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Seinfeld: An Analysis

This paper is an analysis of one of the most popular situation comedies on prime time television, Seinfeld, a program which has been an enormously influential force on TV in the 1990s. The series, which is best-known for its claim to be "about nothing," represents an intriguing reaction to the socially relevant comedies first popularized by Norman Lear's work two decades earlier and the subsequent "real people" trends that followed in the 1980s. Seinfeld is based, as were many other sitcoms of its era, on the routines of a standup comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, even using him to furnish the name and profession of the lead character. Currently in its ninth season, Seinfeld continues to be a ratings leader for NBC; with syndicated showings of earlier episodes, the series can be seen as often as eight times a week in some markets. Although advertisers do not view the program as a platform for atypical commercials or unusual products, Jerry Seinfeld himself has become a commercial spokesman, allowing viewers to watch the same character deliver jokes within the show and then encourage them to get an American Express card during the commercial breaks.

When Seinfeld first debuted on NBC in 1989, it was not an instant hit. The network tentatively ordered just a few episodes, allowing the show to develop its voice and slowly build an audience; progress was slow at first, but Seinfeld eventually became one of the defining prime-time situation comedies of its era. Along with the newer hit, Friends, Seinfeld anchors NBC's Thursday night lineup, providing an invaluable lead-in to the new Kirstie Alley sitcom, Veronica's Closet, and helping the network to win the whole night consequently. CBS and ABC have attempted counter-programming with the new dramatic series, Cracker, trying to give ABC a younger, more action-oriented audience, and the veteran dramatic series, Diagnosis Murder, seeking older viewers for CBS. Fox has attempted to draw vi...

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Seinfeld: An Analysis. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 10:38, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1708179.html