As Game of Thrones cruises majestically towards the end of its second season all the plaudits are quite rightly showering upon Peter Dinklage who steals scene after scene as the imp - Tryion Lannister. Plenty has been written about Dinklage already, so Im steering clear of doing that. Instead Im going to take an overused and lame gag about him playing a little role and use that to crowbar in a piece about something thats not connected at all but sounds like it might be. So here goes, this is a celebration of some of TVs finest small roles. This of course contains spoilers, but only in the strictest definition of the word. And Ive quoted some very bad language too.
Advertisement
Newman Seinfeld
Jerrys nemesis and Kramers best friend (unless you count Bob Sacramento) is an overweight, tight-fisted, bitter and arrogant man, and its testament to the craft of the writers and to the actor Wayne Knight that he added such value to a show thats rightly billed as the best of its kind. Newmans encounters with Jerry (always pre-empted by that famous loaded hello on both sides) were legendary, and his ridiculous capers and rivalries with Kramer were a joy to behold. But it was the delivery of his carefully worded dialogue that set him apart. He was pure Shakespearian villain Iago living in a New Yorka partment. And working as a postman. Good moment: As the result of a ludicrously contrived series of events Newman is at the wheel of a flaming post-van screaming in a Hindenburg commentary style - Oh the humanity!