An interview with BY JAIME DEJESUS Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, author of Seinfeldia Very few shows pass the test of time, especially comedies. Sure, there’s always a hit show that rakes in huge ratings, wins a few awards, and gets the desirable syndication deal. But, funny changes over time. However, there are exceptions and for nearly 30 minutes, a show that you are so familiar with, from the stage to the characters’ quirks and delivery to every piece of dialogue, could still take you to a place of comfort and amusement. You could probably count these shows on one hand. It’s likely that the programs that will pop into the minds of millions fi rst is “Seinfeld.” Known to its adoring fans as the show about nothing, “Seinfeld” meant everything to viewers, a powerful network and an extremely talented slew of writers, directors, producers and actors. Next year will mark 20 years since the show that the Writers Guild of America named in 2013 as the second best written TV series of all time went off the air. However, in the hearts of viewers, it lives on. Whether you were too young to remember the ingenious chemistr y between four New Yorkers named Jer ry Seinfeld, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards and tons of amazing reoccur r ing characters (Crazy Joe Davola, Soup Nazi) or old enough to remember the hype, it lives on through syndication seemingly more than any other television show. Seriously, it’s always on at some point. It’s created a universe of fans that understand every catchphrase, every reference, everything. To this day, people still talk about their favorite episodes as if they just aired. Despite this, amazingly enough, however, there haven’t been any extensive books published regarding the beloved show until Jennifer Keishin Armstrong came along and decided to write the defi nitive read on the show that changed television and Seinfeld and Larry David’s careers forever, Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything (Simon & Schuster). Armstrong is no stranger to tackling pop culture. In addition to tacking the history of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in her last book, she has written for The New York Times Book Review, Fast Company, New York‘s Vulture, BBC Culture, Entertainment Weekly and more. The New York resident discussed with this avid fan of the book how a show that faced insurmountable odds of even making it beyond the pilot episode became must-see television and everything in between. QNS.COM 30 SPRING 2017
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