Archive-name: tv/seinfeld-faq/part1 Last-modified: 1993/04/13 Version: 1.2
"Seinfeld" Information File and Frequently Asked Questions List
===============================================================[FAQ Version 1.2 -- Updated: April 13th, 1993]
This file is intended to provide a general information base and answer some frequently asked questions posted on alt.tv.seinfeld and mailed to the "Vandelay Industries" mailing list. It is hoped this file is found useful to newcomers to the group as well as fill in the information gaps in the minds of experienced newshounds. Additions and corrections to this file should be directed to the FAQ administrator, noted in section 1.2. This FAQ list is posted monthly to both alt.tv.seinfeld and the "Vandelay Industries" mailing list, as well as to the appropriate *.answers groups. It normally comes out around the 13th of each month.
Changes from, and additions to, the last version noted with a | in column 1.
Table Of Contents
================= 1) Administrivia
1.1) Seinfeld Discussion Groups
1.2) Information File & FAQ List
1.3) Episode Guide
1.4) Episode Capsules
1.5) Other Files Available1.7) "Seinfeld" Mailing List
- The Show and Its Characters
2.2) The Main Players
2.3) Regular Co-Stars
2.3.4) Uncle Leo
2.4) Notable Guest Star Appearances
2.4.1) ...As Themselves 2.5) Behind-The-Scenes-Type People
2.5.1) Larry David
2.5.2) Tom Cherones 3) Regular Show Aspects
3.1) The Diner
3.2) The Apartment- Frequently Asked Questions (And Other Things You Should Know)
4.3) What's Jerry and Elaine's relationship?
4.6) Is Pez The Official Fifth Food Group Of alt.tv.seinfeld?
4.8) "Seinfeld" vs. "Home Improvement"
4.10) If You Were On A Deserted Island And Could Only Have One
Episode Of "Seinfeld" To Watch, Which One Would It Be?
(Debating The Validity Of The Question Is Left As An
Assignment For The Reader)
4.11) Who is Art Vandelay?
4.12) Does Jerry Read alt.tv.seinfeld? 4.14) "Is George Jewish? Is He Italian? Can He Drive A Three-Inch
Nail Through A Board With His...?"4.17) A Couple Tidbits On Character Name Selection
---
- Administrivia
1.1) "Seinfeld" Discussion Groups
There are two major ways of discussing "Seinfeld" on the Internet.
One is to subscribe to the alt.tv.seinfeld group with your local news
reader, the other is to subscribe to "Vandelay Industries", the
"Seinfeld" mailing list (detailed below). For simplicity's sake,
these two entities are referred to below as Seinfeld Discussion Groups
(SDGs).1.2) Information File and FAQ List
This file was created (and is maintained) by Scott Simpson,
([email]). It is posted monthly to both SDGs. Any additions
or corrections to this list should be sent to the aforementioned
email address or posted to the SDGs.1.3) Episode Guide
The official SDG episode guide is maintained by Bob Warznak
([email]). It is posted periodically to the SDGs.1.4) Episode Capsules
The "Seinfeld" episode capsules are compiled by Scott Simpson,
([email]). A new one is posted pretty much weekly to the SDGs.
See section 1.6 below for a manifest of episodes that have been
encapsulated so far (I'm working on the backlog).1.5) Other Files Available
Bob Warznak has also compiled a complete list of "Seinfeld" ``Olympic
Moments'' which aired during the Summer '92 Olympics on NBC. It is
available only via anonymous FTP, detailed below.1.6) Files By Anonymous FTP
All of the aforementioned files will soon be available via anonymous
FTP. They will be stored at ftp.uu.net, probably in the directory:/usenet/rec.arts.startrek/Guides/seinfeld
Once this directory is operable, these are the files that will be
present: FAQ.Z -- Latest version of the Frequently Asked Questions
List and Information File (93/04/06)
Episode_Guide.Z -- The latest version of Bob Warznak's episode guide
(93/02/18)
Index.Z -- Short description of available files (93/03/27) (All of the following files are "Episode Capsules" containing quotes
and other tidbits from the show in question. They are named and
sorted according to the date of first showing of the episode. Brief
descriptions of each episode can be found in the episode guide,
detailed above):90.05.31.Z -- "The Stakeout"
93.01.06.Z -- "The Movie"
93.02.11.Z -- "The Outing"
93.02.18.Z -- "The Old Man"
93.03.18.Z -- "The Junior Mints" Olympic_Moments.Z -- Bob Warznak's transcription of the Olympic TV
Promos done by Jerry & Co. during last Summer's
Olympics. Funny stuff. All files in the directory will be compressed with the UNIX "compress"
command. Notification will be sent to both SDGs once this FTP service has been
established. Stay tuned...1.7) "Seinfeld" Mailing List
The "Seinfeld" mailing list, "Vandelay Industries" has been up and
running longer than alt.tv.seinfeld. To join, send a message with
a subject line "Subscribe" to:[email]
It's available in both a reflector format, and a digest format.
