 1998, Seinfeld had dominated the world of television. There wasn't a single program that could keep up with it. Due to the massive amount of material they had pumped out in less than a decade, while the sitcom once dubbed the show about nothing, certainly gave birth to pop culture phenomenon. Oh, sounded like Biggie there. Now Jerry was pondering over what else they could possibly do with his character, as well as George Kramer in a lane. In a rather dramatic reach for inspiration, he decided to go back to the exact bench where he told his father he wanted to be a stand-up comedian at the age of just 22. Sitting around and thinking about the future, well he decided right then and there that season nine, it was gonna be Seinfeld's goodbye. Now the production of the show's final episode was so secretive that the entire NBC studio was put on lockdown. Jerry even ordered a certain type of ink for the script that couldn't be copied. A team of production assistants were tasked with shredding every single copy of the script at the end of the shooting day. I myself was once a PA, it was on some Canadian shows. Oh, I would've killed if it was Seinfeld. The final episode was one hour in length instead of the regular 22 minutes and it was watched around the globe. While most shows sink into obscurity after they end, well Seinfeld's popularity has remained strong. How strong? Well, let's just say there isn't a minute of the day where Seinfeld isn't airing somewhere in the world. It's influenced and sparked other TV shows, several common expressions, and its own holiday. Jerry even went on to collaborate with a popular hip-hop artist, for real. What's going on guys? It's your boy Michael McCrudden and today we're documenting the history as well as the legacy of Seinfeld here for you on After They Were Famous. Now we know they are still famous. It's just the way we title this show. Now this episode is gonna be an interesting one. It's not often we get to cover an entire TV show. We've done profiles recently on Jack Black, Johnny Sins, and Two Millie. Also, we did a Home Alone After They Were Famous. It blew up because it was Christmas. In the meantime, let us know if there's another show you want us to document in the comments down below. How about Malcolm in the middle? Or The Simpsons? I don't know, let us know, you know where. Actually, hold that intro. I also wanna challenge you guys with a trivia question. Yeah, which stand-up comedian was at one point in talks to play the role of George before Jason Alexander was cast? If you know the answer, sound off in the comments down below. And for now, let's talk Seinfeld. You're on After They Were Famous. Resume the intro. Be sure to subscribe and hit that bell. Boom! Would you welcome him, please? Jerry Seinfeld. A photograph of the earth from 10,000 miles away. Can you tell if you should take a sweater or not from that shot? Jerry Seinfeld knew he wanted to do comedy as a young boy listening to the works of Bill Cosby, Robert Klein, and George Carlin on a record player in his bedroom. Born in Brooklyn on April 29th, 1954, his family relocated to Massapequa, Long Island. Now Jerry's father, a veteran of World War II, he collected jokes he heard while serving overseas. You can say this, as well as his admiration for stand-up icons, well, they resulted in an obsession with everything funny. I love jokes so much. I know, I love them so much. That if I, if I love, like, that's why I do your act. During college, Jerry began performing stand-up comedy around various New York clubs and campuses. His unique observations and in-depth take on everyday life made him a favorite among audiences. It was during these years that he met another Brooklyn native by the name of Larry David. And I just can't believe that my old pal Moe would hatch a plan to assassinate Reagan. Not the Moe I know. Born on July 2nd, 1947, Larry's experience during his youth greatly contributed to his unique brand of humor, as well as an eye for comedic detail. Graduating high school, he and his friends, they decided to join the Army Reserve on a whim. Little did he realize, well, the Army Reserves aren't exactly a cakewalk, he stated. I cried the first night I was there. I was in the Army, it was dangerous. They would wake you up at 4.45 a.m. and come into the room and scream. And you're trying to sleep, there's a weapon, there's a rifle, and you have to fire. I had never even fired a BB gun. I was the lowest grade, a marksman. After two years of service, America was smack dab in the middle of the Vietnam War. Larry realized that he and his comrades may be deployed overseas, and in his words, well, there was no way he was going to war. Getting word of a psychiatrist writing letters that would pardon soldiers from being sent over, well, Larry sat down for an interview. He would purposely act crazy in an order to seem unfit for combat. And he paid the doctor 350 bucks. He wrote a letter making him unable to fight. Now honing his comedic skills while in college, Larry took his unique experiences and hit the stage in New York City. His sharp observations conveyed through a brash but honest persona made him popular among some crowds. And not so much in others. You know, that's kind of how it goes. Now legend has it, Larry once walked on stage and got a bad vibe from the audience before even getting into his act. So, well, he left the situation. You looked out. I got up on stage, I looked out at the audience. I kind of took them in, I looked around, and I looked out and I went, no. Jerry and Larry, well, they became tight as the years went by. Their comedic genius at the time was unrivaled, but their talent would soon be put to the test in 1989 when Jerry landed an interview with NBC and decided to bring Larry up with him to the room. Now, given the opportunity to pitch a TV special to the network, well, the two threw several ideas out to the execs. What they came up with was a 90 minute special where they followed Jerry around with a camera and explored how he came up with his brilliant material. Now, it wasn't until after the meeting where the two walked into a Korean grocery store and the true essence of the show was realized. And we were getting something to eat and making fun of all these different items they have here. The idea for Seinfeld gradually developed into a series that made its premiere in 1989 in an episode now dubbed The Pilot. What is she like? You're talking, it was like talking with you, but you know, obviously much better. Seinfeld gained a small yet dedicated fan base during the first years of its run. The sitcom had chronicled the life of Jerry, a successful standup comedian, and his various escapades with best friend, George Costanza, ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes, and eccentric neighbor Cosmo Kramer. Now, while the show's genius writing and unique observational