TMC
08-01-2022, 12:58 AM
https://www.looper.com/942204/the-seinfeld-episode-jason-alexander-thinks-is-responsible-for-the-shows-success/
The Contest won an Emmy and high ratings
Jason Alexander had believed while filming the pilot (https://www.looper.com/936722/the-seinfeld-star-who-didnt-think-the-show-would-work/), titled "The Seinfeld Chronicles," that there was no way the show would be popular. The actor confessed to telling Jerry Seinfeld, "I think the number one show in America at the moment is 'ALF.' If that's the number one show in America, who's going to watch this?" as quoted by Den of Geek (https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/seinfeld-from-flop-to-acclaimed-hit/). But Alexander credits the cheeky Season 4 episode "The Contest" with turning the show's popularity around and proving him wrong.
"The Contest" centers around a bet between Jerry, George, Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) over how long they can go without masturbation. The episode unfolds masterfully as each character fails, whether because of John Kennedy Jr. or an exhibitionist neighbor.
The word "masturbate" is never used in the episode, as according to an official making-of video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQKpTH2W1b0&ab_channel=PuhPow), NBC censors felt it wasn't appropriate, but this arguably made the episode much funnier. Alexander told Larry King in 2014 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqqGFKwMNHQ&t=635s&ab_channel=LarryKing) that the episode aired right when the show's new time slot behind "Cheers" was helping "Seinfeld" in the ratings. "That became national news the next day, and from that moment on, we were sailing sweet," he said. The script, which also helped popularize the expression "master of my domain," even won an Emmy award (https://www.emmys.com/shows/seinfeld) for the show.
The Contest won an Emmy and high ratings
Jason Alexander had believed while filming the pilot (https://www.looper.com/936722/the-seinfeld-star-who-didnt-think-the-show-would-work/), titled "The Seinfeld Chronicles," that there was no way the show would be popular. The actor confessed to telling Jerry Seinfeld, "I think the number one show in America at the moment is 'ALF.' If that's the number one show in America, who's going to watch this?" as quoted by Den of Geek (https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/seinfeld-from-flop-to-acclaimed-hit/). But Alexander credits the cheeky Season 4 episode "The Contest" with turning the show's popularity around and proving him wrong.
"The Contest" centers around a bet between Jerry, George, Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) over how long they can go without masturbation. The episode unfolds masterfully as each character fails, whether because of John Kennedy Jr. or an exhibitionist neighbor.
The word "masturbate" is never used in the episode, as according to an official making-of video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQKpTH2W1b0&ab_channel=PuhPow), NBC censors felt it wasn't appropriate, but this arguably made the episode much funnier. Alexander told Larry King in 2014 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqqGFKwMNHQ&t=635s&ab_channel=LarryKing) that the episode aired right when the show's new time slot behind "Cheers" was helping "Seinfeld" in the ratings. "That became national news the next day, and from that moment on, we were sailing sweet," he said. The script, which also helped popularize the expression "master of my domain," even won an Emmy award (https://www.emmys.com/shows/seinfeld) for the show.