Seinfeld: "The Seinfeld Chronicles/Pilot" (Season 1 Episode 1)

I'm a huge Seinfeld fan. Let's just get that out of the way right now. I think it's absolutely hilarious. I think chances are good that I've seen every episode, but it was an awfully long time ago. So, starting at the very beginning is something I'm looking forward to. Let's watch nine seasons of the show about nothing.

And now! The pilot!

The pilot to Seinfeld's interesting, because there are substantial differences from the show as we remember it. Normally, this would have been a non-broadcast pilot and they'd have re-shot it with the new cast before it went to air. Why did that not happen? Not sure. But it aired in 1989, so maybe things were different then? Or, more likely, they just weren't willing to spend any money.

This episode is essentially the Jerry and George show. The thing that jumps out is that they're so young! They look like babies! This episode aired 21 years ago, so you've got to take that into consideration. Still! Babies!

 
Plotwise, there's not the traditional A/B/C plotlines we're used to in sitcoms. There's one plot - Jerry's meeting up with a girl who's visiting New York and he doesn't know if she's interested in him or not. There's a lot more stand up than we're used to, and even the bits that don't focus on the A plot directly essentially feel like stand up. Jerry berates George for his shirt having buttons too close together. Jerry does a bit about laundry. Jerry and Kessler do a bit about reading borrowed magazines and ruining shows that people have taped. George and Claire the waitress do a bit about decaf versus regular coffee.

Wait. Kessler? Claire?

That's right. Kessler and Claire. Kessler is Kramer. It's the same character, although "Kessler" hasn't been out of the building in 10 years, and I'm sure they realised pretty quickly that options are pretty limited for a character who can't go outside. Claire, however, is the only female character on the show. She's not a friend, she's their diner waitress. The removal of Claire and addition of Elaine definitely makes the show a lot more balanced. There's just one scene with Claire and two with Kessler. It really is the Jerry and George show.

Other than those two changes, the show is reasonably similar to the Seinfeld we know and love. There are a few key differences though, all of which make this clear it's a pilot:

•  There are some crazy synthesizers all over the show, but they're not the familiiar "bom chi bom bom bom" we recognise.
• The diner's different, and George and Jerry sit at a table, not a booth. A table!
• There are reverse shots of the audience in the stand up sequences. It just looks strange. Losing them was the right decision.
• Jerry's apartment looks almost like the one we remember. It's like one of those "Find the 6 differences" pictures. The door's on the wrong angle. The windows are wrong. The kitchen's slightly different. It's very close though.

There were also a few things that I really enjoyed while watching:

•  George was a real estate agent - I had completely forgotten that.
• Signs of the time #1: George saying "You don't know what hotel she's staying at - you can't call her". Remember when people didn't have phones on them at all times?
• Signs of the time #2: George and Jerry pick up the visiting girl at the airport and wait for her at the gate. Remember when you could do that? It looks so fake now.
• Jerry eats cereal! I love that they had him do that from day one. It's such a signature move.
• George tells Jerry "Never do what your instincts tell you - do the opposite". That's essentially the full story of George right there. It's nice that they set it up so early.

The episode's definitely funny, and you can see why NBC took a chance on the show. But the funniest bits are in the stand up segments. The cast doesn't really mesh, although Jerry and George have great chemistry together right from the start. You completely buy these guys as good friends. A good start, but I can't wait for real Kramer and the introduction of Elaine. Bring on episode two!