Overview
Seinfeld stood out from the many family and group sitcoms of its time. None of its principal characters were related by family or work connections but remained distinctively close friends throughout the seasons. Unlike many other sitcoms, Seinfeld focused less on a plot-driven story than on minutiae, character-driven story, such as waiting in line at the movies, going out for dinner, buying a suit and dealing with the petty injustices of life.
The main characters and many recurring characters were based primarily on Seinfeld's and David's real-life acquaintances. Two of the most prominent recurring characters were based on well-known people: Jacopo Peterman of the J. Peterman catalog (based on John Peterman), and George Steinbrenner, the owner of the New York Yankees. Many other characters were introduced as more writers got involved with Seinfeld. Other characters based on real-life individuals include the Soup Nazi and Jackie Chiles based on Johnnie Cochran.
Most episodes have a distinctive structure: a story thread is presented at the beginning of each episode, which involves the characters in separate and seemingly unrelated situations. Rapid scene-shifts between storylines bring the stories together toward the end of the episode. Despite the separate plot strands, the narratives reveal the creators' "consistent efforts to maintain the intimacy" amongst the small cast of characters.
The show keeps a strong sense of continuity—characters and plots from past episodes are frequently referenced or expanded upon. Occasionally, story arcs span multiple episodes and even entire seasons. For example, Jerry's girlfriend Vanessa appears in "The Stake Out" and he ends the relationship when things do not work out in "The Stock Tip". Other examples are Kramer getting his jacket back and Elaine heading the "Peterman catalog". Larry David, the show's head writer and executive producer for the first seven seasons, was praised for keeping a close eye on minor details and making sure the main characters' lives remained consistent and believable. Curb Your Enthusiasm—David's later comedy series—further expanded on this idea by following a specific theme for all but one season in the series.
The most important difference between Seinfeld and other sitcoms prior to this is that the principal characters never learn their moral lessons throughout the seasons. In effect, they are indifferent to the outside world and can be callous towards their guest characters and relatives, indeed sometimes towards each other; a mantra of the show's producers was: "No hugging, no learning." Entertainment Weekly's television critic Ken Tucker has described theirs as "a group dynamic rooted in jealousy, rage, insecurity, despair, hopelessness, and a touching lack of faith in one's fellow human beings." This leads to very few happy endings, except when they come at someone else's expense. More often in every episode, situations resolve with characters getting a justly deserved comeuppance.
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