Facts About The Show About Nothing

There are some little known facts about the comedy behemoth Seinfeld that even the most die-hard fan would be surprised about. Sure there are the small facts that almost every casual fan has heard of - that almost every episode references Superman... or that Kramer is based on creator Larry David's real life New York neighbour - but try this new trivia on for size.

Now to call Seinfeld merely popular is almost an understatement - it was massively popular. Insanely popular. This show about nothing was one of the most successful and popular sitcoms in TV history and managed to smash television conventions and create incredibly original and varied story lines on a consistent basis.

Jerry Seinfeld and his castmates on the show quickly bagged incredible salaries. In Seinfeld's final season Jerry himself was hauling in US$1 million per episode, and reportedly turned down a staggering US$5million-per-episode to continue the show for a tenth season.

Here are three other interesting facts about the "show about nothing":


3. Elaine was not originally part of the castInitially launched in 1989 under the name "The Seinfeld Chronicles," Julia Louis-Dreyfus's part of Elaine was non-existent. A regular recurring sassy waitress named "Claire", who worked at Pete's Luncheonette, was to provide the female element to the show.

When Seinfeld debuted a year later, "Claire" was long gone and "Elaine" was born. Saturday Night Live alumni Julia Louis-Dreyfus beat out stiff competition from other actresses such as Patricia Heaton(Everybody Loves Raymond) and Rosie O'Donnell(The Flintstones) for the role.


2. The iconic Newman was originally played by creator Larry DavidBefore it was decided that Newman would be a regular nemesis of Jerry on the show, he was merely a disembodied voice in an episode titled "The Revenge" provided by Larry David. When it was decided that Newman would play a regular gig on the show, actor Wayne Knight was hired for the role and voice-dubbed over Larry's lines when the episode went to air.


1. 'Festivus' was created by a Reader's Digest editor in 1966Frustrated with Christmas tradition, Festivus was the festival on the show created by George's father to replace the popular holiday tradition. Where there was once a tree, Festivus promotes a stark aluminium pole. Where Christmas is all about goodwill, Festivus promotes confrontational traditions such as the "Airing of Grievances".

Festivus was initially created in 1966 by Reader's Digest editor Dan O'Keefe as a tender, heartfelt way of celebrating the first date he had with his wife. In the ninth season, Dan O'Keefe's son, a staff writer for the Seinfeld show, reintroduced the idea of Festivus to the show, complete with changes such as the now infamous aluminium pole.