171-732: Lawrence Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American comedian, actor, writer and television producer. He and Jerry Seinfeld created the NBC television sitcom Seinfeld , of which David was head writer and executive producer for the first seven seasons. He gained further recognition for creating and writing the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm , in which he also stars as a fictionalized version of himself. David's work on Seinfeld won him two Primetime Emmy Awards in 1993, for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in
342-431: A Bialetti moka pot is one of his must-haves. He described the process of making coffee with a moka pot as complex and time-consuming, but a pleasurable way to "waste time". Seinfeld is Jewish and has incorporated elements of his Jewish identity in his work. Although he shared that his mother was born into a large family of Syrian Orthodox Jews, he admitted to being non-religious himself. Seinfeld stated that he took
513-505: A Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1995. The show is one of the most acclaimed and popular sitcoms of all time. He has since created and produced the reality series The Marriage Ref (2010–2011), and created and hosted the web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (2012–2019), the latter of which earned him three Webby Awards . He also co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in
684-472: A Golden Globe Awards , and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards . In 2004, Comedy Central named him the 12th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time. In 2017, Rolling Stone named him the 7th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time. Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version of himself in the NBC sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), which he co-created and wrote with Larry David . Seinfeld earned
855-654: A Primetime Emmy Award and which TV Guide ranked as episode No. 1 on its list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time ". He has also been involved in other films and television series. David wrote and directed the 1998 film Sour Grapes , about two cousins who feud over a casino jackpot. It was neither a commercial nor a critical success. He has also appeared in bit roles in Woody Allen 's Radio Days (1987) and New York Stories (1989). The HBO cable television channel aired David's one-hour special, Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm , on October 17, 1999. This
1026-587: A Scientology course when he was in his 20s; he said that he found it interesting but that he did not pursue it any further. Seinfeld expressed support for Israel during the Israel–Hamas war , saying "I will always stand with Israel and the Jewish people." Seinfeld and his family previously drew criticism, travelling to the West Bank in 2018 to participate in a terrorism simulation camp. Seinfeld also visited
1197-495: A "Critic's Pick" with Anne Nicholson describing it as a "full-fledged, fully ridiculous feature comedy targeted to the audience’s sweet-and-salty dopamine receptors". David Ehrlich of IndieWire wrote that the "comedy never heats up" and "it’s a movie about so many different things at once that it comes to feel like a movie about nothing". Seinfeld appeared as a guest on John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA where he joked that it
1368-441: A 2024 interview with The New Yorker , Seinfeld claimed political correctness was destroying comedy, saying, “This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people. When you write a script and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups — 'Here's our thought about this joke' — well, that's the end of your comedy.” Months later, he walked back those comments on
1539-434: A 90-minute length, and sketches that have made it as far as the live rehearsal may be removed. This often results in less than two days of rehearsal for the eight to twelve sketches that have made it to the stage that then may appear on the live broadcast. The opening monologue, spoken by the guest host, is given low priority and can be written as late as Saturday afternoon. According to an interview with Tina Fey in 2004,
1710-506: A Comedy Series ; he was nominated 17 other times. Formerly a stand-up comedian, David went into television comedy , writing and starring in ABC 's Fridays , and writing briefly for Saturday Night Live . He has been nominated for 27 Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards . Fellow comedians and comedy insiders voted him the 23rd-greatest comedy star ever in a 2004 British poll to select "The Comedian's Comedian", and he received
1881-587: A February 1981 episode, cast member Charles Rocket used the profanity "fuck" during a sketch. Rocket later said he was trying to kill time before the show's close and had not meant to utter the word. Following this episode, Doumanian was dismissed after only ten months on the job. Although some executives suggested SNL be cancelled, the show received a reprieve, and Dick Ebersol was hired as producer. Ebersol's sketches leaned towards more accessible, broad comedy, which alienated some long-time fans, writers, and cast members. His distaste for political humor led
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#17327838029402052-488: A Lame-O ", that had critiqued Silverman's job performance. Unable to secure the deal that he wanted, Michaels chose to leave NBC, and Jean Doumanian was given his position. Almost every writer and cast member, including Michaels, left the show after the May 24, 1980, season finale. Doumanian's rapidly-assembled new cast faced immediate comparisons to the previous cast, and was not received favorably by critics or audiences. In
2223-475: A Monday with a free-form pitch meeting between the cast, writers, producers, including Michaels and the guest host in Michaels's office over two hours. The host is invited to pitch ideas during this meeting. Although some sketchwriting may occur on the day, the bulk of the work revolves around pitching ideas. Tuesday is the only day dedicated purely to writing the scripts, a process that usually extends through
2394-768: A Moron . Seinfeld also wrote the foreword to the Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook . In October 2020, Seinfeld released his new book Is This Anything? . The book chronicles Seinfeld's 45 years working in comedy and contains many of his best bits that span from various decades. Seinfeld has stated, "On the Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedy, there are four faces, in my opinion: Richard Pryor , George Carlin , Bill Cosby , and Don Rickles ." Seinfeld has also cited as his influences Jean Shepherd , Mad Magazine , Jonathan Winters , Jerry Lewis , Robert Klein , and Abbott and Costello . He stated, " Monty Python
2565-632: A PC" advertisements and run the Seinfeld ads on the Microsoft website as a series of longer advertisements. In March 2009, it was announced that Seinfeld and the entire cast of Seinfeld would be appearing for a reunion in Larry David's HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm . The fictional reunion took place in the seventh season's finale and starred most of the original cast, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Jason Alexander , Michael Richards , in
2736-428: A Rising Star , which led to an appearance in a Rodney Dangerfield HBO special. In 1980, he had a small recurring role on the sitcom Benson , playing Frankie, a mail-delivery boy who had comedy routines that no one wanted to hear. Seinfeld was abruptly fired from the show due to creative differences. Seinfeld said that he was not told he had been fired until he arrived for a read-through session and found that there
2907-491: A botched medical procedure. Seinfeld signed a deal with Netflix in January 2017 that included placing Seinfeld and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee on their streaming service as well as two new Seinfeld stand-up specials and the development of scripted and non-scripted comedy programming. As part of the deal, all episodes of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee were made available on the streaming service, in addition to
3078-477: A brief conversation, Lonstein gave Seinfeld her phone number. Lonstein was still a senior in high school and would turn 18 at the end of that month. Seinfeld and Lonstein dated for approximately four years, until 1997. She transferred from George Washington University to UCLA , in part to be with him, and cited constant press coverage and missing New York City as reasons for the relationship ending. The age difference led to intense media scrutiny. While Seinfeld
3249-554: A capacity to address family poverty in three focus areas: supporting new mothers, investing in early childhood, and engaging fathers. GOOD+ Foundation has donated over $ 42M worth of items through its partner network across the United States. Seinfeld has also participated in Jon Stewart 's charity event, Night of Too Many Stars . According to Forbes magazine, Seinfeld's cumulative earnings from Seinfeld as of 2004
3420-413: A cast member at any time. In the first season of the show the cast was paid $ 750 per episode, rising to $ 2,000 by season two, and $ 4,000 by season four. By the late 1990s, new cast members received a salary between $ 5,000 and $ 5,500 per episode, increasing to $ 6,000 in the second year and up to $ 12,500 for a cast member in their fifth year. Performers could earn an additional $ 1,500 per episode for writing
3591-456: A comedy special, titled I'm Telling You for the Last Time . The process of developing and performing new material at clubs around the world was chronicled in a 2002 documentary, Comedian , which also featured fellow comic Orny Adams and was directed by Christian Charles. Seinfeld has written several books, mostly archives of past routines. In the late 1990s, Apple Computer came up with
