Yawp Mag ISSUE 21: Producers of Comedy | Page 18

Producer of Nothi Sam Young The show about nothing, that had absolutely everything. From what may seem mundane day to day activites to most people, was turned into comedy gold by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. The laugh riot festival that is Seinfeld ran for 9 prodigious seasons. ‘Seinfeld’ was beamed into our living rooms to see what we would all be talking about at the water cooler the next day. ‘Seinfeld’ began in 1989 and went right through the 90’s before drawing to a close in 1998. The Finale was viewed by over 76 million people in the United States of America. Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the comedy world. Incredibly gifted artists and masters of their domain. Both hail from the borough of Brooklyn, New York. They have that understanding and connection of what life is like in their neck of the woods. Observing and sharing the unique take of events with stand up comedy. During Larry’s days a stand up comic he worked as a limousine driver and television repairman to help with the expenses of living in the Manhattan Plaza. It was from the stand up routines that Larry David ventured towards writing for television. He met Michael Richards (Kramer) on the tv show ‘Fridays’. He came across Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine) during his days at ‘Saturday Night Live’. Larry eventually left his post at ‘Saturday Night Live’, quitting during the season. Only to return a few days later as though nothing of the sort even transpired. This became the inspiration for a ‘Seinfeld’ episode where George Constanza (Jason Aexander) would storm into his boss’ office to quit his job only to return and attempt to continue working. Larry and Jerry created most plots for episodes from personal experiences. Very unique and at times bizarre personal experiences. This allowed for the show to have a quality that other sitcoms at the time and to this day can not seem to emulate. They brought the best out of each other. Producing ‘Seinfeld’ was made easier with the characters on ‘Seinfeld’ having aconnection. A bond. Relationships that seemed to put up with everything. Watching the clothes spin round and round the laundromat. Forcing a well liked soup maker (callously referred to as the soup nazi) out of the country. Poking fun at a made up holiday for family reasons. Festivus. A festivus for the rest of us. Where we would see an aluminum pole replace the more traditional tree at Christmas time. There was mocking, ridiculing, hair grabbing, coffee drinking, lack of caring, and many a scheme that would bring the New York four closer and closer.