The digest usually comes out once a day. To receive the digest
format, send a message to the same address with a subject line of:
"Subscribe digest".- The Show and Its Characters
2.1) Introduction To "Seinfeld"
``It's a show about nothing'' -- "The Ticket"
"Seinfeld" began life as "The Seinfeld Chronicles" July 5, 1989, at
The show basically rotates around stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and
his everyday routine. Most episodes simply revolve around Jerry and
his three closest friends (his best friend George, his ex-girlfriend
Elaine and his neighbour Kramer), making everyday situations, well,
extraordinary.2.2) The Main Players
Note: The "Other work" lists are mostly taken from "The Lists"
frequently posted to rec.arts.movies. Motion pictures and TV
shows are listed (TV shows are shown enclosed in quotation
marks), and other projects are cited where known. I've tried
to include the name of the character played from each project
as well. The works noted here are intended to be as complete as possible
for the main characters, but not for the guest stars where the
list is simply intended to spark an "Oh yeah, that's where I've
seen them before" kind of thing, so I stayed with better-known
projects.2.2.1) Jerry Seinfeld
``A guy who's about five foot eleven, he's got uh, a big head and
flared nostrils.'' -- Kramer on Jerry, "The Movie"
``Like, a horse face, big teeth, and a pointed nose.'' -- George on
Jerry, "The Movie" Jerry is played by, of course, Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry started out as
a stand-up comic in the late seventies, and appeared semi-regularly on
The Tonight Show. According to Jerry at this year's Juno Awards (for
excellence in Canadian Music), he owes his success to Anne Murray since
the two of them appeared on a Tonight Show together, after which Anne
asked him to be the opening act for her in Las Vegas. While spending
the eighties performing and perfecting his stand-up routine, Jerry
became more and more popular, in no small part to his numerous spots
on "Late Night With David Letterman". He continues to tour when there
are breaks in the taping of the TV show.Other work: "Benson" (1980) [Freddy, the Messenger boy]
(Jen Hewitt notes that Jerry is credited as "Jerry Steinfeld" in "The
Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows [1987]" (where this
"Benson" info comes from). Whether this is a typo in the book or an
old alias of Jerry's is presently unknown...)2.2.2) George Costanza
``A short guy with glasses, looked like Humpty Dumpty with a melon
head.'' -- The Ticket Lady on George, "The Movie"Played by Jason Alexander (born Jay Greenspan in New Jersey). Jason
In an interview on "Fresh Air," a National Public Radio show out of
Philadelphia, Jason Alexander admitted that George is loosely based
on the show's producer, Larry David. Also, he admitted that in both
his audition and the first few shows he was doing an unabashed
imitation of Woody Allen. He also states that he owes his entire
career to William Shatner, who's acting style he tries to emulate. George's defining characteristic (to me, anyway) is his cheapness.
Some of his best lines are asking for money in a difficult situation, to the ground, or asking his Senior "friend" to pay for his soup after
he drives him out of the restaurant. "E/R" (1984) [Hospital Administrator]
"Everything's
Relative" (1987) [One of two brothers]
I Don't Buy Kisses
Anymore (1990)
Jacob's Ladder (1990) [Lawyer]
Pretty Woman (1990) [Sleazy lawyer] (Jen Hewitt also notes ``Incidentally, Elliot Gould's character (on
"E/R") was named Howard Sheinfeld, which is a pretty bizarre
coincidence if you ask me.'')2.2.3) Elaine Marie Benes
``A pretty woman, you know, kinda short, big wall of hair, face
like a frying pan.'' -- George on Elaine, "The Movie" "Seinfeld" seasons last year (which is why she is absent from the
season premiere this year and is only seen from the shoulders-up
in "The Keys"). The character Elaine does not appear until "The Stakeout". We do
know that Elaine is from Maryland, went to college (I can't remember Other work: "Saturday Night Live" (1982-85) [The "dead years"]
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Soul Man (1986)
Troll (1986)
"Day by Day" (1988) [Friend of family]
National Lampoon's2.2.4) Kramer (Just Kramer)
``Ah, a tall, lanky dufus with, with a bird face and hair like the
bride of Frankenstein.'' -- Elaine on Kramer, "The Movie" Un-official idol of the SDGs, played with panache by Michael
Richards. Richards is 43, born in Los Angeles. He received a
bachelor's degree in Drama from the California Institute of the Arts.
