Seinfeld (season 4)

Season four of Seinfeld, an American comedy television series created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, began airing on August 12, 1992, and concluded on May 20, 1993, on NBC.

Seinfeld
Season 4
DVD cover
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes24
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseAugust 12, 1992 (1992-08-12) –
May 20, 1993 (1993-05-20)
Season chronology

Production

Seinfeld was produced by Castle Rock Entertainment and distributed by Columbia Pictures Television and Columbia TriStar Television and was aired on NBC in the United States. The executive producers were Larry David, George Shapiro, and Howard West with Tom Gammill and Max Pross as supervising producers. Bruce Kirschbaum was the executive consultant.[1] This season was directed by Tom Cherones and was largely written by Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry Charles, Peter Mehlman and Andy Robin.

The series was set predominantly in an apartment block on New York City's Upper West Side; however, the fourth season was shot and filmed predominantly in CBS Studio Center in Studio City, California.[2] The show features Jerry Seinfeld as himself, and a host of Jerry's friends and acquaintances, which include George Costanza, Elaine Benes, and Kramer, portrayed by Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Richards, respectively.[3]

Story arcs

The season had numerous story arcs. One that spanned the whole season involved Jerry and George trying to make a TV pilot for NBC. Another was George having a relationship with former NBC executive Susan Ross. In another, Joe Davola stalked and attacked the show's principal characters.

Reception

Critical reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 9/10, based on 13 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "The show about nothing tries on an overarching plot for a change and yields a riotous satire on television in the process, further solidifying its claim as master of the sitcom domain with observant humor mined from the mundane and uncomfortable."[4] TV Guide named it #1 on their list of the greatest TV seasons. Jamie Malanowski of Time named it the best season of the series saying "A mix of high and low, of the self-referential and the hip, of things underfoot and out of left field."[5]

Nielsen ratings

Season four was ranked No. 25 according to the Nielsen ratings system, with 12,754,700 estimated audience.[6]

Awards and nominations

Season four received eleven Emmy nominations, three of which were won. The show won its first and only Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Larry David won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the episode "The Contest". Michael Richards won his first out of three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Jerry Seinfeld was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Jason Alexander was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Julia Louis-Dreyfus was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Tom Cherones was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for "The Contest". Larry Charles was nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. Other nominees where Outstanding Achievement in Editing for a Comedy Series for The Airport. Jason Alexander was nominated in the Golden Globe Award in the category for Best Performance by a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture for TV. This season won a Directors Guild of America (Tom Cherones) for "The Contest", and a Writers Guild of America (Larry David) for "The Contest".

Crossover

In the seventh episode of the first season of Mad About You, which aired on November 11, 1992, Kramer sublets his apartment from Paul Buchman (the main character of Mad About You). When Paul asks about Jerry, Kramer tells him about the NBC show.

Episodes
See also: List of Seinfeld episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [7]Prod.
code [8]		US viewers
(millions)
411"The Trip"Tom CheronesLarry CharlesAugust 12, 1992 (1992-08-12)40116.3[9]
422August 19, 1992 (1992-08-19)40215.1[10]

When Jerry is asked to appear on The Tonight Show in Los Angeles, George accompanies him to look for Kramer, in a continuation of the season three finale. In Los Angeles, Kramer is arrested when he is mistaken for a serial killer.