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#17327838029403762-422: A company owned by NBC, Paramount Pictures , and Michaels. The new contracts were reportedly developed after many previously unknown cast members, such as Mike Myers and Adam Sandler , gained fame on SNL only to leave and make money for other studios. In a 2010 interview, Wiig was reported to be contracted to SNL for a total of seven years. The contracts also contain a network option that allows NBC to remove
3933-457: A cost of $ 250,000. By 1975, Michaels had assembled the show's initial cast, including Dan Aykroyd , John Belushi , Chevy Chase , Jane Curtin , Garrett Morris , Laraine Newman , Gilda Radner , and George Coe . The cast was nicknamed the "Not Ready for Prime-Time Players", a term coined by show writer Herb Sargent . Much of the talent pool involved in the inaugural season was recruited from The National Lampoon Radio Hour , including
4104-478: A daughter and two sons. In 1999, Seinfeld auctioned a Breitling Chronomat watch as part of the "Famous Faces, Watch Auction For Charity" event in New York City. This watch sold for $ 11,000. In 2001, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld created the charitable organization The Good+Foundation after their first child was born. Good+Foundation grants donations of products and services to programs that have demonstrated
4275-591: A decision yet at that point. Michaels has worked with Fey several times since her SNL tenure ended, including on 30 Rock . Michaels earlier said in 2021 that the show's fiftieth anniversary would be "a really good time to leave". Kenan Thompson , the show's longest-serving cast member, speculated in 2022 that SNL may come to an end altogether after its fiftieth season, saying that it could make financial sense for NBC. However, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in September 2024, Michaels denied that he
4446-399: A different color, and the 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder , the same model and pearl-grey color that actor James Dean had been driving before he crashed that car and subsequently died. The Discovery Channel television show Chasing Classic Cars claimed that Seinfeld owns the first and last produced air-cooled Porsche 911s. The centerpiece is a $ 700,000 Porsche 959 , one of only 337 built. He
4617-574: A farewell tribute video for the Obamas before the President left office, Seinfeld stated, "That knocking on the Oval Office window. That probably was the peak of my entire existence." In 2014, Seinfeld told David Letterman he invited Woody Allen to be on the show but hadn't heard back. That same year he also revealed Joan Rivers was supposed to be a guest on the show before she died due to
4788-496: A game of Catchphrase , which Obama and Fallon won to Seinfeld's dismay. On September 19, 2017, Netflix released the stand-up comedy special Jerry Before Seinfeld . It follows Seinfeld as he returns for a stand-up routine at the New York City comedy club, Comic Strip Live , which started his career. It is intercut with documentary clips and his stand-up special. It was later released as an LP, CD and download album, and
4959-589: A men's clothing manufacturer, and he has an older brother, Ken. David's family is Jewish . His American Jewish father's family moved from Germany to the U.S. during the 19th century, while David's mother was born into a Polish-Jewish family in Ternopil , now in Ukraine , and her mother's family name was Superfein. David graduated from Sheepshead Bay High School , now defunct and operating as Frank J. Macchiarola Educational Complex, in 1965. A sign with his photo
5130-592: A multiple-episode arc. Seinfeld appeared on an episode of the Starz original series Head Case . As was the case in many of his previous guest appearances on sitcoms, he played himself. In Australia , Seinfeld appeared on a series of advertisements for the Greater Building Society , a building society based in New South Wales and southeastern Queensland . His appearance in these ads
5301-410: A musical guest, a solo act, or a band, who performs two or three musical numbers. Occasionally, the musical guest simultaneously serves as the host, and may also appear in comedy sketches. As of October 11, 2020, Dave Grohl is the most frequent musical guest, performing on fourteen shows since 1992. Michaels does not allow musical guests to perform using lip-synching tracks, believing it diminishes
Larry David - Misplaced Pages Continue
5472-494: A new 24-episode season. The series was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards and won three Webby Awards . It's very important to know what you don't like. A big part of innovation is saying, "You know what I'm really sick of?" For me, that was talk shows where music plays, somebody walks out to a desk, shakes hands with the host, and sits down. "How are you?" "You look great." I'm also sick of people who are really there to sell their show or product. "What am I really sick of?"
5643-427: A personal archives website at JerrySeinfeld.com and appeared in the HBO special Talking Funny with fellow comedians Chris Rock , Louis C.K. , and Ricky Gervais in the same year. In 2012, Seinfeld started a web series titled Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee , in which he would pick up a fellow comedian in a different car each episode and take them out for coffee and conversation. The show originally aired on
5814-466: A restaurant, and that was it." Early in their relationship, Spy magazine referred to Lonstein as "a legal voter". In an October 1993 Playboy interview, Seinfeld described the reactions to the relationship as ranging "from horrified to just busting buttons with pride that they know me", noting that his female acquaintances had overall reacted more negatively than his male ones. He said that his assistant "was so mad" she punched him, whereas his mother
5985-475: A shrimp boat." In a 2015 interview with CBS , David confirmed that half of his wealth was eroded by his 2007 divorce in the community property state of California. "I have a lot of money", he said, adding that the "figures out there are crazy". David was among several celebrities who appeared in a commercial for cryptocurrency exchange FTX that aired during Super Bowl LVI . In November 2022, FTX filed for bankruptcy , and David, alongside other spokespeople,
6156-559: A sign painter, was from Hungary and collected jokes that he heard while serving in World War ;II . His mother, Betty (née Hosni) and her parents, Selim and Salha Hosni, were Mizrahi Jews from Aleppo , Syria . Their nationality was stated as Turkish when they immigrated in 1917, as Syria was under the Ottoman Empire . Seinfeld has an older sister, Carolyn. Salha's mother Garez Dayan, Seinfeld's great-grandmother,
6327-580: A significant increase in ratings and a "shot of relevance" for the show, according to Vanity Fair . Trump disliked Baldwin's impression, tweeting in 2019 that the Federal Election Commission or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should look into stopping SNL from "knocking the same person (me), over & over, without so much of a mention of 'the other side.'" In 2021, sources close to
6498-513: A significant overhaul, including Beck Bennett , Kyle Mooney , and Sasheer Zamata . Longtime head writer and cast member Seth Meyers also exited midway through that season, and was replaced by fellow writer Colin Jost in the Weekend Update segment. The show frequently parodied Donald Trump in and around his first presidency ; an ongoing impression by actor Alec Baldwin led to
6669-467: A sketch that made it to air. In 2001, Ferrell became the highest-paid cast member, being paid $ 350,000 per season (approximately $ 17,500 per episode). As of the 2022–23 season, Kent Sublette, Alison Gates , and Streeter Seidell are the show's co-head writers. Seth Meyers became a co-head writer in the 2005-06 season, became the single head writer from 2008 to 2012 , and then left in 2014 . Current Update anchor Colin Jost has himself been
6840-684: A specially recorded interview for the Today show. On November 18, 2004, Seinfeld appeared at the National Museum of American History to donate the "puffy shirt" he wore in the Seinfeld episode of the same name . He also gave a speech when presenting the "puffy shirt," saying humorously that "This is the most embarrassing moment of my life." On May 13, 2006, Seinfeld had a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live as host Julia Louis-Dreyfus' assassin. Louis-Dreyfus in her opening monologue mentioned
7011-469: A surprise guest appearance on The Howard Stern Show , ending the feud the two had in the early 1990s. Seinfeld toured the U.S. in 2011 and made his first stand-up appearance in the United Kingdom in 11 years. In July 2011, he was a surprise guest on The Daily Show , helping Jon Stewart to suppress his urge to tell "cheap" "Michele Bachmann's husband acts gay" jokes. Seinfeld also launched
Larry David - Misplaced Pages Continue
7182-470: A variety talk show on Lifetime hosted by Joy Behar . In 1989, David teamed up with comedian Jerry Seinfeld to create a pilot for NBC called The Seinfeld Chronicles , which became the basis for Seinfeld , one of the most successful shows in history, reaching the top of TV Guide 's list of the 50 greatest TV shows of all time . Entertainment Weekly ranked it the third-best TV show of all time. David made occasional uncredited appearances on
7353-449: A writer and cast member for ABC 's Fridays , where he worked with Michael Richards , who later played Kramer on Seinfeld . From 1984 to 1985, David was a writer for NBC 's Saturday Night Live ( SNL ) and met Julia Louis-Dreyfus , who also worked on the show in this period. During his time at SNL , he was able to get only one sketch on the air, which aired at 12:50 am, the show's last time slot. David quit his job at SNL in
