10 Fascinating Facts About Seinfeld
They're real and they're spectacular!
Since its debut in 1989, the show about “nothing” has impacted TV and culture like almost nothing else before or since. Its premise was simple, just an eccentric foursome living their mundane lives in New York City.
But from that sprung nine seasons of stellar comedy during which the key four characters of Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer became iconic and the show's memorable storylines and jokes were cemented into our collective consciousness.
As we approach the 30th anniversary of Seinfeld’s first episode airing, it's a good time to peek behind the funny and uncover 10 of the show’s most fascinating behind-the-scenes facts.
10. The Famous Ending Of The Marine Biologist Was Written On The Spot
The always slippery George pulled off one of his most impressive cons in this episode, as he convinced his new girlfriend that he’s a marine biologist and even proceeded to save the life of a beached whale. George’s closing monologue where he recounts how he saved the creature by pulling Kramer’s golf ball out of its blowhole stands as one of the most memorable Seinfeld moments of the series. Jerry Seinfeld has also said that it's his personal favourite.
But it wasn’t meant to be there. George’s story originally ended with him just walking into the ocean towards the dying whale. The studio audience’s lukewarm reaction to it prompted the writers to come together and think of a new ending. They hastily wrote the new scene, gave it to Jason Alexander to memorise and filmed it in one take without a rehearsal.
Certainly a risky move, but the minute of continuous laughter which the revised scene got is proof that they made the right decision.