He then spent two years in the Army, then a couple more years "finding
himself" at a commune in the Santa Clara Mountains. Before he made it
big (or small, for that matter), he drove a bus and developed a stand-
up act in 1979. He got his big break nine months later appearing in
Billy Crystal's first cable TV special. He married a former casting Tim Connors quotes Debbie Snook of the Cleveland Plain Dealer
interviewing Michael Richards (got all that?): ``This great story is told: MR is in NYC with "girlfriend actress Ann
Talman" and they're scrambling for a cab. MR: "I'd be standing on
a corner and people would be looking out of their windows, pointing
to us from their cars and waving. So I'd size them up -- get a
sense of who looked safe -- and I'd go, 'Listen can you give us a
ride down to ...,' and they'd go, 'Yeah, sure.' So for two days, I
never took a cab. And these people were completely blown. They'd
say, 'Oh my God! Oh my God! I've got Kramer in my car!" MR says K is based on a fella Larry David knew "in New York named
Kramer who lived across the hall and was a jack of all trades, the
kind of guy who can live in a $2000 a month apartment for only $450
a month. Co-workers compare MR's careful reworking of bits to the
craftsmanship of Chaplin. MR: "Next to him, I'm an ant." MR "has given Kramer a scent -- Calvin Klein's "Eternity" cologne,
a gift from the designer after an episode in which Kramer posed in
his underwear for the fashion firm. 'I saturate myself so the other
actors know when I'm coming in.'" MR reminisces about the time he and Andy Kaufman conspired to stage
a fight in the middle of a sketch (on "Fridays"), with MR yelling
"Go to commercial!" "His genius was to fool us," says MR about
Kaufman. <Andy, did you hear about this one?>Here's a doozy: "Like Seinfeld, [MR] is wedded to yoga."
He would like to do a serious part a la Gleason as Minnesota Fats
but reckons that "with the popularity of Kramer it would probably be
difficult for me to be in a picture with Al Pacino right now."'' Other work: "Marblehead Manor" (1977)
"Fridays" (1980) [Sketch actor]
Young Doctors in Love (1982) [Hitman]
Ratings Game, The (1984) (TV Movie)
Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)
UHF (1989) [Stanley Spadowsky]
Problem Child (1990) He has also guest starred as:
o A sleazy guy trying to make Sam cash in on a bet, in one episode o A defendant who thought he was invisible to everyone, in an
episode of "Night Court"
o A TV producer (?) on "St. Elsewhere", looking for a doctor to
host a local health segment on a news broadcast.
o He supposedly has played heavies in several shows, including
"Miami Vice"2.3) Regular Co-Stars
2.3.1) Newman
``Jerry: Oh, hello... *Newman*...'' -- Jerry's frequent "greeting"
Played by Wayne Knight. Many SDG'ers loathe the man, since most of
his performances on the show are, well, er, "over the top" to be
polite. Most can handle him in small doses. Other work: Dead Again (1991) [Newspaper photographer]
JFK (1991) [Newman (!?)]
Basic Instinct (1992) [Cop]
"Edge" (1992) [sketch actor]
Jurassic Park (1993) [Dennis Nedry]2.3.2) Morty and Helen Seinfeld (Jerry's Parents)
Mrs. Seinfeld is played by Liz Sheridan, Mr. Seinfeld was played by
Phil Bruns in the Pilot episode, and by Barney Martin in all
subsequent appearances. Other work:
Liz Sheridan:
"Alf" (1987) [Mrs. Auchmonich (sp?)]