humor helped to maintain a following, it was yet to find the mega audience it was destined for. That all changed with season four when some of the show's most famous episodes propelled it into the mainstream. These included The Junior Mint, The Bubble Boy, and The Contest. You think you could? Well, I know I could hold out longer than you. Can I make it interesting? From there on out, the show climbed the NBC ladder to become pretty much the most popular sitcom of the 90s. Now, people of all age groups they would gather around the television to watch the four characters take on the world with their wacky antics. Also, relatable storylines and wacky, for sure. Somebody got killed while they had me in custody. Really? Yeah. You hear that? Somebody else was killed. Yes, I'm free because the murderer struck again. Oh, yeah. The series finale aired on May 14th, 1998, nearly a decade after its initial broadcast. While the fate of the characters ending up behind prison bars proved to polarize audiences, over 76 million people had tuned in. More people saw Tupac get shot than the last episode of Seinfeld. It's been nearly 21 years since Seinfeld's final episode, and if one thinks for sure, it's that time is on its side. With worldwide syndication making sure newer generations are introduced to its hilarity, it's almost as if Seinfeld never left. Now, several of the show's most quotable lines have become normalized in everyday speech. The holiday of Festivus is celebrated by many Seinfeld fanatics on the 23rd of each December. Aside from its obvious wit, critics have also lauded the show for touching subjects many considered taboo for that time. This included masturbation, promiscuity, homosexuality, religion, and even race. Episodes like The Soup Nazi, The Chinese Restaurant, and The Big Salad, well, they're listed among the series finest. Now, several actors who appeared in bit roles ended up becoming stars themselves. This includes Deborah Messing, Courtney Cox, Jeremy Piven, Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswald, John Favreau, and Brian Cranston. He was Dr. Tim Watley. One of my faves. Tim, do you think you should be making jokes like that? It's our sense of humor that sustained us as a people for 3,000 years. Five thousand. Five thousand, even better. As for our main characters, well, you'd have to be living under a rock not to have heard Seinfeld stand up. He continues to tour around the globe and has been named Comedy Central's number 12 funniest comedian on their list of the greatest stand-ups of all time. He has also dabbled in feature films with Bee Movie back in 2007, and he shifted over to digital streaming with comedians in cars getting coffee. White up. Yes, may I speak with the president, please? Speaking. Sir. May I compliment you on cutting all that red tape in Washington? In 2014, Jerry collabed with rapper Wale for a short series of skits, taking place in a restaurant reminiscent of Mug's diner on the show. Wale even released a Seinfeld-inspired record titled The Album About Nothing, which dropped later that year. Well, Julia Louis-Dreyfus has thrived on her own sitcom, such as The New Adventure of Old Christine and V, her depictions of Elaine is still fresh in people's heads. I mean, who could forget that dance? I mean, we were having so much fun. I mean, we were whining. We were dining. We were dancing. Jason Alexander and Michael Richards have had a more difficult time staying in the spotlight, and this has resulted in what is now known as the Seinfeld Curse. While George Costanz remains beloved and is often listed among TV's funniest characters, Jason's career has steered him more towards the stage in recent years, along with several guest appearances on TV shows. I was actually in Atlantic City this summer and he was there. I know he's a poker player. Poker player? I don't know why he was there. I felt it was like just meet Jason Alexander and I didn't go. As for Michael Richards, well, that's another story. One that you knew, we'd have to touch on at some point in this video. Every time I see this backdrop, I think about Kramer f***ing up. No, Michael Richards should no doubt be listed among TV's best physical comedians, but over the last decade and change, well, his name normally appears in the discussion of celebs who have, well, effed up royally. In the fall of 2006, low-quality cell phone footage was released on YouTube, showing Michael calling several African-American audience members the N-word. This was after being heckled during a stand-up set at LA's Laugh Factory. In fact, when you go to LA's Laugh Factory, they're like, this is the place made famous because of this incident, I'm not kidding. Now, not only did it bury a celebrity in controversy, it gave the world a preview of the power of YouTube, which at the time was still in its formative years. Michael Richards appeared in one hell of an awkward segment later on Letterman, where he, well, apologized. I'm very, very sorry to those people in the audience, the blacks, the Hispanics, the whites, everyone that was there that took the brunt of that. While Richards spent the next few years in rightful obscurity, he did make a comeback appearance four years later on Curb Your Enthusiasm, which of course was created by Larry David. Oh my God, look, I made a mistake. It's been three years, don't hurt me. Curb Your Enthusiasm, it premiered on October 15, 2000, and it featured Larry playing a fictionalized version of himself in his years following the success of Seinfeld. It has gone on to produce nine seasons and has been critically acclaimed for its real-world metastyle and writing. In fact, Curb's positive reception is so widespread, many fans have sparked a debate over whether or not the show's superior to Seinfeld. Excuse me, is that a problem for you? Excuse me. In 2010, after years of rumors that a reunion episode was in the works, well, the cast found themselves together after 12 years of separation. The only twist was, well, it was in an episode of Curb. Well, it was more than a great idea. An iPhone application that leads you via your GPS to the nearest acceptable toilet wherever you are in the world. Larry called me and he said, we would sort of do a reunion show within the show. So it's not really a reunion show. As for the rest of the story, well, I think I'm gonna wrap this one up here because this is After They Were Famous. Now, if this video were to blow up and get like a million views, we could do one more individually on each of the characters, go into their like wives and personal lives with their husbands and more about Kramer, Michael Richards. I actually heard a story about someone seeing him on a Los Angeles pier. He wasn't happy. Anyway, we'll see how this video does for now. Let us know about other shows you want us to take a look at and I'll see you guys in another video. Boom!