Did anybody see JS on Hollywood Insider on USA in the wee hours of the morning this week? It was about a four-minute interview, and some of the interesting points were:
- He never expected the series to be popular, since he was going to do something he liked, and he didn't like anything on tv. He said they weren't going to do something for the masses, but instead what they wanted to do, and therefore expected only six weeks, or seven tops.
- All the characters are close to their characters in real life, with the exception of Kramer, which is an invention.
- He said he would not do the series beyond five years. He wants it to be a "gem", not like "a bolt of cloth that keeps unwinding". And he finished the interview by saying that he could end the show, because he doesn't need the money, and made a face.
On the local LA news last night, in addition to mentioning "The Contest", they had an interview with Michael Richards. It only last about a minute. He said his entrances were becoming famous this season (during which they showed a montage of them), so next season he would work on his exits.
In the April 11 LA Times tv magazine, "The Secrets of Seinfeld's Success" was on the cover, with Jerry's big smiling visage looking up from my coffee table all week, and the article was "Super Seinfeld". (I've been carrying this in my briefcase trying to get time to write for two weeks.) Some of the interesting points (all quotes by JS, and not me JS, unless otherwise noted):
- "We said it would be a show about conversation, which is almost the same as nothing. It wouldn't be heavy on story. They were hard to resist and now we do a lot of stories, off-beat stories, but they are stories."
- They don't map out the season, except for the writing of the comedy pilot. "The first show would be the meeting at NBC, and the last show would be the filming. We considered at times abandoning the whole thing. We are trying to determine if people were interested in this story line, if they wanted to see what this pilot would be."
- Referring to story ideas: "A lot of times they are things that happened to the writers."
- Supervising producer and writer Larry Charles: "We don't have a grand scheme... We are in a complete state of panic virtually week to week in trying to come up with a great show. In that panic- stricken mode, we throw around ideas and we think about stuff."
- LC: "The shows are almost like albums to me. They get better with repeated viewing - all the in-jokes that are kind of dropped into the show, for the fan, really enhance the show..."
- JS: "I don't take credit for it, but I am involved in the writing of every show. Actually, Larry David and I do a lot of writing. He does most of the writing. We have a few writers who contribute scripts. We don't have a big gang."
- LC: "Basically, Larry and Jerry make the executive decision. It's based on Larry's syntax. He just goes with his feelings about things."
- JS: NBC has never censored the scripts. "We always do a [subject] in the highest moral standards. We are not trying to get away with anything in terms of of language or in terms of subjects. The thing is to do it the right way."
- "Most of the time, within a few minutes [on other shows], you know what the story is and how it's going to work out. In our show, we don't resolve the problem. Sometimes things get worse and then it's over. Sometimes it gets better. It's more stimulating. We try to avoid familiar patterns."
- "Aren't I terrific? I was nominated for an Emmy, so I must be pretty good. I am good. I just do what fits the story. The story is the thing."
- He says he doesn't care if he's in the show, just that it's a good show. "I would love not to be in one... To do that we would definitely have to do a Superman episode in which George and Elaine get stuck in a cave..."
- Several paragraphs about Superman. "Well, it's really the most important show because it deals with life on the level of a super man... The problems just increase to match the size of your ability. ... I watch and discuss Superman daily... I am Superman on the show, George is Perry White, Elaine is Lois Lane and Kramer is Jimmy Olsen."
- "I am a comedian, that's what I do. The show has come along and that's been great, but doing stand-up is my first love..."
A good article, but I don't have time to copy more. Has anybody noticed the Superman magnet on his refrigerator in the upper left corner, which is in the new ones, but not the repeats?
John