Happy 28th Birthday, ‘Seinfeld’! 5 Things You Forgot About the Pilot
It’s been 28 years since the Seinfeld pilot debuted on July 5, 1989, and it is still widely regarded as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. So to celebrate the anniversary of our favorite show about nothing, we’ve collected five somethings you may not remember about the very first episode of Seinfeld, otherwise known as The Seinfeld Chronicles.
Jerry’s domain change
Jerry’s pad was significantly different in the pilot episode than it was the rest of the series. Not only was the exterior shot of the building not the same, the interior was dissimilar too. While there were many little things, the most noticeable difference was a massive window along the wall by his desk.
Top of the music to you!
The theme song that opened the very first episode was a typical ’80s-esque sitcom melody and beat. Fortunately, the theme also got an upgrade for the rest of the series and the iconic funky-jazz Seinfeld beat was born.
It’s Kramerica, not Kesslermerica
While Kramer was always a part of the show, Jerry called him “Kessler” in the pilot. Larry David was worried about using “Kramer” for legal issues since the character was based on his real-life neighbor Kenny Kramer. However, Jerry thought the name was too good not to use. So, by Episode 2, the negotiations were worked out and Kramer got his rightful name back.
The first bizarro coffee shop
In the very first scene of the pilot episode, Jerry and George were hanging out in a restaurant called Pete’s Luncheonette. Which is absurd — every Seinfeld fan knows that Monk’s is where it’s at. The first booth at Monk’s Cafe became so famous that throughout the run of the show, the chance to sit in the first booth and be included in a scene was auctioned off for charity.
Maybe the dingo ate your waitress?
Probably the biggest difference about the pilot was that there was no Elaine. When the show first aired, the main female character was Claire the waitress. However, in an effort to create a stronger female character when the show went to series, Larry David brought on Julia Louis-Dreyfus, whom he knew from SNL. Apparently Louis-Dreyfus was unaware that the pilot episode existed until it was released as part of a DVD box set in 2004. And, to this day, she has no intentions of ever watching it.
Now that’s we’ve thoroughly looked into the first episode, time to go back and binge-watch the other 172.
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