Will Seinfeld stand the test of time? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

BuddyHinton · 12-07-2006, 12:20 AM

topic

rc.uk · 12-07-2006, 04:39 PM

Yes, I think Seinfeld will stand the test of time. It was basically about the intricacies of interpersonal relationships. Those will exist forever. There weren't that many political or popular culture references, so there isn't too much that will date the show in years to come. Compare it to All In The Family which is very much stuck in the 1970s (as good as it is). The first Seinfeld episode is already nearly 18 years old and it's still as applicable to today than it was in 1989.

BuddyHinton · 12-13-2006, 03:18 AM

More or less what I meant was what "drives" the show would it be enough "fuel" for the ages? All in the Family had many many heartfelt moments sprinkled in with the comedy to round it out, I just do not see Seinfeld standing as long. No offense but Seinfeld is not even in the same class as AITF in acting nor in writing. In fact 10 years ago if you would asked me which I would rather watch Friends or Seinfeld I would have laughed in your face, now with some age behind me I see Seinfeld as a good comedy but not much else going for it, I choose Friends. Many shows has what Seinfeld had but so much more depth.

I had this topic on the front general page but it was moved here sadly, because obviously everyone here will say "yes Seinfeld good, topic bad."

kramer · 12-13-2006, 11:50 AM

yells to the lynch mob Get him!

Just kidding Buddy

This forum does not have as many fan boys as others do. I have wondered the same thing you have about Seinfeld. I love the show but I do wonder if it will always be in syndication like surly Friends will be. I have already hear rumors about Friends being on Tv Land or Nick at Night, in the distant future. I have heard nothing of Seinfeld. Even Seinfeld himself said when they were voted the best show of all time that it really did not mean anything. Truthfully there is no way you can compare I love Lucy or the Andy Griffith show to Seinfeld. I do think some people are getting tired of the Seinfeld reruns being on all the time. In all truthfulness I really don't care if it doesn't stand the test of time on tv, as long as they release all the seasons on dvd. I would rather watch the unedited version of the show than the sad cut up version. I almost forgot, Seinfeld good, topic bad

Brian Damage · 12-13-2006, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuddyHinton

More or less what I meant was what "drives" the show would it be enough "fuel" for the ages? All in the Family had many many heartfelt moments sprinkled in with the comedy to round it out, I just do not see Seinfeld standing as long. No offense but Seinfeld is not even in the same class as AITF in acting nor in writing. In fact 10 years ago if you would asked me which I would rather watch Friends or Seinfeld I would have laughed in your face, now with some age behind me I see Seinfeld as a good comedy but not much else going for it, I choose Friends. Many shows has what Seinfeld had but so much more depth.

I had this topic on the front general page but it was moved here sadly, because obviously everyone here will say "yes Seinfeld good, topic bad."

You really are comparing apples with oranges. They are two different kinds of sitcoms. AITF was sort of a dramedy, while Seinfeld was more slapstick like I love Lucy.

vashti1999 · 12-13-2006, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuddyHinton

I had this topic on the front general page but it was moved here sadly, because obviously everyone here will say "yes Seinfeld good, topic bad."

Actually it was initially posted on the TV-DVD forum and I moved it here because it didn't relate specifically to dvds.

Will and Grace Fanatic · 12-15-2006, 01:10 AM

yes it will. you can see now that right now. It is one of the few shows that has been off the air as long as it has now and still gets extremely good ratings in syndiction.

BuddyHinton · 12-21-2006, 04:06 AM

Hmm, great conversation here!! Keep it up! Another reason I posed this question was; I am up to season four on Seinfeld DVD boxset "purchases" and honestly, I can't even get through THAT, I have just seen these SOOOOOOOOOOOO many times in syndication I just can't muster the appreciation perhaps, but on the other hand other shows I HAVE seen the same amount of times I can watch and gladly watch again AITF I have seen since I had the VHS and I can watch many more times... butt hen just about all the shows I see that "hold up" also have a human element to SOME degree, Sein is void of that totally and completely. I mean even Marsha would cry on a goofy show like the Bradys, I wonder if Jerry has mixed feelings about having no feelings now?

tdf4077 · 12-21-2006, 06:01 PM

I think it will...it doesn't rely on thorough knowledge of the '90's for the jokes to play....but there are enough pop culture references to keep it moving forward.

Tweety · 01-01-2007, 04:58 PM

In the DVD era, it's hard to say. "I Love Lucy" and "Andy Griffith" ran in reruns for 30 or 40 years before DVDs really became a part of our everyday lives...

"Seinfeld" itself will stand the test of time, as the DVDs will always be in a lot of people's collections.

If not for DVDs, "Seinfeld" would no doubt stand the test of time very well in syndication. It's humor was not driven by the events of the time, but by good (and often brilliant) writing.

Comparing it to All in the Family is interesting. Yes, O'Connor and Stapleton were great, great actors, and I thought Rob Reiner was very good as well... but the worst actor on "Seinfeld" was a thousand times better than Sally Struthers.

