Summary
- Seinfeld is one of the best-written TV series of all time and is still considered one of the most popular sitcoms ever.
- Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David connected right away due to their similar sense of humor, leading to a successful work and long-lasting friendship.
- Seinfeld and David came up with the sitcom while making fun of a Korean Deli, and despite initial doubts from producers, the show became a huge success.
Seinfeld is one of the Best-Written TV Series of All Time according to the Writers’ Guild of America. And fans couldn’t agree more. Although the show’s humor and iconic characters can be controversial at times, fans still love Seinfeld. Even today, over two decades after its series finale aired, this series is still considered one of the most popular sitcoms ever!
Seinfeld wouldn’t have been possible if Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David hadn’t met. Upon their first meeting, both comedians became fast friends. In a recent interview, Seinfeld revealed why the two connected so much. Can you guess the secret to their successful work and long-lasting friendship?
Jerry Seinfeld Says He And Larry David Connected Right Away
Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David first met through a mutual friend, comedian Carol Leifer, who later became a writer for Seinfeld. Back in the 70s, David gifted some jokes to Leifer for her to read at her birthday party. Being too drunk to read them, she asked Seinfeld to do it for her and he absolutely killed it.
Upon realizing they had a similar sense of humor, David and Seinfeld became quick friends, “In comedy, certain guys it’s like, it’s funny right away. You’re talking, all of a sudden, in two minutes, you’ve hit into something hilarious,” Seinfeld told Howard Stern of his first time meeting David.
Given that the two were working on the New York comedy circuit and found each other hilarious, the two began collaborating in the late 70s. At first, they only collaborated on stand-up shows and sometimes gave each other ideas and advice. But in the late 80s, the two got to work together on what would become the biggest project of their careers.
Jerry Seinfeld And Larry David Came Up With Seinfeld At A Korean Deli
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In the late 80s, Jerry Seinfeld got the opportunity to meet with producers to discuss having his own show. “I had this meeting at NBC where they said George Shapiro had sent a note to Brandon Tartikoff with one sentence, ‘Call me a crazy guy, I have a feeling someday Jerry Seinfeld is going to be doing a TV series NBC,’” the comedian revealed during an appearance at the Howard Stern Show.
At the time, Seinfeld was surprised by the request. “I had been on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson for nine years. Nobody at NBC, nobody, not one person after nine years of going on Carson three or four times a year and killing it. Nobody said, ‘Why don’t we talk to this kid?’”
Despite this, he went to the meeting. “I come into the meeting and they go, ‘Do you have anything you would like to do if you ever did a show for us?’ I said, ‘Not really.’” he added, “I just said, I’ve always wanted to have a meeting like this. This is really what was the goal.’”
Luckily for him, a good friend gave him the much-needed push to create what would become one of the biggest sitcoms ever. “A week later, I’m talking to Larry David at The Improv and I tell him the story. We start talking and then we go across the street to a Korean Deli. We’re making fun of the deli and he goes, ‘This is what the show should be: two comedians just making fun of stuff as they walk around during the day.’ And that was it.”
After Seinfeld and Larry came up with their sitcom on a Korean Deli, the comedian met up with NBC producers once again. Together, they wrote The Seinfeld Chronicles, a pilot for what would later become Seinfeld. Producers didn’t think the show was going to be successful, so they put it in the "garbage dump theater." To their surprise, viewers loved the pilot and Seinfeld would go on to become the network’s most successful sitcom ever.
Would Jerry Seinfeld Be Open To Working With Larry David Again?
In 1998, Seinfeld came to an end after nine successful seasons. Although he came back to write the series finale, Larry David had left the show after its seventh season. At the time, many speculated that David’s departure pointed to a bigger issue between him and Jerry Seinfeld. But this was far from the truth. David quit Seinfeld because writing and producing the show was becoming too much for him.
Although it’s been many years since they last worked together, Seinfeld and David are still close friends. Earlier this year, the duo was spotted vacationing together in Italy. More recently, Seinfeld hinted that he and David could team up once again to work on something related to Seinfeld. “Something is going to happen that has to do with that ending. It hasn’t happened yet,” the star said to the crowd at one of his stand-up shows. “Just what you are thinking about, Larry and I have also been thinking about, so you’ll see.”