7524-524: A writer since 2005 and was one of the head writers from 2012 to 2015 before being renamed head writer, from 2017 until 2022 . Current Update co-anchor Michael Che has been a writer since 2013 . He temporarily left the show in the summer of 2014, but came back that fall to anchor Update and reclaimed his status as a writer, then serving as a co-head writer alongside Jost for five years. The Weekend Update segment has its own dedicated team of writers led by head writer Pete Schultz (who has been writing for
7695-564: Is "a third cousin or something." He is in fact David's sixth cousin once removed. On January 8, 2020, David joked on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , "I would say, I would beg him [Bernie] to drop out so I don't have to keep flying in from Los Angeles to do SNL . I thought when he had the heart attack that would be it, I wouldn't have to fly in from Los Angeles. But, you know, he's indestructible. Nothing stops this man!" He later added, "If he wins, do you know what that's going to do to my life? Do you have any idea? I mean, it will be great for
7866-534: Is a fan of the New York Mets , and periodically calls Steve Somers ' show on WFAN -AM, a sports talk radio station, as "Jerry from Queens." Seinfeld called four innings of a Mets game on SportsNet New York on June 23, 2010, reuniting with analyst Keith Hernandez , who appeared in the Seinfeld two-part episode entitled " The Boyfriend ." According to Seinfeld, he thinks about baseball "all day" and has said "when I think of retirement, all I would think of
8037-472: Is an American late-night live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC . The show's premiere was hosted by George Carlin on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night . The show's comedy sketches, which often parody contemporary American culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members . Each episode
8208-478: Is based on David's life following the fortune he earned from Seinfeld ; semi-retired, he strives to live a fulfilled life. Alongside David is his wife Cheryl ( Cheryl Hines ), his manager and best friend Jeff ( Jeff Garlin ), and Jeff's wife Susie ( Susie Essman ). Celebrities, including comedians Richard Lewis , Wanda Sykes , and Bob Einstein , appeared on the show regularly. Actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen have had recurring roles as themselves. The show
8379-427: Is critically acclaimed and has been nominated for 30 Primetime Emmy Awards, with one win, as well as a Golden Globe win. In the first six seasons, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander appear in several episodes, and Jerry Seinfeld has a cameo. In season 7, the cast of Seinfeld , including Michael Richards , return in a story arc involving David's attempt to organize a Seinfeld reunion special. On June 2, 2010,
8550-631: Is displayed in one of the complex's hallways. He then attended the University of Maryland, College Park , where he was a brother in Tau Epsilon Phi . He graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in history . At college, he discovered that he could make people laugh simply by being himself. After college, David enlisted in the United States Army Reserve and received training as a petroleum storage specialist. To avoid
8721-468: Is going to a baseball game every day." Seinfeld is left-handed and the first joke he ever wrote was about the topic. In a 2014 interview with NBC News , he made statements suggesting that he believed he was on the autism spectrum . However, following criticism for his alleged self-diagnosis , he later clarified that he is not autistic and had been commenting on a play about the condition that he "related to [...] on some level." Years before Seinfeld
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#17327838029408892-418: Is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that is usually based on political events and ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, " Live from New York, it's Saturday Night! ", properly beginning the show. In 1980, Michaels left
9063-469: Is primarily an adaptation of his stand-up material. The title comes from an article in Entertainment Weekly listing the numerous catchphrases for which the show was responsible. In 2002, he wrote the children's book Halloween . The book was illustrated by James Bennett. Seinfeld wrote the forewords to Ted L. Nancy 's Letters from a Nut series of books and Ed Broth 's Stories from
9234-842: Is the house band for SNL . Academy Award-winning composer Howard Shore served as the first musical director, from 1975 to 1980, appearing in many musical sketches, including Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Band and (backing a U.S. Coast Guard chorus) Howard Shore and the Shore Patrol. Over the years, the band has featured several New York studio musicians including Paul Shaffer (1975–1980), Lou Marini (1975–1983), David Sanborn (1975), Michael Brecker (the early 1980s), Ray Chew (1980–1983), Alan Rubin (1975–1983), Georg Wadenius (1979–1985), Steve Ferrone (1985), David Johansen (performing as Buster Poindexter), Tom Malone (who took over as musical director from 1981 to 1985), and G. E. Smith (musical director from 1985 to 1995). As of 2017,
9405-433: Is the show's longest-serving cast member. Currently, the cast consists of 17 members, with 14 repertory players and 3 featured players: The cast were often contracted from anywhere between five and six years to the show, but starting with the 1999–2000 season, new hires were tied to a rewritten contract that allowed NBC to take a cast member in at least their second year and put them in an NBC sitcom. Cast members are given
9576-517: Is where innovation begins. –Seinfeld, talking about his process of innovation. In June 2013, Seinfeld appeared on rapper Wale 's album The Gifted , on the song "Outro About Nothing." Seinfeld received coverage for his speech at the 2014 Clio Awards ceremony, where he received an honorary award, as media reporters said that he "mocked" and "ripped apart" the advertising industry; his statement that "I love advertising because I love lying" received particular attention. In 2014, Seinfeld hosted
9747-452: The 1984–1985 season . Though this season was considered one of the series' funniest, it diverged significantly from Michaels' innovative approach. Like Michaels before him, Ebersol informed NBC that he would only return if the show took a hiatus to recast and rebuild, and diverge significantly from the established live format. NBC rejected these requests and instead decided to approach Michaels to return as producer. Michaels returned for
9918-413: The 1985–1986 season ; the show was again recast, with Michaels borrowing Ebersol's idea to seek out established actors. Writers struggled with the cast, and Michaels cleaned house again for the 1986–1987 season , seeking unknown talent such as Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman instead of known names. This new cast was successful at reviving the show's popularity in the eyes of critics and audiences. In
10089-470: The 2005–2006 season . Before the start of the 2006–2007 season , the show suffered budget cuts that led to a smaller cast. The following season was also cut short by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike , which led to several cancelled episodes. Fey later returned to the show during the 2008 presidential election for several critically acclaimed guest appearances as vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin . Writer Robert Smigel later said it
10260-499: The 79th Academy Awards as the presenter for "Best Documentary." Before announcing the nominations, he did a monologue about the unspoken agreement between movie theater owners and movie patrons. On October 4, 2007, Seinfeld made a guest appearance as himself in the 30 Rock episode " SeinfeldVision ." On February 24, 2008, at the 80th Academy Awards , Seinfeld appeared as the voice of his Bee Movie animated character Barry, presenting Best Animated Short Film . Before announcing
10431-471: The Associated Press reported that Jerry Seinfeld would be the pitchman for Windows Vista , as part of a $ 300-million advertising campaign by Microsoft. The ads, which were intended to create interest for Windows in support of the subsequent "I'm a PC" advertisements, began airing in mid-September 2008. They were cut from television after three installments; Microsoft opted to continue with the "I'm
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#173278380294010602-749: The Crackle streaming service and then was bought by Netflix . The initial series consisted of ten episodes lasting from 7 to 25 minutes each. The show has continued to get high-profile guests such as Alec Baldwin , Mel Brooks , Bill Burr , Dave Chappelle , Louis C.K. , Larry David , Ellen DeGeneres , Tina Fey , David Letterman , Jerry Lewis , Steve Martin , John Mulaney , Eddie Murphy , Carl Reiner , Don Rickles , Chris Rock , Howard Stern , and Jon Stewart . The show has also hosted Seinfeld alums Larry David , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Jason Alexander , and Michael Richards . Season seven featured its most high-profile guest, then-President Barack Obama . In
10773-481: The Curb finale is meant to rewrite the Seinfeld ending in any way, it’s during that first scene between Jerry and Larry. They’re playing out the kind of scene they used to write for Jerry and George, and getting that silly, joyful spark between two TV legends — even for a moment — is pure bliss". Seinfeld wrote the book SeinLanguage , released in 1993. Written as his television show was first rising in popularity, it
10944-512: The DreamWorks animated film Bee Movie (2007) and the Netflix comedy Unfrosted (2024). He has released four standup specials his first being Stand-Up Confidential (1987) followed by I'm Telling You for the Last Time (1998), Jerry Before Seinfeld (2017) and 23 Hours to Kill (2020). Seinfeld has also written three books starting with SeinLanguage (1993), followed by