I actually think that episodes of All in the Family don't play as well today as they did when they originally aired. I think a lot of the earlier episodes of AITF are still very funny... but once Mike and Gloria moved out of the house, it just wasn't the same show. Part of what made AITF so great was the tension of having everyone living under the same roof, especially since Mike usually wasn't working. That was lost when they moved out, and the show was never the same, and never as funny again, imo.

Today, if I see an episode with Stephanie in it, I'm thinking "I thought this was supposed to be a sitcom". Yes, there were some touching 'moments', but even those don't play as well today as when I first saw them... if I want to actually laugh, "Seinfeld" was better for a longer period of time. AITF started out as a sitcom...a sitcom that tried to make some points about society and politics... but to me, it wasn't funny anymore after Mike and Gloria moved out. It did, indeed, turn into a 'dramedy', with a lot more drama than comedy. Which is not to say that it wasn't still a well-written and well-acted show...it just wasn't funny anymore.

BuddyHinton · 02-15-2007, 03:17 PM

AITF started out as a sitcom...a sitcom that tried to make some points about society and politics... but to me, it wasn't funny anymore after Mike and Gloria moved out. It did, indeed, turn into a 'dramedy', with a lot more drama than comedy. Which is not to say that it wasn't still a well-written and well-acted show...it just wasn't funny anymore.

The word your reaching for is right here.... *passes it to you*... it's called growth. Seinfeld never had it and hence is why I believe it's a great, maybe the best short term comedy, but in the end people want more. I mean who can forget on even the most ditsy Lucy episode with her and Ethel having to make up? It's a balancing act that keeps the best shows alive.

CliffClavin · 02-16-2007, 08:47 PM

The clothes and certain 90's things might not stand the test of time but the humor will.

P.S. I watch Seinfeld everyday on TV/DVD,own books about it,visit websites,and search youtube for clips,and I...OMG am I obsessed?. I like other shows but this on the top 3 of my favorite shows of all time (There's no point in typing but this will the one only time I do)

applecherry · 03-22-2007, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuddyHinton

topic

will seinfeld stand the test of time? it looks that way

Chocolate Moose · 03-22-2007, 12:26 PM

Prob. note. The reuns are prob. very expensive to show (residuals) and the show has a lot of timely humor so it'll be dated really fast.

guarinigirl2000 · 03-24-2007, 10:21 PM

I think Seinfeld will still be on when my grandkids are around. (and I'm only 20 now!

)

I never watched the show during it's original run, but I look at the rereuns almost everyday. I still get the humour and it's an amazing show and a great piece of american television.

And I know many of the episodes word for word. I can't say that for just any sitcom!

12-07-2006, 12:20 AM	#1
BuddyHinton Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 31, 2006 Location: CA Posts: 441	Will Seinfeld stand the test of time? topic
	Last edited by BuddyHinton; 12-07-2006 at 02:03 AM.

12-13-2006, 11:50 AM	#4
kramer Re-gifter Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 15, 2003 Posts: 255	yells to the lynch mob Get him! Just kidding Buddy This forum does not have as many fan boys as others do. I have wondered the same thing you have about Seinfeld. I love the show but I do wonder if it will always be in syndication like surly Friends will be. I have already hear rumors about Friends being on Tv Land or Nick at Night, in the distant future. I have heard nothing of Seinfeld. Even Seinfeld himself said when they were voted the best show of all time that it really did not mean anything. Truthfully there is no way you can compare I love Lucy or the Andy Griffith show to Seinfeld. I do think some people are getting tired of the Seinfeld reruns being on all the time. In all truthfulness I really don't care if it doesn't stand the test of time on tv, as long as they release all the seasons on dvd. I would rather watch the unedited version of the show than the sad cut up version. I almost forgot, Seinfeld good, topic bad
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12-15-2006, 01:10 AM	#7
Will and Grace Fanatic be happy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 15, 2002 Location: seattle, washington Posts: 2,746	yes it will. you can see now that right now. It is one of the few shows that has been off the air as long as it has now and still gets extremely good ratings in syndiction.
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12-21-2006, 06:01 PM	#9
tdf4077 JaJa Senior Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,678	I think it will...it doesn't rely on thorough knowledge of the '90's for the jokes to play....but there are enough pop culture references to keep it moving forward.
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02-16-2007, 08:47 PM	#12
CliffClavin Yada Yada Yada Senior Member Join Date: May 04, 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,403	The clothes and certain 90's things might not stand the test of time but the humor will. P.S. I watch Seinfeld everyday on TV/DVD,own books about it,visit websites,and search youtube for clips,and I...OMG am I obsessed?. I like other shows but this on the top 3 of my favorite shows of all time (There's no point in typing but this will the one only time I do)
	__________________ We owe a lot to Thomas Edison - if it wasn't for him, we'd be watching television by candlelight. - Milton Berle

12-07-2006, 04:39 PM	#2
rc.uk Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 14, 2004 Location: UK Posts: 90	Yes, I think Seinfeld will stand the test of time. It was basically about the intricacies of interpersonal relationships. Those will exist forever. There weren't that many political or popular culture references, so there isn't too much that will date the show in years to come. Compare it to All In The Family which is very much stuck in the 1970s (as good as it is). The first Seinfeld episode is already nearly 18 years old and it's still as applicable to today than it was in 1989.