Barney Martin:
"The Wonder Years" (1993) [Elder Kevin Arnold]2.3.3) Estelle Costanza
Played by Estelle Harris. She is the stereotypical New York (dare I
say "Jewish"?) mother who constantly berates George on a variety of
subjects. With a mother like this, it doesn't take a stretch to see2.3.4) Uncle Leo
Played by Len Lesser. Does *anyone* have *anything* interesting
to say about this guy?|2.3.5) Crazy Joe Davola |
|2.3.6) Susan |
2.4) Notable Guest Star Appearances
Many "big name" stars have appeared on "Seinfeld" (most often as
themselves), and many others have played other characters, or have
been "integral" parts of the show without being seen.2.4.1) ...As Themselves
Candice Bergen, "The Keys"
Corbin Bernsen, "The Trip, Part II"
Keith Hernandez, "The Boyfriend, Parts I & II"
Roger McDowell, "The Boyfriend, Part II"
Keith Morrison, "The Trip, Part II"
Fred Savage, "The Trip, Part I"
George Wendt, "The Trip, Part II"2.4.2) ...Playing Others
Michael Chiklis ........... Steve ("The Stranded")
Other work: Wired (1989) [John Belushi]
"The Commish" (1990) [Police Commissioner]
Lynn Clark ................ Vanessa ("The Stakeout", "The Stock Tip") Brian Doyle-Murray ........ Mel, the B.B.'s Dad ("The Bubble Boy")
Other work: "Saturday Night Live" (1983)?[News anchor, etc.]
Caddyshack (1980) [Caddy manager]
Modern Problems (1981)
National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) [Motel Owner]
Legal Eagles (1986)
Scrooged (1988)
Ghostbusters II (1989)
"Get a Life" (1990)
JFK (1991)
Wayne's World (1992) [Noah Vanderhoft]
Groundhog Day (1993) [Mayor?]
Siobahn Fallon ............ Tina (Elaine's roommate)
Other work: "Saturday Night Live" (1990) [sketch actress]
Teri Hatcher .............. Sidra ("The Implants")
Tango And Cash (1989) [Sly's sister]
Clint Howard .............. Tobias ("The Trip")
Other work: "Gentle Ben" (1967)
Star Trek (1967)? [Balok]
Huckleberry Finn (1975) (TV Movie)
Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)
Night Shift (1982)
Splash (1984)
Cocoon (1985)
Gung Ho (1986)
"Gung Ho" (1986)
Parenthood (1989)
Tango & Cash (1989)
Backdraft (1991)
Rocketeer, The (1991)
Far and Away (1992)
"Space Rangers" (1993)
Tawny Kitaen .............. Isabel ("The Nose Job")
Other work: "Capitol" (1982)
"Santa Barbara" (1984)
Bachelor Party (1984) [Tom Hanks' fiancee]
Perils of Gwendoline in the
Land of the Yik Yak, The (1984) [Gwendoline]
Witchboard (1985)
"America's Funniest People" (1990) [Hostess]
"WKRP in Cincinnati" (1991) [Mona Lovelace]
"Eek the Cat" (1992) [Voice of ?]
[Ex-wife of that Whitesnake guy (David Coverdale); she appeared in
many of their videos]
Edie McLurg ............... Voice of Mrs. Oliver ("The Old Man")
Other work: "WKRP In Cincinnati" (1978) [Mrs. Herb Tarlek]
Ferris Beuller's Day Off (1986) [Principal's Secretary]
Planes, Trains And
Automobiles (1987) [Car rental lady]
"Valerie" (1989) [Neighbour, Mrs. Pool?]
??? ([email]) notes:
``...the best thing she ever did was play Mrs. Marv Mendenhall, a sort
of fake "Hints from Heloise" lady on Letterman's short-lived morning
TV show.''
Valerie Mahaffey .......... Patrice ("The Truth") Ruthless People (?)
Secret Of My Success (?)
City Slickers (1991)
Lawrence Tierney .......... Alton Benes (Elaine's Dad) ("The Jacket")
Other work: Greatest Show on Earth, The (1952)
Prizzi's Honor (1985)
Silver Bullet (1985)
Naked Gun: From the Files
Of Police Squad!, The (1988)
City of Hope (1991) Casualties of Love: The
Long Island Lolita Story (1993) (TV Movie)
Anita Wise ................ Waitress ("The Robbery",
"Male Unbonding")
Other work: Stand-up comedienne2.4.3) ...Integral To The Plot, But Not Seen
Woody Allen, "The Alternate Side"
John Cheever, "The Cheever Letters"
Joe Dimaggio, "The Note"
Mickey Mantle, "The Visa"2.5) Behind-The-Scenes-Type People
2.5.1) Larry David
Co-creator, writer and producer of the show, Larry David is also
the basis of the George character.Like Michael Richards, he was also a cast member of "Fridays".
