Yes

by Thomas E. Foss

Created on: July 22, 2008   Last Updated: December 19, 2010

Looking back on the history of Seinfeld, there is one thing I regret, and that is that I never got to see the original idea: Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld simply hanging out, talking about different things. While the Seinfeld show turned out to be about nothing, I believe the original idea was about equally interesting. The show wouldn't be about nothing, it would be about the small things in life we discuss with friends and make fun of.

The original Seinfeld show was in some way about the small things in life. But it was also story-driven, involved multiple characters and involved several twists that a true Larry David/Jerry Seinfeld show could perhaps avoid. Imagine Larry David moving in next to Jerry Seinfeld and the two hanging out in coffee shops, going to movies, golfing, meeting old friends and having to deal with their daily life, possibly both in relationships.

This idea certainly falls close to Larry David's idea for Curb Your Enthusiasm, and that is probably the one problem associated with it. One of Jerry Seinfeld's problems after Seinfeld has been his wish to do different things from what he used to do - as was evident both with the Bee Movie and the Marriage Ref - whereas Larry David has kept on doing what he's best at. The reason is possibly that Jerry Seinfeld is afraid that any idea he might have that could actually make sense, would be perceived as a copy of Larry David's ideas. In my opinion, however, Curb Your Enthusiasm was not entirely David's idea, but rather a version of the original Seinfeld idea. 

The Seinfeld Seinfeld Show
Another idea I have is that Seinfeld could opt to revive the show George and Jerry made in the Seinfeld series. The idea was surreal, but it was clearly a great one: Jerry has a butler that his neighbor, Kramer, keeps stealing to get his own things done. George and Elaine does what the two normally does and all actors are essentially only poor versions of the original set. This is, in some way, also what makes the idea neat. By making a show that could be part documentary and part TV show, for example, they could highlight issues like why the show is on TV in the first place and why NBC executives were moronic enough to revive that show.

The bottom line
My point above is not that these ideas are excellent or perfect. My point is rather that Jerry Seinfeld could - and should - do something that would appear to be relatively novel, without sacrificing his tradition. As long as he would do something in a traditional (yet novel) way, the result would be almost guaranteed to be relatively popular. By keeping ideas close enough to the original show, moreover, Seinfeld would be sure to not disappoint those (read: everyone) who would compare the show to the original Seinfeld show. In my opinion, Seinfeld is simply wrong if he believes he wouldn't be capable of making something equally good, if not better, than the original Seinfeld show. I think it could be, especially if they stick to fewer shows per season. He would have the option to do whatever he wants, so that should be no problem.

I believe success would require one thing though: I think the success depends on bringing in solid writers, and I also think Larry David would have to be there. The other actors from Seinfeld should not necessarily be involved, however, because the show would have to distance itself from the original show. The exception would of course be the second show where George perhaps should play a part.

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