11115-489: The SNL cast who appear on camera, many of the writers have been able to find their own success outside the show, such as Conan O'Brien , who was brought into SNL from The Groundlings in 1988, went on to write for The Simpsons , and eventually began hosting his own show . Former head writer Adam McKay , along with performer Ferrell, founded the successful comedy website Funny or Die . In 1999, Tina Fey (a year before joining
11286-560: The State University of New York at Oswego , and transferred after his second year to Queens College, City University of New York , from which he graduated in 1976 with a degree in communications and theater. Seinfeld developed an interest in stand-up comedy after brief stints in college productions. He appeared on open-mic nights at Budd Friedman's Improv Club while attending Queens College . After graduation in 1976, he tried out at an open-mic night at New York City's Catch
11457-710: The Writers Guild of America's Laurel Award in 2010. He made his Broadway debut writing and starring in the comedic play Fish in the Dark (2015). Since 2015 he has made recurring guest appearances on Saturday Night Live , where he impersonates 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders , who is his sixth cousin once removed. David was born on July 2, 1947, in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn , New York City . His parents are Rose (née Regina Brandes) and Mortimer Julius "Morty" David,
11628-402: The "Breaking Bread" podcast, stating "I don't think, as I said, 'the extreme left' has done anything to inhibit the art of comedy. I'm taking that back officially." Seinfeld said he regrets his previous comments because changing cultural attitudes are "not [his] business." In December 2012, Seinfeld said that he had been practicing Transcendental Meditation for 40 years. He promoted the use of
11799-961: The "Questions from the Audience" segment, which included cameos from Michael Douglas , John Goodman , James Franco , Larry David , Ellen Cleghorne , Dakota Johnson , Tim Meadows , Bob Odenkirk , and Sarah Palin (who Seinfeld initially mistook for Tina Fey ). On May 20, 2015, Seinfeld made a guest appearance on David Letterman 's final Late Show episode. Seinfeld joined guests including Alec Baldwin , Barbara Walters , Steve Martin , Jim Carrey , Chris Rock , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Peyton Manning , Tina Fey , and Bill Murray who all participated in The Top Ten List segment, "Things I've Always Wanted to Say to Dave." In January 2017, Seinfeld went on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and joined Dave Chappelle and Jimmy Fallon in honoring outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama , and played
11970-401: The "Seinfeld curse." While talking about how ridiculous the "curse" was, a stage light suddenly fell next to her. The camera moved to a catwalk above the stage where Seinfeld was standing, holding a large pair of bolt cutters. He angrily muttered, "Damn it!" upset that it did not hit her. Louis-Dreyfus continued to say that she is indeed not cursed. On February 25, 2007, Seinfeld appeared at
12141-407: The $ 17,000 Elektra Belle Epoque and two machines manufactured by Slayer and Breville . Seinfeld described his single-group Slayer machine, which costs upwards of $ 8,500, as a "beautiful machine." When NPR asked him about the influence of coffee culture in the U.S. , Seinfeld responded in 2013: I never liked [coffee] and I didn't understand it and I used to do a lot of stuff in my stand-up set in
12312-404: The '80s and '90s about how I don't 'get' coffee. And then something happened about five years ago. I started touring a lot, and we would have these great big, fun breakfasts in the hotel and [coffee] just seemed to go really well [with breakfast]. [Now], I've just started this espresso thing. In a May 2024 GQ interview titled "10 Things Jerry Seinfeld Can't Live Without", Seinfeld revealed that
12483-569: The 1990s for storage of some of the vehicles in the collection. In 2002, Seinfeld purchased property on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City where he built a $ 1.4 million two-story garage to store part of his Porsche collection on the East Coast. One tally has Seinfeld owning 43 Porsches. Paul Bannister has written that Seinfeld's collection includes Porsche 911s from various years, 10 Porsche Boxsters each painted
12654-638: The 2009–10 season. In 2010 the 92-year-old Pardo was reported to be again considering his retirement, but continued to serve as announcer until his death at age 96 on August 18, 2014, following the 39th season. Apart from a brief period in 2006 in which Pardo pre-recorded his announcements at his home in Arizona, he flew to New York City to perform his announcing duties live, until 2010 when he began recording permanently from Arizona. Former cast members Joe Piscopo and Darrell Hammond have also impersonated Pardo and fulfilled his announcing duties during times Pardo
12825-422: The 23rd-greatest comedy star ever in a poll to select The Comedian's Comedian . Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( / ˈ s aɪ n f ɛ l d / SYNE -feld ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian , actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy . Seinfeld has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award ,
12996-491: The 39th season (2013–14) had a budget of over $ 70 million, for which it received a subsidy from New York State in the amount of $ 12.3 million. Edie Baskin was the original SNL photographer. She was hired after Michaels saw her photographs of Las Vegas and other work. Baskin helped create the opening title sequence for the show by taking photos of New York City at night. The first episode used publicity photos of host George Carlin as transitional bumpers between
13167-530: The February 2004 issue of Automobile , reviewing the Porsche Carrera GT . In 2008, Seinfeld was involved in a car accident when the brakes on his 1967 Fiat 500 failed and, to avoid an intersection, he pulled the emergency brake while turning sharply, ultimately causing the car to flip onto its side. No one was hurt. A coffee aficionado, Seinfeld owns multiple espresso machines , including
13338-597: The Northern New South Wales television market, where the society has most of its branches. Seinfeld was the first guest on Jay Leno 's talk show The Jay Leno Show , which premiered on September 14, 2009. Seinfeld was featured on Saturday Night Live ' s Weekend Update sketch to do the "Really!?!" segment with Seth Meyers . He executive produced and regularly appeared as a panelist in The Marriage Ref . On August 30, 2010, Seinfeld made
13509-563: The Opera (1935), and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). Those influenced by Seinfeld include John Mulaney , Ellen DeGeneres , Jim Gaffigan , Judd Apatow , Issa Rae , Nate Bargatze , and Mark Normand . On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , Steve Martin described Seinfeld as one of his "retro heroes" saying "[He's] a guy who came up behind me and is better than I am. I think he's fantastic, I love to listen to him, he almost puts me at peace. I love to listen to him talk". Seinfeld
13680-467: The United States . The show format has been developed and recreated in several countries, meeting with different levels of success. Successful sketches have seen life outside the show as feature films, including The Blues Brothers (1980) and Wayne's World (1992). The show has been marketed in other ways, including home media releases of "best of" and whole seasons, and books and documentaries about behind-the-scenes activities of running and developing
13851-610: The Weekend Update hosts have gone on to find greater success outside the show, including Dennis Miller , Seth Meyers , Norm Macdonald , Colin Quinn , and Jimmy Fallon . As of Season 49, SNL has featured 164 cast members including, besides the above-mentioned players, Rachel Dratch , Amy Poehler , Chris Rock , David Spade , Will Forte , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Tracy Morgan , Chris Parnell , Maya Rudolph , Andy Samberg , Molly Shannon , and many others. Kenan Thompson
14022-731: The White House told The Daily Beast that in 2019, Trump repeatedly asked his advisers and lawyers to stop his negative portrayals on SNL and other shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! through the interference of the FCC or the Department of Justice . In 2021, James Austin Johnson assumed the Trump impression from Baldwin. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , SNL ' s 2019–2020 season
14193-484: The advertising slogan " Think different " and produced a 60-second commercial to promote the slogan. This commercial showed people who were able to "think differently," such as Albert Einstein , Mahatma Gandhi , Martin Luther King Jr. , and many others. It was later cut short to 30 seconds and altered such that Seinfeld was included at the end, although he had not been in the original cut. This shorter version of
14364-461: The availability of either can mean the photoshoot for both occurs as late as Thursday. Matthews employs flattering portrait lighting with hard lights to achieve a Hollywood style. On the lighting, Matthews commented: "I think it just helps the image pop off the screen ... If you use soft or flat lighting, it becomes not as dimensional ... The [classic Hollywood lighting] gives a little more contrast, and if I use edge lights and then light
14535-522: The band is under the leadership of Tower of Power alumnus Lenny Pickett , keyboardist Leon Pendarvis , and Eli Brueggemann, who does not play in the band on the live show. The band plays instrumentals leading in and out of station breaks; affiliates who run no advertising during these interludes hear the band play complete songs behind a Saturday Night Live bumper graphic until the program resumes. The band plays "Closing Theme (Waltz in A)", written by Shore, at