Absent: Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes
433"The Pitch"Tom CheronesLarry DavidSeptember 16, 1992 (1992-09-16)40317.6[11]
NBC television executives approach Jerry and George to write a pilot for a sitcom, marking the beginning of "the show about nothing." Crazy Joe Davola begins to stalk both Jerry and Kramer.
444"The Ticket"Tom CheronesLarry DavidSeptember 16, 1992 (1992-09-16)40417.6[11]
Newman uses Kramer as his witness when the former refuses to pay for a speeding ticket. In court, they make up a story of why he was going that fast: Newman was trying to stop Kramer from killing himself because he didn't get a job as a banker.
455"The Wallet"Tom CheronesLarry DavidSeptember 23, 1992 (1992-09-23)40517.6[12]
Jerry's parents come to New York to see a doctor for the back pain of Jerry's father. Morty Seinfeld thinks his wallet has been stolen at the doctor's. So he leaves without hearing the diagnosis. Jerry is asked to explain to his parents why he does not wear the watch they gave him. George has an unsuccessful plan to hold out for more money for their NBC pilot ($13,000 all together).
466"The Watch"Tom CheronesLarry DavidSeptember 30, 1992 (1992-09-30)40615.2[13]
Jerry tries to buy his watch back from Uncle Leo, who found it in the garbage, having been thrown there by Jerry. George tries to resurrect the fledgling NBC deal, while Elaine plans a break up from her psychotherapist with Kramer's help. George gets the pilot back, by accepting less money ($8,000).
477"The Bubble Boy"Tom CheronesLarry David & Larry CharlesOctober 7, 1992 (1992-10-07)40717.1[14]
Jerry agrees to visit a boy who lives in a plastic bubble on the way to Susan's parents' cabin. Jerry loses his way driving with Elaine and loses George as the lead car driver, so George and Susan visit the boy instead. Kramer goes to the cabin with Jerry's ex-girlfriend, resulting in a fire.
488"The Cheever Letters"Tom CheronesStory by : Larry David and Elaine Pope & Tom Leopold
Teleplay by : Larry David		October 28, 1992 (1992-10-28)40815.1[15]
Jerry offends Elaine's assistant. Kramer makes a contact for Cuban cigars. A box of letters from John Cheever is all that remains after Susan's father's cabin burns down. The letters revealed that Susan's father was a lover of John Cheever.
499"The Opera"Tom CheronesLarry CharlesNovember 4, 1992 (1992-11-04)40916.7[16]
Elaine realizes her boyfriend is actually Crazy Joe Davola. George, Jerry, and Elaine then endure a night at the opera with a group of clowns. Kramer and George try to sell their two extra tickets, resulting in George not going to the opera, because he sold Susan's ticket to a Chinese man, and let Susan go to the opera instead of him. Kramer accidentally sells his spare ticket to Joe Davola.
5010"The Virgin"Tom CheronesStory by : Peter Mehlman and Peter Farrelly & Bob Farrelly
Teleplay by : Peter Mehlman		November 11, 1992 (1992-11-11)41016.2[17]
Jerry discovers the woman (guest star Jane Leeves) he is attracted to is a virgin. Kramer continues to harass Jerry and George when they are trying to write a teleplay for their NBC pilot. Elaine accidentally speaks of how a man was seducing her to have sex with her in front of Marla (the virgin). She later explains to her how men want to have sex with women. Susan breaks up with George because he accidentally got her fired by kissing her in front of her boss.
5111"The Contest"Tom CheronesLarry DavidNovember 18, 1992 (1992-11-18)41118.5[18]

After George is caught masturbating by his mother, the four main characters devise a contest to see who can go the longest without pleasuring themself. Marla, Jerry's girlfriend with whom he has yet to have sex, learns of the contest and is disgusted. Elaine meets John F. Kennedy, Jr., and George's mother is hospitalized. Kramer was the first to leave the contest, next Elaine (George and Jerry didn't leave the contest and their fate is unknown).

