10 Best Minor Seinfeld Characters

When Jerry learns that he has a massive overdue book fine he is investigated by Lt Bookman (a great Seinfeld character name), leading to one of the best sitcom one-offs of all time.

Philip Baker Hall plays Bookman as a kind of '20s neo-noir detective, determined to get to the truth as to why Jerry hasn't returned his book on time 20 years prior.

It's brilliantly entertaining the way that Bookman's no-nonsense attitude intimidates Jerry, who scrambles around to find a reason as to why he never returned the book, which includes looking up a high-school flame only to see that she isn't as attractive as she once was. The whole thing ends with Jerry paying the fine and Bookman catching Kramer having a relationship with Marion, the librarian.

Lt Bookman was one of those characters that was so out of place in Seinfeld that he became instantly iconic, and he even returned in the 1998 finale of the series to once again call Jerry Seinfeld a criminal for his overdue book. So, it might be technically cheating but he was too good to leave out.

Philip Baker Hall has had a long and successful career, with much of his leading roles coming after playing Joe Bookman, as the role gained him notoriety among the industry.