14706-489: The camera. Others associated with the show, such as writers, have gone on to successful careers creating, writing, and starring in television and film. Broadcast from Studio 8H at NBC's headquarters in the Comcast Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza , SNL has aired 975 episodes since its debut and began its 50th season on September 28, 2024, making it one of the longest-running network television programs in
14877-575: The cast and becoming a Weekend Update anchor) became the first woman SNL head writer and successfully made the transition to starring on the show, as well as writing and starring in feature films, ultimately creating and starring in her own show 30 Rock , which was partly based on her SNL experiences. In 2005 Fey was paid $ 1.5 million per season for her dual role as head writer and performer. Writer John Mulaney has also found success outside of SNL through well-received stand-up specials, his Broadway act The Oh, Hello Show , and
15048-452: The cast, causing a divide between the veteran members and the new, younger talent. This led to increased competition for the show's limited screen time, and an increasing reliance on "younger", less subtle humor. The show lost Carvey and Hartman, two of its biggest stars, between 1992 and 1994. Wanting to increase SNL ' s ratings and profitability, NBC West Coast president Don Ohlmeyer and other executives began to actively interfere in
15219-412: The cast. Traditionally, the host of the show ends the opening monologue by mentioning the musical guest for the night and saying, "We got a great show for you tonight, (musical guest) is/are here. So stick around, we'll be right back." Comedian George Carlin was the first to host SNL in the debut October 1975 episode; three episodes later, Candice Bergen became the first woman to host and subsequently
15390-465: The children's book Halloween (2002), and the comedic compilation book Is This Anything? (2020). He is an avid fan of coffee and automobiles . He practices transcendental meditation . He is married to author and philanthropist Jessica Seinfeld , with whom he has three children. Seinfeld was born on April 29, 1954, to a Jewish family in Brooklyn , New York City. His father, Kalmen Seinfeld,
15561-585: The commercial aired only once, during the series finale of Seinfeld . In 2004, Seinfeld appeared in two commercial webisodes promoting American Express , titled The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman . In these, Seinfeld appeared with a cartoon rendering of Superman , to whom reference was made in numerous episodes of Seinfeld as Seinfeld's hero, voiced by Patrick Warburton (character David Puddy on Seinfeld ). The webisodes were directed by Barry Levinson and aired briefly on television. Seinfeld and "Superman" were also interviewed by Matt Lauer in
15732-434: The control room, with multiple digital and analog video recorders used to store footage. Graphics are provided by a Chyron Lyric Pro character generator and an Avid Deko character generator. Audio facilities consist of a Calrec T Series digitally controlled analog mixing console, and a Yamaha digital mixing console used for tape playback support and utility audio work. While exact budgets for other seasons are not known,
15903-576: The country—great for the country, terrible for me." David has named Woody Allen , Mel Brooks , Phil Silvers , Abbott and Costello , Jackie Mason , Alan King , Don Rickles , and Mad magazine as influences. David lives in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California . He was married to Laurie Lennard from 1993 to 2007. They have two daughters, Cazzie David and Romy David. Larry and Laurie became contributing bloggers at The Huffington Post in 2005. In 2017, David
16074-532: The death of a family patriarch. It opened on March 5, 2015. Jason Alexander took over David's role in July. The play closed in August. As of February 1, 2015, its advance sale of $ 13.5 million had broken records for a Broadway show. Since 2015, David has made multiple guest appearances portraying 2016 and 2020 United States presidential election candidate Bernie Sanders on Saturday Night Live ; he also hosted
16245-404: The dedicated Weekend Update team, who know those characters better. SNL writers are often also performers or experienced in writing and improvisational comedy. Many are hired from similar backgrounds such as The Groundlings, Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre , and ImprovOlympic . Comedian Jim Downey was head writer for 10 years, from 1985 to 1995. Downey (who previously joined
16416-474: The drafts for each episode. References Over his career he has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award , a Golden Globe Award , and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards . Seinfeld has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Queens College (1994) as well as an Honorary Doctor of Arts from Duke University (2024) Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live ( SNL )
16587-428: The early 1990s, much of this core cast began to leave the show, and younger performers such as Chris Farley and Adam Sandler began to be promoted to repertory status. Some of these cast members, such as Sandler, Farley, Rob Schneider , Spade, and Chris Rock , would come to be known as the "Bad Boys of SNL " for their outrageous comedy style. Afraid of cast members leaving for film careers, Michaels had overcrowded
16758-532: The end of the show. Since the show's inception, SNL has aired from Studio 8H, located on floors eight and nine of the Comcast Building (formerly the RCA Building and GE Building , now 30 Rockefeller Plaza or "30 Rock"). Three of the shows of the 1976–77 season were shot at the former NBC Studios in Brooklyn, due to NBC News using Studio 8H for presidential election coverage. During
16929-540: The episode "My Best Friend's Boyfriend", in which they wait for a table at a fancy restaurant. David appeared as a panelist on the NBC series The Marriage Ref and also played Sister Mary-Mengele in the 2012 reboot of The Three Stooges . He co-wrote and starred in the 2013 HBO television film Clear History . David wrote and starred in the Broadway play Fish in the Dark . Also appearing were Rita Wilson , Jayne Houdyshell , and Rosie Perez . The play centers on
17100-579: The extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. He ended the article with a sarcastic thank-you to then-President Barack Obama for approving the extension. In 2013, Charlie Rose estimated David's net worth at around $ 500 million. Two years later, two other estimates put the number between $ 400 million and $ 900 million. In 2020, National Review offered an estimate of about $ 400 million. Most of David's wealth originates from syndication deals of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm ,
17271-642: The final year of his six-year enlistment, he paid a psychiatrist to write a letter declaring him unfit for duty. While a stand-up comedian, David also worked as a store clerk, limousine driver, and historian. He lived in Manhattan Plaza , a federally subsidized housing complex in Manhattan 's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, across the hall from Kenny Kramer , the inspiration for the Cosmo Kramer character in Seinfeld . From 1980 to 1982, David became
17442-555: The first episode to not feature any musical performances since the first episode of season 12 , as well as the third episode in the show's duration to not have a musical guest, due to the rise of the Omicron variant in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic . Charli XCX was planned as the musical guest, but her performance was cancelled due to the new restrictions as the show had a "limited cast and crew" and no audience. The Saturday Night Live Band (also known as "The Live Band")
17613-605: The first host to return. Guests who have hosted five or more times are sometimes referred to as belonging to the Five-Timers Club , a term that originated on a sketch performed on Tom Hanks 's fifth episode. As of February 11, 2017, actor Alec Baldwin holds the record for most times hosting, having performed the duty on seventeen different occasions since 1990; Baldwin took the record from actor Steve Martin who has hosted fifteen times since 1976. Occasionally, former SNL cast members also host. Each episode also features
17784-445: The first season, only to show up to work two days later acting as though nothing had happened. That event inspired the second-season Seinfeld episode " The Revenge ". He can be heard heckling Michael McKean when McKean hosted SNL in 1984, and can be seen in the sketch "The Run, Throw, and Catch Like a Girl Olympics" when Howard Cosell hosted the season finale in 1985. In 1987, David was a writer and performer for Way Off Broadway ,
17955-498: The former having netted $ 3.1 billion in rerun fees as of 2013. The syndication of Seinfeld earned David an estimated $ 250 million in 1998 alone. In 2008, David was reported to have grossed $ 55 million, mostly from Seinfeld syndication and work on Curb Your Enthusiasm . David's net worth was parodied in a 2001 episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm , " The Shrimp Incident ", in which HBO executive Allan Wasserman yells at David: "If you want shrimp, take your $ 475 million, go buy
18126-460: The future of comedy during the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2024 he directed, co-wrote, and produced in the Netflix comedy film Unfrosted , a satirical spoof about the creation of Pop-Tarts . Seinfeld also starred in the film alongside Melissa McCarthy , Jim Gaffigan , and Hugh Grant . The film earned mixed reviews with The Hollywood Reporter writing the film received a "sharply divided reaction from critics". The New York Times labeled it
18297-592: The greatest companion technique of living that I've ever come across, and I'm thrilled to be part of this movement that seems to have really been reinvigorated by Bob [Roth] and David Lynch ," Seinfeld said. "I would do anything that I could to promote it in the world, because I think it's the greatest thing as a life tool, as a work tool and just making things make sense." Writing credits for Seinfeld The list below only includes episodes mainly written by Seinfeld, as he (and Larry David in Seasons 1 through 7) rewrote
