Today in History: May 31, 1990 Seinfeld premieres
 

1990 Seinfeld premieres

The sitcom Seinfeld debuts, one of several new TV shows based on the comedy of popular comedians. The show was produced and sometimes co-written by comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

Seinfeld, born in Brooklyn in 1954, greatly admired his father, a sign painter with comic talents. At an early age, Seinfeld decided to pursue comedy and spent countless hours watching TV, studying the style and delivery of comedians. He began performing in Manhattan nightclubs in the mid-1970s and spent years working the stand-up circuit. In 1981, he made his first appearance on The Tonight Show to great acclaim and began appearing more frequently on talk shows. In 1988, he won the American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Stand-Up Comic.

On July 5, 1989, the pilot for his comedy series, called The Seinfeld Chronicles, aired. In May 1990, the program launched, featuring Jerry Seinfeld as a thirty-something stand-up comic and his group of wacky friends, including chronic worrywart George, eccentric neighbor Kramer, and quirky ex-girlfriend Elaine.

The show wasn't an instant hit but gradually gained popularity. In the 1992-93 television season, Neilsen ranked Seinfeld as the 25th most watched show, but the program zoomed to third place the following year and hit first place in the 1994-95 season. The show aired its last episode on May 14, 1998, and 76 million viewers tuned in to watch. Advertising spots for the final episode sold at $1.7 million for a 30-second spot.

ALSO Today

<b>1930 Clint Eastwood born</b>

Actor Clint Eastwood is born this day in San Francisco. With his father, he wandered the West Coast as a boy during the Depression. After four years in the Army Special Services, Eastwood came to Hollywood, winning small roles. For eight years, he played Rowdy Yates in the popular TV western series Rawhide and later starred in three low-budget "spaghetti" westerns: Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More, (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), all of which became hits. Eastwood's real breakthrough came with the smash hit Dirty Harry, which was followed by four sequels in the 1970s and 1980s. Eastwood began directing in 1971; Unforgiven (1992), which he directed and starred in, won the Best Picture Oscar.

Thanks for the history lesson!

The only two shows of that one i watched was the parking lot one with Jerry getting arrrested for pissing, and The finale.

it seems like every time i have time to watch a full ep that's the ones that are on.

Thank god it's over. I couldn't stand that show.

"If I don't pee, I could get uromisotysis poisoning and die! I have a note that says I can go, but my little brother stole it this morning. He and his friends are probabaly out peeing all over the city!"

Love that episode!

I have seen every Episode.. AND due to my friend being a SeinFreak.. I have ALSO seen every episode IN SUCCESSION.. hehehe... Bet you don't hear that often. I might not know all the titles, but I can talk along with almost every episode..... I love the show (thank goodness considering all the times i've watched it) My mom.. she just.... well.... "I can't Standja!" heh heh heh

Yeah Seinfeld was the best, I heard a rumour of a movie??? But if there was I reckon it would be pretty awkward

Thank god! I thought I was the only person on this earth who didn't care for the show, but alas, now there are two of us!

Holy shit! My brother and I were just trying to explain our affinity for Seinfeld to his girlfriend. I was explaining how I got all excited this week becuase I saw an episode I had never seen before. It was the one where Kramer keeps seeing Joe Dimaggio around town and they all have a debate over whether Joltin' Joe is a dunker or not because Kramer says he was dunking his donut. "So Dimaggio's a dunker, eh? I just don't see it."

i loved that show. I love the one that is in reverse, like something happens at the start and it goes backwards and explains it. If you tune into that episode half way through and havnt seen it before it makes no sense and is soo much fun i love it.

Seinfeld is simply the most amazing sitcom EVER!!! There is not a single episode that hasn´t made me laugh. The one where Kramer adopts a highway mile is one of my favorites, as the one where they bet on who can past more time not masturbating.