Forever regarded as one of the most polarizing television series of all time, comedy extravaganza Seinfeld consistently remains in the hearts and minds of fans all across the globe. Whether it’s your co-worker humming the bass-slapping tab while walking around the office or your local gym playing rerun episodes while you’re getting gains, there’s simply no denying that Seinfeld has left a permanent mark of influence in the realm of television.
But before the Jerry Seinfeld-led series became a national phenomenon and reached the highest point of the culture mountain, the tide undoubtedly shifted when it was initially announced that co-creator Larry David would be stepping down from his duties on the Seinfeld set during the peak of the show’s run. Decades later, the shock possibly still hasn’t set in for a plethora of die-hard fans of the series — many of which continue to question exactly why David decided to leave the series.
When did Larry David leave Seinfeld?
After one of the wildest seasons in the history of the show, Larry David gave his final curtain call after the seventh season of Seinfeld. Throughout those 7 mind-blowing seasons, David had written 60 episodes and built his reputation as the showrunner. From the starting point, Seinfeld quickly became one of the most-watched series in television — with millions of viewers tuning in every week during the initial run of the show.
Why did he leave?
We’ve already revealed when David departed Seinfeld, but a significant question still lingers to this day — why did he leave? Well, the answer is truly not that much of a shock, seeing as it’s a common answer that most writers, actors, and showrunners give whenever they’re asked about a sudden departure.
Simply put, David decided to leave Seinfeld to pursue other opportunities in the industry. Without a doubt, seven seasons is a long time, and that sort of dedication to a project takes an abundance of time, quality maintenance, and effort. David did have Jerry Seinfeld at his side to help co-create, of course, but taking on a wave of responsibility as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time sounds like tough work.
In a classic interview with Charlie Rose, David was straightforward with his answer about leaving the show — echoing that he wanted to “try something else” after doing the show for so many years. There’s absolutely no debating that Seinfeld was David’s baby and brainchild, but all good things sadly must come to an end at some point.
