‘Seinfeld’ is finally entering the Netflix realm next year, just as Friends gears up to say goodbye to the streaming platform.
‘Seinfeld’ was NBC’s legendary situational comedy created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. “The show about nothing” first aired in 1989 and remains relevant even today. ‘Seinfeld’ is a show that is still remembered and loved by people globally and has fortified its place in the history of pop-culture. It had a spectacular run of nine seasons and was one of the most admired and influential shows on American television in the ‘90s. The series was clever and cynical, and often relied on its sarcasm and perception of the mundane life. The reason behind the success of this intelligent comedy was the fact that it offered the viewers something new and unique.
Highlights —
- ‘Seinfeld’– The representative of the ‘90s sitcom scene
- The legacy of Seinfeld
- This is it – Seinfeld has found a new home with Netflix
The series has been in news ever since its end in 1998 because fans were not convinced with its finale and wanted to see the series rebooted. However, its cast has neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of a revival. But there is good news –
You will soon be able to binge-watch Seinfeld on Netflix!
Seinfeld: The representative of the 90s sitcom scene
The sitcom was set in Manhattan and circled the lives of four upper-middle class friends, Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer as they live their lives working and hanging out together. It found its humour in the minutiae of daily life and silly contretemps amongst its characters. The show also introduced the format of beginning and closing the show with jokes from a stand-up act.
The culture-defining comedy became a sensation as its characters were real, flawed and honest in contrast to the painfully likeable characters that American television endorsed during the time. It was the source some of the most iconic catchphrases of the time.
The legacy of Seinfeld
Despite being one of the most popular shows of its time it has been seen that its success was the greatest in U.S.A. In her article, “Translating Seinfeld”, Jennifer Armstrong has referred to the series as being “too cultural and word-based to make for easy translation” for it to have had the same level of popularity in other countries as well. Seinfeld has been called the of the first sitcoms to achieve the status of ‘art’.
Infused with post-modern concepts, the series managed to tap into a form of story-telling that hadn’t been seen before by the audiences. It was a ratings beast drawing 19.26 million viewers in its first season and ultimately reaching an explosive viewership of 38.03 million people.
Seinfeld was the recipient of several prestigious awards including 10 Emmy Awards, 3 Golden Globe Awards and 6 Screen Actors Guild Awards. The one-of-a-kind show was called “Number 1 reason the ’90s ruled” by E! and was listed as “the greatest TV show of all time” by TV Guide in 2002 and the series has only expanded its fandom over the years.
This is it – Seinfeld has found a new home with Netflix
The battle of networks came to a dramatic end when Netflix announced on September 16th, 2020 that it had acquired the streaming rights to Seinfeld and will be airing the series 2021 onward. Netflix will be offering all 9 seasons of the hit sitcom to its 151 million subscribers worldwide.
The Chairman of Sony Pictures Television Mr. Mike Hopkins was quoted saying,
“Seinfeld’ is a one-of-a-kind, iconic, culture-defining show. Now, 30 years after its premiere, ‘Seinfeld’ remains center stage. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Netflix to bring this beloved series to current fans and new audiences around the globe.”
Even though the details of the deal have not been revealed, it is being said that the OTT platform has acquired streaming rights for the next 5 years for over $500 million. Seinfeld will be available for the very first time in 4K from next year.
Are you excited about watching Seinfeld on Netflix? Tell us how you feel in the comments below.