18468-430: The headquarters of Abducted and Missing Families Forum where he met with representatives of the families and with abductees who returned from Hamas captivity, and listened to their stories. On May 12, 2024, Seinfeld gave a commencement address and received an honorary degree at Duke University . During his speech, a number of students booed, waved Palestinian flags and walked out in protest. In June 2024, Seinfeld
18639-497: The issues addressed on 'Curb'. Now if only someone could tell me where this alleged 'Network' is, I might even watch it." The show's 12th and final season premiered in January 2024. David played the leading role in Woody Allen 's 2009 comedy film Whatever Works alongside Evan Rachel Wood . He had a cameo appearance on the HBO series Entourage as a client of Ari Gold , and because his daughters were Hannah Montana fans, David and his daughters guest-starred as themselves in
18810-407: The latter's idea for a variety show featuring high-concept comedy sketches, political satire, and music performances that would attract 18- to 34-year-old viewers. NBC decided to base the new show at their studios in 30 Rockefeller Center . Michaels was given Studio 8H , a converted radio studio that was home to NBC's election and Apollo moon landing coverage. It was revamped for the premiere at
18981-418: The live aspect of the show. Exceptions are made only when the musical act is focused on intense dance routines instead of vocals, where it is difficult to be both heavily physically active and sing. A 1975 performance by pop group ABBA was the first and only act to feature lip-synching, until the controversial 2004 performance of Ashlee Simpson . The December 18, 2021, episode (hosted by Paul Rudd ) became
19152-780: The mixing of audio and video elements by the Senior Audio Mixer, coupled with additional audio feeds consisting of music, sound effects, music scoring, and pre-recorded voiceovers. All sources are stored digitally, with shows captured and segregated into individual elements to reorganize for future repeats and syndication. The production tracking system was migrated from primarily analog to digital in 1998, with live shows typically requiring 1.5 terabytes of storage, consisting of audio elements and five cameras' worth of visual elements. Elements of Saturday Night Live that are pre-recorded, such as certain commercial parodies, SNL Digital Shorts , and show graphics are processed off-site in
19323-633: The night into the following morning. Writing may not begin until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday. At 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the sketches are read by the cast during a round-table meeting in the writers' room, attended by the writers and producers present during the pitch meeting, technical experts such as make-up artists, who may be required to realize certain sketch ideas such as those using prosthetics, and other producers, resulting in attendance of approximately fifty people. At this point, there may be at least forty sketch ideas that are read-through in turn, lasting upwards of three hours. After completion of
19494-482: The nominees, he showed a montage of film clips featuring bees, saying that they were some of his early work (as Barry). On June 2, 2008, amidst his spring 2008 tour, Seinfeld performed in his hometown of New York City for a one-night-only show at the Hammerstein Ballroom to benefit Stand Up for a Cure , a charity aiding lung cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center . In August 2008,
19665-444: The option of rejecting the first two sitcom offers but must accept the third offer, with the sitcom contract length dictated by NBC and potentially lasting up to six years. The move drew criticism from talent agents and managers who believed a cast member could be locked into a contract with NBC for twelve years—six on SNL and then six on a sitcom. The contract also optioned the cast member for three feature films produced by SNL Films,
19836-474: The original head writer, Michael O'Donoghue . NBC's Saturday Night debuted on October 11, 1975, with an episode featuring Carlin as host. The original title was used because the Saturday Night Live title was in use by Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell on rival network ABC . After the cancellation of Cosell's show in 1976, NBC purchased the rights to the name and officially changed
20007-451: The post-production facilities of Broadway Video . Studio 8H production facilities are maintained by NBC Production Services. As of 2018, the show uses five Sony HDC-1500 cameras, primarily mounted on Vinten pedestals , although one is mounted on a Chapman-Leonard Electra crane. As of 2014, a Grass Valley GVG 4000-3 digital component production switcher and GVG 7000 digital component routing switcher are used to route visual feeds to
20178-400: The read-through, Michaels, the head writer, the guest host, and some of the show producers will move to Michaels' office to decide the layout of the show and decide which of the sketches will be developed for air. Once complete, the writers and cast are allowed into Michaels's office to view the show breakdown and learn whether or not their sketch has survived. Sketches may be rewritten starting
20349-424: The same day, but will certainly commence on Thursday. Work focuses on developing and rewriting the remaining sketches and possibly rehearsals. If a sketch is still scheduled beyond Thursday, it is rehearsed on Friday or Saturday before moving to a rehearsal before a live audience at 8:00 p.m., again on Saturday, before the live show. After the rehearsal, Michaels will review the show lineup to ensure it meets
20520-438: The segment since 2011 ; and has been the segment's head writer since 2014) The segment's previous head writer was Alex Baze (who wrote for the segment from 2004 to 2014 , and was the head writer of the segment starting with the 2011–12 season, until his aforementioned 2014 departure). Scenes on Weekend Update that involve members of the cast acting in-character alongside the host are often written by staff writers outside
20691-570: The series premiered on the TV Guide Network , its network television debut. TV Guide Network also produced a series of related discussions with high-profile guest stars, media pundits, and prominent social figures called "Curb: The Discussion" debating the moral implications of each episode. David is quoted as saying "Finally, thanks to the TV Guide Network, I'll get a chance to watch actual, intelligent people discuss and debate
20862-438: The show after the 1978–1979 season to make The Blues Brothers , and as the fifth season ended in 1980, Michaels asked executives to place the show on hiatus for a year in order to allow him time to pursue other projects. Michaels suggested writers Al Franken , Tom Davis , and Jim Downey as his replacements; NBC president Fred Silverman disliked Franken and was infuriated by his Update routine in May 1980, called " A Limo for
21033-447: The show and commercial breaks, the second episode used photos Baskin had already taken of host Paul Simon . It was then that Michaels suggested that Baskin photograph the hosts for the bumpers instead of using publicity photos, beginning a tradition that continues today. Since 1999, Mary Ellen Matthews has been the official photographer of SNL , responsible for devising distinctive photo layouts and aesthetics for still imagery used on
21204-409: The show for longer than they may have otherwise. In January 2024, Variety said that "speculation [had] been rampant for years" that Michaels would retire from the series after its fiftieth season , premiering in 2024. Michaels told Entertainment Tonight that month that former head writer and cast member Tina Fey could "easily" be his successor, were he to step down, but said he had not made
21375-474: The show had received over 305 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, the most received by any television program. The live aspect of the show has resulted in several controversies and acts of censorship, with mistakes and intentional acts of sabotage by performers and guests. Beginning in 1965, NBC network affiliates broadcast reruns of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on Saturday or Sunday nights. In 1974, Johnny Carson petitioned to NBC executives for
21546-463: The show on February 6, 2016, with musical guest The 1975 and a cameo by Sanders himself, and on November 4, 2017, with musical guest Miley Cyrus . In 2017, PBS 's Finding Your Roots discovered through genealogical research that David and Sanders are distantly related. Sanders told David the news. "I was very happy about that," David said, according to Variety . "I thought there must have been some connection." The comedian explained that Sanders
21717-513: The show starred Saturday Night Live alumna Julia Louis-Dreyfus and established actors Michael Richards and Jason Alexander . Alexander played George, a caricature of Larry David . Seinfeld is the only actor to appear in every episode. After he ended his sitcom, Seinfeld moved back to New York City and returned to stand-up comedy instead of staying in Los Angeles and furthering his acting career. In 1998, he went on tour and recorded
21888-407: The show to explore other opportunities. He was replaced by Jean Doumanian , who was then replaced by Ebersol after a season of bad reviews. Ebersol ran the show until 1985, when Michaels returned. Since then, Michaels has held the job of showrunner . Many SNL cast members have found national stardom while appearing on the show, and achieved success in film and television, both in front of and behind
