19 Oct 2026 04:00
Seinfeld
Seinfeld, which ended three decades ago, has been watched by 72 million Americans so far THIS YEAR. Behind that incredible stat is an equally incredible business story: obsessive creators, perfect market timing, an ownership structure that aligned incentives for the long term…all of which created a sitcom that became number one by breaking all the rules. Sponsors:
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- Jerry Seinfeld's 2017 Harvard Business Review Interview
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- Seinfeld - "The Dinner Party"
- The Seinfeld Chronicles: An Unnecessary Data Exploration by Andy Kirk
- Buck's of Woodside
- Tin Can
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00:00:00 Start00:00:55 Intro00:04:52 Jerry Seinfeld's Stand-Up Origins (1954-1988)00:16:16 NBC Pitches a Late-Night Special (1988)00:21:35 Enter Larry David (1988)00:35:04 Fin-Syn Rules & The Castle Rock Deal00:52:45 Making the Pilot & Test Screening Disaster (1989)01:04:24 Rick Ludwin Saves the Show (1989-1990)01:10:17 Adding Elaine & "No Hugging, No Learning"01:28:41 Season 2 & Defying Network Notes (1991)01:35:56 The Structural Mechanics of Seinfeld01:45:11 Season 4 & "The Contest" (1992)01:57:09 Moving to Must See TV Thursdays (1993)02:07:28 Anatomy of a Production Week & The Harvard Lampoon Writers02:15:44 The Syndication Cash Cow (1995)02:28:36 Larry Leaves, Cast Salaries & Season 9 (1996-1997)02:42:13 Jack Welch's Brunch Offer & Jerry Walks (1997)02:55:04
