The hit NBC series Seinfeld is a classic, with its loveable bunch of misfit characters and unique premise of being a “show about nothing.” What’s not to love? The brainchild of comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, the series stole fans’ hearts over the course of nine years and even a few Emmys in the process.
Originally airing in 1989, Seinfeld introduced us to a loveable but neurotic friend group just trying to navigate life and love in New York in the 90’s. Although it featured a friend group and their misadventures, its reigning premise truly was that it was a “show about nothing.” It highlighted the daily lives and misdeeds of an uptight, somewhat shallow comedian, his deadbeat friend, and his free-loading neighbor. Yet as with all good things, it had to come to an end sometime.
When did Seinfeld air its final episode?
Dating all the way back to 1989, Seinfeld‘s first episode — titled “The Seinfeld Chronicles” — began with a conversation between Jerry Seinfeld (played by himself) and his “short, stocky, slow-witted bald” friend George Costanza (Jason Alexander.) The opening scene and conversation are about a buttonhole placement in George’s shirt. Not exactly a crowd-stopper but it very much set the tone for the rest of the series, somewhat everyday problems of a group of friends.
As the show progressed through its nine seasons some of the problems became more outrageous and hilarious, and the fans just kept coming. It seemed they just couldn’t get enough of the characters: Jerry and George; Michael Richards’s Kramer, Jerry’s “hipster doofus” next-door neighbor, and Julia Louis Dreyfus’s Elaine Benes, Jerry’s former girlfriend turned best friend. The comedic twists and turns of the show and the natural chemistry between the actors made it a hit. In fact, Jerry Seinfeld is now one of the highest-paid TV actors in Hollywood.
Ultimately, the two-part finale aired on May 14, 1998, and the loveable cast and crew finally said goodbye to their beloved audience for the last time. The final episode was appropriately titled ‘The Finale’ and marked the 180th episode of the nine-year series. It scored a whopping 76.3 million viewers, but unfortunately was met with some mixed reviews from fans, with some thinking it was an odd and abrupt ending for the four friends. Still, others felt that it was perfectly fitting for the tone of the show. The finale gave a final nod to the first episode, ending with the same opening conversation around a buttonhole, going out in true Seinfeld style.
Despite going off the air decades ago, the reruns of the show are practically just as popular today as they were back then. The catchphrases the show made popular are certainly still known and used, and the loveable characters developed over the series’ nine-season run are still recognizable today. The actors still do interviews about the show and the characters they played and the memorable quotes and moments from the series live on for viewers today. It is a true classic, with no end to its adoring fans in sight.
