ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
NBC's Must See TV block was forming around Cheers and The Cosby Show, but executives were unsure about a sitcom famously pitched as a show about nothing. Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, both stand-up comics, mined everyday annoyances—parking, soup, dating—in a New York apartment building. Early ratings were weak until the network moved the show after Cheers.
What happened
Seinfeld debuted on NBC on July 5, 1989, with Seinfeld playing a fictionalized version of himself alongside Jason Alexander as George, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine, and Michael Richards as Kramer. The pilot The Seinfeld Chronicles introduced observational stand-up wraps and mundane plots that avoided hugging and learning. It finished poorly in its first slot but found its rhythm by season three.
Why it still matters
Seinfeld ran nine seasons, dominated 1990s comedy, and made phrases like yada yada yada and not that there is anything wrong with that part of American speech. Its finale in 1998 drew huge audiences despite mixed reviews. Memorable detail: Kramer was based on Larry David's neighbor Kenny Kramer, who later ran real New York bus tours called Revenge of the Kramer.
Background
Observational comedy rewrote sitcom structure for the 1990s.