Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything

Author(s): Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

Performing Arts

Comedians Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld never thought anyone would watch their silly little sitcom about a New York comedian sitting around talking to his friends. NBC executives didn't think anyone would watch either, but they bought it anyway, hiding it away in the TV dead zone of summer. But against all odds, viewers began to watch, first a few and then many, until nine years later nearly forty million Americans were tuning in weekly.In Seinfeldia, acclaimed TV historian and entertainment writer Jennifer Keishin Armstrong celebrates the creators and fans of this American television phenomenon. She brings listeners behind the scenes of the show while it was on the air and into the world of devotees for whom it never stopped being relevant, a world where the Soup Nazi still spends his days saying No soup for you!, Joe Davola gets questioned every day about his sanity, Kenny Kramer makes his living giving tours of New York sights from the show, and fans dress up in Jerry's famous puffy shirt, dance like Elaine, and imagine plotlines for Seinfeld if it were still on TV.


Product Information

***A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER*** "Her book, as if she were a marine biologist, is a deep dive...Perhaps the highest praise I can give Seinfeldia is that it made me want to buy a loaf of marbled rye and start watching again, from the beginning." -Dwight Garner, The New York Times "Even for those of us who imagine ourselves experts, Armstrong scatters delicious details throughout her book, like so many Jujyfruits we can't resist... [I]n describing the making and writing of this singular show, Armstrong is queen of the castle. Her stories about "Seinfeld" are real - and they're spectacular." -Washington Post "Lively and illuminating. A wildly entertaining must-read not only for Seinfeld fans but for anyone who wants a better of understanding of how television series are made." -Booklist, starred review "[S]avvy and engaging...the best way to enjoy "Seinfeldia" is to read the book with TV remote in hand, calling up episodes on Hulu as Ms. Armstrong adroitly recounts the back story of these still-captivating shows that were never, ever about nothing." -Wall Street Journal "The heart of Armstrong's book and its most engaging quality is how it all came to be: the Seinfeld rules of the road that seemed to be without rules; the actors who left their indelible mark (Bryan Cranston as dentist Tim Whatley, Teri Hatcher as one of Jerry's "spectacular" girlfriends) and the parade of moments about nothing that really turned out to be something." -USA Today "Even as someone lucky enough to be on the show, I couldn't put Seinfeldia down." -Larry Thomas, "The Soup Nazi" "Armstrong's intimate, breezy history is full of gossipy details, show trivia, and insights into how famous episodes came to be. How nothing could become something or how a national TV audience learned to live in a Beckett-ian world. Perfect for Seinfeldians and newcomers alike." -Kirkus Reviews "Armstrong offers a masterly look at one of the greatest shows. The research involved makes this a boon to television scholars, but Seinfeld enthusiasts will also enjoy this funny, highly readable book." -Library Journal

Jennifer Keishin Armstrong is the author of Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted, a history of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She writes about pop culture for several publications, including The New York Times Book Review, Fast Company, New York's Vulture, BBC Culture, Entertainment Weekly, and others. She grew up in Homer Glen, Illinois, and now lives in New York City. Visit her online at JenniferKArmstrong.com.

General Fields

  • : 9781476756110
  • : Simon & Schuster
  • : Simon & Schuster
  • : 0.358338
  • : May 2017
  • : 228mm X 152mm X 22mm
  • : United States
  • : August 2017
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
  • : 2x8pg 4-c inserts
  • : APT
  • : 336
  • : bl2017022664
  • : 791.45/72
  • : English
  • : 817
  • : Paperback