22059-555: The show to largely avoid jokes about President Ronald Reagan during his time as showrunner. Under Ebersol's leadership, Eddie Murphy, who had been underused during Doumanian's tenure, rose to prominence with popular characters such as Mister Robinson's Neighborhood and Gumby . His success was a major factor in the show's resurgence, though it created tensions within the cast. In a break with tradition, producers hired established comedians such as Billy Crystal and Martin Short for
22230-466: The show's first five seasons included Belushi's samurai , the Coneheads (Aykroyd, Curtin, Newman), and Radner's Roseanne Roseannadanna . Drugs were a major problem during the show's first five years, which exacerbated existing tensions. Cocaine had become an "integral part of the working progress" on SNL by the 1978–1979 season , according to Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad. Aykroyd and Belushi left
22401-435: The show's humor, cast, and backstage dysfunction. The show's cast was largely overhauled for the 1995–1996 season with names such as Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri , which was successful at revitalizing the show. The show faced new competition during this period in the form of Fox ' s sketch comedy show Mad TV , which aired a half hour earlier than SNL and featured a more diverse cast. The 2000–2001 season
22572-541: The show's name to Saturday Night Live at the start of the 1977–1978 season . The cast was initially paid $ 750 per episode, and essentially lived at the offices, according to Michaels. The show found its footing by the fourth episode, hosted by Candice Bergen , which featured the cast in most segments. The show developed a cult following , and its humor was seen as refreshing and daring, in comparison to previous sketch and variety shows that would rarely deal with controversial topics and issues. Iconic characters during
22743-409: The show's writing staff in the show's second season in 1977) is not only the show's longest-tenured head writer, but he is also overall the show's longest-tenured writer in the show's history. As he wrote for the show on-and-off for 30 years, formally retiring from the show in 2013 . Experienced writers with backgrounds in television shows are also sometimes brought into the SNL writing room. Like
22914-613: The show, a fictionalized version of himself, is what he would be like in real life if he lacked social awareness and sensitivity. The character's numerous and frequent social faux pas, misunderstandings, and ironic coincidences are the basis of much of the show's comedy and have led to the entry into the American pop culture lexicon of the expression "Larry David moment", meaning an inadvertently created socially awkward situation. Curb Your Enthusiasm has been described as depicting "the things nobody wants to say, but wish they could". The show
23085-457: The show, playing such roles as Frank Costanza's cape-wearing lawyer and the voice of George Steinbrenner . He was also the primary inspiration for the show's character George Costanza . David left Seinfeld on friendly terms after the show's seventh season and returned two years later to write the series finale in 1998. He also continued to voice Steinbrenner. David wrote 62 Seinfeld episodes, including 1992's " The Contest ", for which he won
23256-461: The show, recommending that new stars such as Chris Farley and Adam Sandler be fired and critiquing the costly nature of performing the show live. Criticism of the show's writing increased during this period, which reached its peak by the 1994–1995 season , which is considered one of the series' worst. A widely publicized profile of the show in New York during this period was highly critical of
23427-434: The show. Taped material significantly increased in the mid-2000s with SNL Digital Shorts by The Lonely Island , and continued into the following years with videos by Good Neighbor and Please Don't Destroy . The cast continued to evolve significantly into the 2010s as several longtime cast members such as Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig left the series. The 2013–2014 season saw the hiring of seven new cast members in
23598-607: The show. Throughout five decades on air, Saturday Night Live has received a vast number of awards, including 84 Primetime Emmy Awards , six Writers Guild of America Awards , and three Peabody Awards . In 2000, it was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame . It was ranked tenth in TV Guide ' s " 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time " list, and in 2007 it was listed as one of Time ' s "100 Best TV Shows of All- TIME. " As of 2022,
23769-454: The show. Matthews creates photo portraits of the hosts and musical guests of each episode which are used as commercial bumpers. The limited time frame between the host's involvement in the production process and the Live show requires Matthews to create makeshift photo studios on-site at 30 Rock, with Matthews attempting to shoot the host on Tuesday and the musical guest on Thursday, although
23940-526: The special John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch . Don Pardo served as the announcer for the series when it began and continued in the role for all but season seven, between 1981 and 1982, when Michaels had left and Mel Brandt and Bill Hanrahan filled the announcing role. In 2004 Pardo announced that he would step down from his position, but then continued in the role until 2009 when he again announced his retirement, but then continued into
24111-655: The special Don Rickles: One Night Only at the Apollo Theatre . The event celebrated Don Rickles and his career, but also served as a roast among friends. Those who participated in the event included Jon Stewart , David Letterman , Tina Fey , Amy Poehler , Nathan Lane , Regis Philbin , Robert De Niro , and Martin Scorsese . On February 15, 2015, Seinfeld made a guest appearance on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special , where he hosted
24282-467: The summer 2005 shooting hiatus, crews began renovations on Studio 8H. With its thirty-first-season premiere in October 2005, the show began broadcasting in high-definition television , appearing letterboxed on conventional television screens. The offices of SNL writers, producers, and other staff can be found on the 17th floor of "30 Rock". Production on an SNL episode will normally start on
24453-697: The technique in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder with Bob Roth of the David Lynch Foundation in December 2012 on Good Morning America , and also appeared at a 2009 David Lynch Foundation benefit for TM, at which Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appeared. On November 5, 2015, the David Lynch Foundation organized a benefit concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall called "Change Begins Within" to promote transcendental meditation for stress control. "It's been
24624-501: The three- to four-member dedicated Weekend Update writing team will write jokes throughout the week. The host(s) of Weekend Update will normally not work with or read the scripts from the team until Thursday evening after the main show sketches have been finalized. The host(s) will then work on contributing to the script where necessary. With onsite facilities housed on floors eight and seventeen of Rockefeller Plaza, post-production duties on live broadcasts of Saturday Night Live include
24795-478: The training or experience necessary for SNL . The cast is divided into two tiers: the more established group of repertory players; and newer, unproven cast members known as featured players, who may eventually be promoted to the repertory stable. Of the many roles available in the show, one of the longest-running and most coveted is being the host of Weekend Update , a segment featuring one or two hosts, who get substantial screen time performing as themselves. Many of
24966-475: The weekend shows to be pulled and saved so they could be aired during weeknights, allowing him to take time off. In response, NBC president Herbert Schlosser approached the vice president of late-night programming, Dick Ebersol , and asked him to create a show to fill the Saturday night time slot. Schlosser and Ebersol then approached Lorne Michaels . Over the next three weeks, Ebersol and Michaels developed
25137-439: The world's highest-paid comedian during those 12 months. In 2013, Forbes documented Seinfeld's annual income as $ 32 million. In mid-2013, Seinfeld disputed Forbes 's claims regarding his income and net worth on The Howard Stern Show . Seinfeld was ranked by Forbes the highest-paid comedian for 2015, the second-highest-paid in 2016, and the highest-paid again in 2017. Seinfeld's income between June 2016 and June 2017
25308-577: Was "the weirdest talk show I've ever been on in my life". He also embarked on a new tour starting with his first show in Singapore in June 2024 followed by a number of stops in Australia and North America. Seinfeld returned to Curb Your Enthusiasm in its final season reuniting with Larry David where they poked fun at the controversial ending of Seinfeld . Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote, "If
25479-399: Was "thrilled". He concluded, "if she's 18, if she's intelligent, that's fine". In March 1994, Seinfeld again defended their age difference in an interview with People , stating that "Shoshanna is a person, not an age." Julia Louis-Dreyfus said in a 1998 New York interview that she was in favor of the relationship, as "it was a happy one for him", and added that she did not believe there
25650-535: Was $ 267 million, placing him at the top of the celebrity earnings list that year. He turned down $ 5 million per episode, for 22 episodes, to continue the show for a 10th season. Seinfeld earned $ 100 million from syndication deals and stand-up performances in 2004, and $ 60 million in 2006. He also earned $ 10 million for appearing with Bill Gates in Microsoft 's 2008 advertisements for Windows . Between June 2008 and June 2009, Seinfeld earned $ 85 million, making him
