Seinfeld was a roll of the dice. It was a show unlike any other series before it, boasting to be the series about nothing, with few continual storylines, and encapsulating the daily lives of a group of people who were sometimes unlikable, but always funny.
It was a show that gained popularity through its run, making its finale a nationwide event. There have, of course, been popular series since then that pulled in as many viewers, but for a pre-streaming world, it was an anomaly.
And its star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, believes it would never even have the chance to flourish in today’s TV climate. During a recent interview with The New York Times, Louis-Dreyfus, who played Elaine Benes in the nine-season series said that there is little chance a series so different from the mainstream could flourish now.
“Probably not. I mean, what the hell is happening in network television anymore? When Seinfeld was made, it was really unlike anything that was on at the time. It was just a bunch of losers hanging out.
“So, I would say one main reason it wouldn’t be made now is because it’s hard to get anything different recognized. Particularly nowadays, everyone’s sort of running scared.”
There are so many great shows that get started and end up being canceled before they can really take off. Some of my favorites over the years that make me especially angry are The OA, Freaks and Geeks, Eli Stone, Touch, Pushing Daisies, So Help Me Todd, Somebody Somewhere, Stumptown, and the list goes on and on.
But at least Seinfeld did get made, and we still get to enjoy its absurdity today. Julia Louis-Dreyfus went on to star in tons of great movies and TV series since, and she will next be seen in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, out on May 2, 2025.
