10 Best Unscripted Moments in 'Seinfeld'
10 Best Unscripted Moments in 'Seinfeld'© Provided by Collider
Despite being the ‘show about nothing’,
Seinfeld has stood the test of time and is regarded as one of the best sitcoms of all time, making it a favorite among fans. The show has many iconic moments that have proven the show is nothing less than legendary.
The cast had a big part in making the show what it is today, and while they brought the script to life, there were some moments entirely improvised by cast members. These are the top contender of unscripted moments on the show.
Seinfeld
The continuing misadventures of neurotic New York City stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his equally neurotic New York City friends.
"The Apartment"
Season 2, Episode 5
Throughout the seasons of Seinfeld, Elaine’s habit of shoving other people became more prominent. The first instance was in Season 1, Episode 2 where she half-shoves Jerry in excitement over hearing about an apartment opening in the building. As the show progresses, however, her pushes become more impulsive as begins knocking people off their feet.
The shove was actually something that Julia Louis Dreyfus did in real life that eventually became an iconic part of her character’s personality. While the moment was initially improvised, it later became scripted after writers saw how well received the initial moment was.
"The Couch"
Season 6, Episode 5
In the episode “The Couch”, Jerry buys a new couch only to have it immediately ruined. When Poppie comes over and takes a seat, Jerry is horrified to notice that Poppie peed on it. Jerry grabbed Kramer by the collar yelling “Poppie peed on my sofa”.
Viewers who took a closer look noticed that a startled Kramer spilled water in the chaos which sprays Jerry in the face during the scene. Both actors stayed in character, leading to the error to make the final cut, adding to the humor of the situation.
Related video: Top 10 Most Memorable Seinfeld Girlfriends (Dailymotion)
"The Robbery"
Season 1, Episode 3
Kramer classic entrance into Jerry’s apartment was improvised Michael Richards. In the episode ‘The Robbery”, Michael Richards almost missed the cue to enter, accidentally slipping in the process. He’s stays in character and continues doing so after seeing the appreciative response.
His smooth, yet chaotic entrance into the apartment has become a staple of his character and is a big reason
why his character is so popular among fans. The show itself has over 350 instances of Kramer ‘sliding into action’.
"The Pick"
Season 4, Episode 13
In the episode “The Pick”, Kramer offers to take Elaine’s picture for a Christmas card. Things go horribly wrong when she realizes she’s exposed in the photograph. At her most frustrated, George complains about not receiving a card.
Elaine grabs his head and rubs his face into her chest exclaiming “Here’s your Christmas card”. Julia Louis Dreyfus stated that this moment was not scripted but instead was something
improvised during rehearsals.
"The English Patient"
Season 8, Episode 17
When a beautiful woman, Danielle mistakes Gorge for her boyfriend Neil, he becomes obsessed with finding out more about him as begins to compete with him for her affections. At the end of the episode “The English Patient”, Danielle decides to stay with Neil after he burns his face because of the crêpes.
In the hospital bed, Neil whispers to George “I win”, leading George to resentfully pull out his intravenous line. Jason Alexander did so impromptu,
fitting George’s petty and spiteful nature without saying a word.
"The Contest"
Season 4, Episode 11
In the episode “The Contest”, Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine compete to see who is the ‘master of [their] domain’. When George visits his mother Estelle in the hospital, he is easily distracted, often ignoring others at his mother’s expense.When his mom asks
George to bring to go to the cafeteria and bring him some food, he downplays her complaints.
Jason Alexander ad-libs the line “Here, have some Tic Tacs”, throwing it to Estelle. Estelle Harris revealed that she couldn’t stop giggling in the first attempt as a result.
"The Sniffling Accountant"
Season 5, Episode 4
When Jerry, Kramer and Norman suspect their accountant of doing drugs in the episode “The Sniffling Accountant”, they resolve to investigate the best they can. Kramer follows him into a bar, and starts a conversation with him, trying to get him to open up on the topic of drugs.
Michael Richards somehow is able to chug the beer while smoking simultaneously. Although the first shot was scrapped as he burped a cloud of smoke at the end, the second take was successful and make the final cut. Ultimately, this unscripted moment characterizes Kramer perfectly as the eccentric neighbor.
"The Little Kicks"
Season 8, Episode 4
Elaine’s awkward dance performance described as ‘the little kicks’ is another staple of her character’s personality. Although the script meant for the episode to centre around her Elaine’s terrible dancing skills, the exact moves were improvised by Julia Louis Dreyfus.
In an interview,
Julia Louis Dreyfus expressed that she had to come up with her own interpretation of what the dance should look like. Despite practicing the choreography, Julia found filming it difficult. Eventually, they filmed Elaine’s dance sequence without music, ensuring her dance moves appear stiff yet flexible.
"The Boyfriend"
Season 3, Episode 17 & 18
In the episode “The Boyfriend, Part 1”, George attempts to get an extension on his unemployment period. To do so, he pretends he is in line for a job with Vandelay Industries, offering Jerry’s number as a reference.
Unfortunately, Kramer picks up the phone ignorant to the George’s planning. George comes running out of the bathroom yelling ‘Vandelay Industries’, tripping and falling with his pants at his ankles. Jerry walks in and his line, “and you want to be my Latex salesman”? was spontaneously ad-libbed.
"The Bottle Deposit"
Season 7, Episode 21 & 22
While many unscripted moments were improvised by the main cast members, one of the most memorable instances was by a guest star. In the episode “The Bottle Deposit”, Newman and Kramer are forced to run when
Newman does the unspeakable and the farmer who offered him hospitality catches him with his daughter.
As Newman flees the scene, she yells out “Goodbye, Norman!” as the actress actually believed Newman’s name to be Norman. The mistake made the final cut as the crew believed the error added comedy to the scene.
Next:
The Best 'Seinfeld' Supporting Characters, Ranked