12-13-2006, 03:18 AM	#3
BuddyHinton Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 31, 2006 Location: CA Posts: 441	More or less what I meant was what "drives" the show would it be enough "fuel" for the ages? All in the Family had many many heartfelt moments sprinkled in with the comedy to round it out, I just do not see Seinfeld standing as long. No offense but Seinfeld is not even in the same class as AITF in acting nor in writing. In fact 10 years ago if you would asked me which I would rather watch Friends or Seinfeld I would have laughed in your face, now with some age behind me I see Seinfeld as a good comedy but not much else going for it, I choose Friends. Many shows has what Seinfeld had but so much more depth. I had this topic on the front general page but it was moved here sadly, because obviously everyone here will say "yes Seinfeld good, topic bad."

12-21-2006, 04:06 AM	#8
BuddyHinton Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 31, 2006 Location: CA Posts: 441	Hmm, great conversation here!! Keep it up! Another reason I posed this question was; I am up to season four on Seinfeld DVD boxset "purchases" and honestly, I can't even get through THAT, I have just seen these SOOOOOOOOOOOO many times in syndication I just can't muster the appreciation perhaps, but on the other hand other shows I HAVE seen the same amount of times I can watch and gladly watch again AITF I have seen since I had the VHS and I can watch many more times... butt hen just about all the shows I see that "hold up" also have a human element to SOME degree, Sein is void of that totally and completely. I mean even Marsha would cry on a goofy show like the Bradys, I wonder if Jerry has mixed feelings about having no feelings now?

01-01-2007, 04:58 PM	#10
Tweety Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 18, 2002 Location: Florida Posts: 6,804	In the DVD era, it's hard to say. "I Love Lucy" and "Andy Griffith" ran in reruns for 30 or 40 years before DVDs really became a part of our everyday lives... "Seinfeld" itself will stand the test of time, as the DVDs will always be in a lot of people's collections. If not for DVDs, "Seinfeld" would no doubt stand the test of time very well in syndication. It's humor was not driven by the events of the time, but by good (and often brilliant) writing. Comparing it to All in the Family is interesting. Yes, O'Connor and Stapleton were great, great actors, and I thought Rob Reiner was very good as well... but the worst actor on "Seinfeld" was a thousand times better than Sally Struthers. I actually think that episodes of All in the Family don't play as well today as they did when they originally aired. I think a lot of the earlier episodes of AITF are still very funny... but once Mike and Gloria moved out of the house, it just wasn't the same show. Part of what made AITF so great was the tension of having everyone living under the same roof, especially since Mike usually wasn't working. That was lost when they moved out, and the show was never the same, and never as funny again, imo. Today, if I see an episode with Stephanie in it, I'm thinking "I thought this was supposed to be a sitcom". Yes, there were some touching 'moments', but even those don't play as well today as when I first saw them... if I want to actually laugh, "Seinfeld" was better for a longer period of time. AITF started out as a sitcom...a sitcom that tried to make some points about society and politics... but to me, it wasn't funny anymore after Mike and Gloria moved out. It did, indeed, turn into a 'dramedy', with a lot more drama than comedy. Which is not to say that it wasn't still a well-written and well-acted show...it just wasn't funny anymore.

02-15-2007, 03:17 PM	#11
BuddyHinton Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 31, 2006 Location: CA Posts: 441	AITF started out as a sitcom...a sitcom that tried to make some points about society and politics... but to me, it wasn't funny anymore after Mike and Gloria moved out. It did, indeed, turn into a 'dramedy', with a lot more drama than comedy. Which is not to say that it wasn't still a well-written and well-acted show...it just wasn't funny anymore. The word your reaching for is right here.... passes it to you... it's called growth. Seinfeld never had it and hence is why I believe it's a great, maybe the best short term comedy, but in the end people want more. I mean who can forget on even the most ditsy Lucy episode with her and Ethel having to make up? It's a balancing act that keeps the best shows alive.

03-22-2007, 12:26 PM	#14
Chocolate Moose Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 4,902	Prob. note. The reuns are prob. very expensive to show (residuals) and the show has a lot of timely humor so it'll be dated really fast.
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03-24-2007, 10:21 PM	#15
guarinigirl2000 Tootie's Biggest Fan Occasional Poster Join Date: May 02, 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 24	I think Seinfeld will still be on when my grandkids are around. (and I'm only 20 now! ) I never watched the show during it's original run, but I look at the rereuns almost everyday. I still get the humour and it's an amazing show and a great piece of american television. And I know many of the episodes word for word. I can't say that for just any sitcom!
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