Seinfeld

[princess dragonmom]

The closest the show every really came to being about nothing was the episode set entirely while they were waiting to be seated in the Chinese restaurant.  (Jerry was fidgeting because he was afraid he was going to miss a showing of PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE!)

Funny you should mention that episode.  That's the first episode I ever saw and I almost choked when George was explaining to Jerry how he had to use the bathroom in the middle of having sex and how he had to "extricate" himself from the situation.  I was hooked.   

[AndyC]

Much the same as Jack. I don't care for most of the sitcoms that have come along since the early 90s. I especially don't like it when people get fanatical about a show, to the point where they don't understand how anybody could not like it.

What got me to look at Seinfeld was that my best friend, who is by no means a fad follower, started telling my about it and describing some of the funny bits. I checked it out and found it to be really funny. I think where it succeeds is that the situations are so bizarre and exaggerated, yet close enough in principle to our own experience to ring true. The characters are heartless pricks, but they kind of reflect the more shallow and selfish side of all of us, and the people they meet are all just a little bit familiar. It's kind of a freakshow, where we're expected to enjoy the characters but not necessarily like or care about them.

Contrast that with Friends, where there still isn't much to like about the characters, but we're supposed to like them and care about their relationships and invest ourselves in the show. I've seen a few episodes. They made me chuckle in spots, but I still don't care for the show. That pretty much sums up my feelings about most sitcoms of the past 20 years. Seinfeld is one of the exceptions.

[Hammock Rider]

I have the first 3 seasons on DVD and I have to say they are very well done. Not only are the shows great, but the features are very nice. The commentary is good and there is a "closed caption" commentary of sorts that lets you read along and hear the dialogue at the same time.  Those have some very interesting info in them. If you're a fan at all they're worth the price.

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

I was to be a big fan when it was on as a real show (pre syndication), but I started to hate it as they got less and less likeable as the show got on.  After a while, I sarted thinking "Why am I wasting my time watching these a$$holes." 

[HappyGilmore]

Much the same as Jack. I don't care for most of the sitcoms that have come along since the early 90s. I especially don't like it when people get fanatical about a show, to the point where they don't understand how anybody could not like it.

What got me to look at Seinfeld was that my best friend, who is by no means a fad follower, started telling my about it and describing some of the funny bits. I checked it out and found it to be really funny. I think where it succeeds is that the situations are so bizarre and exaggerated, yet close enough in principle to our own experience to ring true. The characters are heartless pricks, but they kind of reflect the more shallow and selfish side of all of us, and the people they meet are all just a little bit familiar. It's kind of a freakshow, where we're expected to enjoy the characters but not necessarily like or care about them.

Contrast that with Friends, where there still isn't much to like about the characters, but we're supposed to like them and care about their relationships and invest ourselves in the show. I've seen a few episodes. They made me chuckle in spots, but I still don't care for the show. That pretty much sums up my feelings about most sitcoms of the past 20 years. Seinfeld is one of the exceptions.

Sitcoms aren't really all that fun to watch.  I mean, especially in the past 15 years or so.  Primarily, the only ones I'd watch are Seinfeld and Boy Meets World from the '90s.

[ER]

I tried hard to get into Seinfeld and...I just couldn't*. And more often than not I like Jewish people, too. Back in the '90's I felt like I was left out of a secret club almost everybody else belonged to because they were going around saying these catch phrases from the show and I had no idea what they meant. "Not that there's anything wrong with that!" "No soup for you!" "Master of my domain!" Shrug. In reply I could quote a few Dawson's Creek lines, but that'd get me patted on the shoulder and told, "That's nice, El." Then they'd discuss someone named Marla, and giggle.

*Well, okay, the time they took the Nazi's limo was sorta funny.

[Psycho Circus]

Contrast that with Friends, where there still isn't much to like about the characters, but we're supposed to like them and care about their relationships and invest ourselves in the show. I've seen a few episodes. They made me chuckle in spots, but I still don't care for the show. That pretty much sums up my feelings about most sitcoms of the past 20 years. Seinfeld is one of the exceptions.

Sitcoms aren't really all that fun to watch.  I mean, especially in the past 15 years or so.  Primarily, the only ones I'd watch are Seinfeld and Boy Meets World from the '90s.

I must admit, that I watch Friends nearly every night after work. I must have seen every single episode at least 4/5 times, but they still make me laugh. It's weird tho', 'cause I used to hate it years ago. 

[Doggett]

This programme used to be on BBC 2 for a while and I could never get into it.

They all seemed too smug, they reminded me of the smug gits in Friends.

The only US sitcoms I like are Cheers and Fraiser...maybe a little of 8 Simple Rules but that's because I like John Ritter.

[AndyC]

They all seemed too smug, they reminded me of the smug gits in Friends.

Yeah, I can see that. I think the big difference, at least for me, is you're supposed to like the characters in Friends, while Seinfeld is aware of the fact that its characters are a***oles. We can laugh at them just as easily, often more, when things aren't going their way. Actually, nothing on the show was taken seriously. Life, death, relationships, etc. were all fodder for jokes. Nothing touching or poignant or pretentious. Just pure comedy.

[hotspur]

Like you I was, initially, not into Seinfeld.  Partly, because the first few times I tried to watch it I saw the episode when they are stuck in the parking garage and it didn't do it for me and I've never found Jerry Seinfeld's routine particularly funny, you really need to want to laugh to find his act funny imho.  Also, even after I got into the show I continued to find Kramer at best totally improbable and usually not amusing.

That said I did become a fan of the show and loved the character of George.  Wjhat I liked about the show was the way you'd know what their reactions would be before it happened, as the characters had become that well defined.

I don't really watch it anymore as I find I much prefer the Larry David's Show. 

[Susan]

I loved the show from the beginnin and liked that they ended it when it was at it's peak. It's hillarious, the first two seasons suck for the most part, at least season 1 does.

While everyone loves kramer i'm the odd man out. I loved Larry in the stooges and I loved George in Seinfeld. Because I love a good neurotic smartass

hands down best show next to the Twilight zone

[Rev. Powell]

I love a good neurotic smartass

Oh, so that's why you hang out on this board so much!