It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since Seinfeld debuted on our television screens, ushering a new era of comedy for its parent network, NBC, and a new wave of television fans, whose die-hard fervor and enthusiasm would help the show become of the most popular productions of all time.
The first episode of Seinfeld aired on July 5th, 1989 under the show name, The Seinfeld Chronicles. Without a lot of buzz or a marquee star, the show, about a group of friends living in New York, failed to find a following in its early seasons, though it was beloved by television critics, many of whom felt the show’s subversive humor and seemingly non sequitur storylines marked a welcome contrast to the slapstick sitcoms airing at that time. After a test run of only five episodes — one of the shortest first season orders of any show in history — Seinfeld was eventually renewed and given a prime Thursday night slot, a spot it would occupy — and help anchor — for the rest of its nine season run.
Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer would eventually become household names, vaulting their characters — and the actors playing them — into four of the most popular people on network television. As one of NBC’s marquee shows, Seinfeld was consistently the most-watched programs of the week, and twice finished the broadcast year as the number one rated program on TV (not including sports or live events). Long before the Internet and the rise of meme culture, Seinfeld produced memorable one-liners and catchphrases that would be repeated at the office, at parties and yes, at the soup counter, all the while turning everyday eccentricities into must-see TV.
When the show ended its run in 1998, almost 80 million people tuned in to watch the series finale. These days, a whole new generation of viewers catch Seinfeld in syndication, with the half-hour comedy airing on local affiliates of Fox and TBS. Millions more stream the show on Hulu, which bought the streaming rights to Seinfeld for a reported $180 million in 2015.
(Excerpt) Read more in: RollingStone