2.5.2) Tom Cherones
Director and Supervising producer of the show... <blah blah blah>
- Regular Show Aspects
3.1) The Diner
``"Nothing can be finer than eating in your diner"?''
-- Elaine quoting Jerry's autograph, "The Bubble Boy"
[Okay, it's not the same diner in question, but I needed to put
*something* here. Sue me...] The diner that the gang frequents on the show is called "Monk's".
The exterior shots are of "Tom's Diner" in New York City (located
on Broadway at 112th St.) Tom's is the subject of the song "Tom's
Diner" by Suzanne Vega on the album "Solitude Standing".|
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|
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3.2) The Apartment
``Jerry: Yeah?
George: It's George.
Jerry: C'mon up...'' -- As cited in, what, 95% of all episodes? o Jerry's apartment is located at: 129 West 81st
Jerry is in 5A, Kramer is in 5B Also, George mentions the address in "The Boyfriend".)
o The bike is a Klein (though he seemingly never uses it)
o The Computer is a Macintosh Classic (though he seemingly never uses
it). Besides, Jerry doesn't use computers to write with in real life
anyway-- his most comfortable writing tools are Bic pens and large
yellow legal pads.3.3) Character Occupations:
``George: Yeah, interest. It's an amazing thing. You make money
without doing anything...
Jerry: Y'know I have friends who try to base their whole life on
that principle.
George: Really? Who?
Jerry: Nobody you know...'' -- "The Junior Mints"Jerry: Stand-up comedian
Proof-Reader ("The Red Dot")
Presently co-writer of Jerry's show for NBC
Elaine: Editor for Pendant Publishing (those bastards)
Kramer: "Falls ass-backwards into money"
(Has also had a couple of acting jobs:
o One line in a Woody Allen film: "These pretzels are
making me thirsty" ("The Alternate Side")
o Murphy's secretary on an episode of "Murphy Brown"
("The Keys")
o Model for Calvin Klein underwear ("The Pick"))
Newman: United States Postal Worker ("The Old Man")
Mr. S: Sells raincoats ("The Wallet")- Frequently Asked Questions (And Other Things You Should Know...)
4.1) What Is Kramer's Full Name?
``Dr. Reston: Kramer? Is that his first name or his last name?
Elaine: Can we talk about something else...'' -- "The Wallet" Likely the most asked (or should I say "debated") questions is
what is Kramer's full name on the show. Simply stated, Michael
Richards plays "Kramer". "Gee, Scott... Is that his first name
or his last name?" Well, it's never been mentioned, but it is
likely safe to assume it's his last name (from such clues as a
torn cover page from Kramer's treatment (in this year's season
premiere) shows only text where a last name would be, and it says
"Kramer")). Jerry has joked to interviewers that Kramer's full
name is "Kramer Versus Kramer", and one article has stated it as
"Mr. Bent Kramer" (although that has since been refuted since
another version of the article prints it as "Mr. Bent, Kramer").But remember, it's just "Kramer" until the show tells us otherwise.
4.2) What's Up With Jerry's Money?
"I always feel like you get more if you pay more, so I try to pay the
maximum." -- Jerry Seinfeld quoted in _GQ_ magazine, May, 1992. Many episodes of "Seinfeld" deal with Jerry losing mass quantities
of money in one way or another, such as: Jacket")
o Paying hit and run damages ("The Good Samaritan") o Paying Uncle Leo $350 to get his watch back ("The Wallet")
o Put $400 in his Dad's new wallet (which Uncle Leo also gets)
("The Wallet")[continued...]
=========================================================================== This Info File and FAQ List is compiled and maintained by Scott Simpson through many more life-endangering hours of laborious and grueling time at the keyboard. Distribute this file freely, but please leave in this disclaimer so that years from now when I'm visiting Malaysia some villager will approach me on the street and recognise me as the guy who finally wrote a FAQ for alt.tv.seinfeld and brought peace and harmony not only to that newsgroup, but to the world as well. Thanks. --- By day, [email], by night, rec.sport.hockey Ottawa Senators Contact TODAY'S .SIG: [Pay heed, for this quote/word/fact may alter your very being!] "(Chad) Erickson was a complete joke. He will never play for us again. The guy who drafted him should be dead." -- Cincinnati coach Dennis Derosiers )-> In case it's not obvious, BNR and I may or may not share these views. <-(