25821-605: Was $ 69 million. In 2024, Bloomberg declared Seinfeld a billionaire, with a net worth standing at more than $ 1 billion, thanks to various syndication deals his sitcom signed, with $ 465 million coming from those deals. Seinfeld is an automobile enthusiast and collector, and he owns a collection of about 150 cars, including a large Porsche collection. He rented a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica , California, for an extended period during
25992-539: Was a gigantic influence on me. They were just about silly, funny things that meant nothing, and that’s the stuff I love. There’s a wonderful childlike freedom in those kinds of things." In the Netflix comedy special, Jerry Before Seinfeld , he displayed his personal comedy albums collection from when he was a teenager. These albums included: In an interview with Entertainment Weekly , Seinfeld stated his five favorite films are The Heartbreak Kid (1972), The Graduate (1967), The In-Laws (1979), A Night at
26163-490: Was a guest on Howard Stern 's talk show, Stern said, "so, you sit in Central Park and have a candy bar on a string and pull it when the girls come?" at which point Seinfeld replied, "she's not 17, definitely not." A few months later, in his second Howard Stern interview, Seinfeld insisted, "I didn't realize she was so young. This is the only girl I ever went out with who was that young. I wasn't dating her. We just went to
26334-841: Was a member of the Dayan rabbinic family, who claim ancestry back to the Medieval Exilarchs , and from the Exilarchs back to the Biblical King David . Seinfeld's second cousin is alternative metal musician and actor Evan Seinfeld . Seinfeld grew up in Massapequa, New York , and attended Massapequa High School on Long Island . At 16, he spent time volunteering in Kibbutz Sa'ar in Israel. He attended
26505-542: Was anything wrong with it. In August 1998, while at a Reebok Sports Club, Seinfeld met Jessica Sklar , a public relations executive for Tommy Hilfiger who had just returned from a three-week honeymoon in Italy with then-husband Eric Nederlander, a theatrical producer and scion of a theater-owning family . Unaware of Sklar's marital status, Seinfeld invited her out. When Sklar eventually told Seinfeld about her relationship situation, she said, "I told him I didn't think this
26676-407: Was created, Seinfeld dated Carol Leifer . She was a fellow comedian, and one of the inspirations for the Seinfeld character Elaine Benes . On national television with sex therapist and talk show host Dr. Ruth Westheimer , he mentioned that he was engaged in 1984 but called it off. In May 1993, days after his 39th birthday, Seinfeld met 17-year-old Shoshanna Lonstein in Central Park. After
26847-433: Was followed by Curb Your Enthusiasm , an HBO television series whose first episode aired on October 15, 2000. The show revisits many of the themes of Seinfeld and is improvised from a story outline only several pages long written by David (and, from the fifth season onward, additional writers). The actors improvise their dialogue based on the outline, direction, and their creativity. David has said that his character in
27018-799: Was heckled by protesters during a comedy show in Sydney, Australia . Seinfeld responded joking, "You’re really influencing everyone here. We’re all on your side now, because you’ve made your point so well, and in the right venue, you’ve come to the right place for a political conversation". Seinfeld has made several political contributions, including to George W. Bush 's and Al Gore 's presidential campaigns in 2000 , and subsequently to four Democratic Party primary candidates in 2000 and 2004 . Seinfeld has expressed his distaste for what he views as political correctness . In 2015, Seinfeld stated that he avoids performing on college campuses because students have become too easily offended by his comedic routines. In
27189-577: Was highly publicized and considered a coup for the society, being the third time Seinfeld had appeared in a television commercial. The advertisements were filmed in Cedarhurst, Long Island , with the street designed to emulate Beaumont Street in Hamilton , where the Greater's head offices are located. Seinfeld also wrote the scripts for the 15 advertisements that were filmed. The ads largely aired in
27360-502: Was indefinitely halted on March 16, 2020. The season was later resumed in April with three remotely produced episodes labelled Saturday Night Live at Home , and the show returned to Studio 8H in October 2020. After the 2021–2022 season , many longtime cast members left the show in a major cast overhaul, including Aidy Bryant , Kate McKinnon , and Pete Davidson ; Michaels said that the pandemic had led to some cast members staying with
27531-590: Was introduced to producer Ashley Underwood at a birthday party for Sacha Baron Cohen . They married in 2020. David's niece is actress Julie Claire , who appears in Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm . David is an atheist and an avid sports fan. A native New Yorker, he supports the New York Jets , Yankees , Knicks , and Rangers . David is also a supporter of the Democratic Party . In 2010, he wrote an article for The New York Times criticizing
27702-557: Was no script for him. In January 1981, he performed stand-up on An Evening at the Improv . In May, Seinfeld made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , impressing Carson and the audience, leading to frequent appearances on that show and others, including Late Night with David Letterman . On September 5, 1987, his first one-hour special Stand-Up Confidential aired live on HBO . Seinfeld created The Seinfeld Chronicles with Larry David in 1988 for NBC . It
27873-462: Was nominated for a 2018 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album . In 2020, it was announced that Netflix would be releasing Seinfeld's first original stand-up special in 22 years, 23 Hours to Kill . The special premiered on May 5. In October 2020, Seinfeld joined Steve Martin in a discussion about comedy at The New Yorker Festival . They discussed subjects ranging from the creative process, Netflix , and The Oscars , to their comedy backgrounds, and
28044-472: Was notable for its well-received spoofing of that year's presidential campaign between Al Gore and George W. Bush . The show's New York City cast and crew were highly impacted by the September 11 attacks in 2001, and returned on September 29 with an acclaimed appearance by Rudy Giuliani . Political humor was reduced for the following seasons. The show switched to high-definition broadcasting for
28215-460: Was originally not allowed to drive it, because the car was "not street legal ." U.S. emissions and crash tests had not been performed for the model because Porsche refused to donate four Porsche 959s for destruction tests. Seinfeld imported the car " for exhibition purposes ," on the stipulation that it may never be driven on U.S. roads. The car was made U.S. street legal in 1999 under the " Show or Display " federal law. Seinfeld wrote an article for
28386-425: Was renamed Seinfeld to avoid confusion with the short-lived teen sitcom The Marshall Chronicles . By its third season, Seinfeld had become the most watched sitcom on American television. The final episode aired in 1998, and the show has been a popular syndicated re-run ever since. NBC offered Seinfeld $ 110 million—a record $ 5 million an episode for a 22-episode tenth season—but he declined. Along with Seinfeld,
28557-551: Was retiring at the end of the season. A three-hour prime-time live broadcast to celebrate the series' fiftieth anniversary will air on February 16, 2025. Those selected to join the cast of SNL are normally already accomplished performers, recruited from improvisational comedy groups such as The Groundlings (Newman, Hartman, Will Ferrell , Jon Lovitz , Kristen Wiig ) and The Second City (Aykroyd, Farley, Tina Fey , Tim Meadows ), or established stand-up comedians (Carvey, Sandler, Macdonald, Chris Rock ), who already possess
28728-586: Was sued in a class-action lawsuit . In February 2022, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a lawsuit against Bitconnect that the Securities Act of 1933 extends to targeted solicitation using social media . David has received numerous awards, including two Emmy Awards , three Producers Guild of America Awards , and three Writers Guild of America Awards . He has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and six Screen Actors Guild Awards . Fellow comedians and comedy insiders voted David
28899-505: Was the right time for me to be involved with anybody." Two months later, Sklar filed for divorce and began dating Seinfeld. The pair married on December 25, 1999. Comedian George Wallace was the best man at the wedding. After the nuptials, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld bought Billy Joel 's house in Amagansett , Long Island , for US$ 32 million after news of the couple's interest in the property became public in 2000. The Seinfelds have
29070-475: Was the show's "biggest moment since the 70s", and Michaels observed that it made Fey a "huge star" and that "you could see perception changing completely". Armisen played Barack Obama from 2008 to 2012, following which cast member Jay Pharoah assumed the impression. The show began to rely more on pre-recorded material and videos more than it ever had before during this period, to the extent that some commentators said it had sometimes outshined live material on
29241-411: Was unavailable. Hammond took over as full-time announcer starting with season 40 . A typical episode of SNL will feature a single host chosen for their popularity or novelty, or because they have a film, album, or other work being released near the time of their appearance on the show. The host delivers the opening monologue and goodnights, introduces the musical guest, and performs in sketches with
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