In 2009, TV Guide ranked this episode as the greatest episode of any television show.[19]
5212"The Airport"Tom CheronesLarry CharlesNovember 25, 1992 (1992-11-25)41214.5[20]
Jerry and Elaine experience the differences between traveling in first class and in coach. Jerry befriends a model while Elaine goes through economy class hell. George and Kramer travel to two different airports after a flight is rerouted. Kramer tries to get a guy who owes him 240 bucks from 20 years ago. George has an inflight run-in with a felon.
5313"The Pick"Tom CheronesStory by : Larry David and Marc Jaffe
Teleplay by : Larry David		December 16, 1992 (1992-12-16)41316.2[21]
Elaine mails a Christmas card that is unintentionally revealing. George is trying to get Susan back to be his girlfriend again, with the help of Elaine's psychiatrist. Jerry is seen ostensibly picking his nose by his new girlfriend, a model, and tries to convince her that he was only scratching around his nose. Kramer ends up appearing in a Calvin Klein underwear photoshoot.
5414"The Movie"Tom CheronesSteve Skrovan & Bill Masters & Jon HaymanJanuary 6, 1993 (1993-01-06)41517.6[22]
The four main characters continually miss each other as they try to attend a film together, and three of them wind up viewing the B-grade movie "Rochelle Rochelle". Jerry also ends up missing two of his performances due to starting time mixups.
5515"The Visa"Tom CheronesPeter MehlmanJanuary 27, 1993 (1993-01-27)414N/A
Kramer attends a baseball "fantasy" camp. Elaine manages to get George's new attorney girlfriend to convince her cousin Ping to drop a lawsuit against her. George wants Jerry to not act funny in front of his girlfriend because he's afraid she'll dump him. Jerry then acts solemnly around her, but she starts liking him anyway. Babu Bhatt's attempts to stop being deported are unsuccessful because his visa renewal paperwork ended up in Jerry's mailbox.
5616"The Shoes"Tom CheronesLarry David & Jerry SeinfeldFebruary 4, 1993 (1993-02-04)41726.9[23]
Elaine tries to get Jerry's ex-girlfriend to stop talking to everyone about her new shoes. She goes to a restaurant to confront her, but ends up sneezing on some food. Jerry and George have their television pilot shelved after each sneaks a look at the cleavage of the 15-year-old daughter of the now ill NBC executive; Elaine however dresses up to ameliorate the problem.
5717"The Outing"Tom CheronesLarry CharlesFebruary 11, 1993 (1993-02-11)41628.0[24]
It's Jerry's birthday soon and his friends are deciding on presents for him. Jerry and George, in a prank started by Elaine, are mistaken as a gay couple by a college newspaper reporter (Paula Marshall) and are publicly outed. They make matters worse in trying to fix the problem, and their parents end up hearing the news too.
5818"The Old Man"Tom CheronesStory by : Bruce Kirschbaum
Teleplay by : Larry Charles		February 18, 1993 (1993-02-18)41822.7[25]
Jerry, George, and Elaine volunteer to spend time enriching senior citizens' lives. All of them however have bad experiences: George is fired for being too argumentative; Jerry's is old and cranky but with a beautiful maid; and Elaine's (who had an affair with Gandhi) has a huge goiter. Meanwhile, Kramer and Newman collect old records to make money, but end up making nothing but trouble.
5919"The Implant"Tom CheronesPeter MehlmanFebruary 25, 1993 (1993-02-25)41927.4[26]
Jerry sends Elaine to find out if his new girlfriend's (guest star Teri Hatcher) breasts are natural. George decides to go to a funeral with his girlfriend, but trouble begins when he tries to get a copy of the death certificate, and then worse when he "double-dips" a cornchip at the wake. Elaine accidentally touches Sidra's breasts in the sauna, and informs Jerry that they're real. Jerry then asks Sidra over, but it all ends badly as they are interrupted by Kramer, who is off to Puerto Rico, and Elaine.
6020"The Junior Mint"Tom CheronesAndy RobinMarch 18, 1993 (1993-03-18)42126.4[27]
Jerry cannot remember the name of his new girlfriend (Susan Walters), and the only hint he has is that it rhymes with a part of the female anatomy. Elaine goes to the hospital to visit a former artist friend, and Kramer tags along looking for gloves. From the observation balcony Kramer accidentally drops a Junior Mints candy into the man's chest. George, with his school savings, then buys some of the man's paintings, hoping if he dies they'll become more valuable, but the man recovers. Jerry, unable to decipher her name, loses his new girlfriend.
6121"The Smelly Car"Tom CheronesLarry David & Peter MehlmanApril 15, 1993 (1993-04-15)42225.0[28]
After going to dinner with Elaine, a valet with offensive body odor stinks up Jerry's car and anyone who comes in contact with it. George, trying to return a copy of "Rochelle Rochelle", bumps into Susan at the video store, and believes he affected her becoming a lesbian. Matters become more complicated as Elaine's new boyfriend is turned off by the BO, Jerry is unable to purify the car's interior, George's video is stolen, and Kramer begins an affair with Susan's girlfriend. Michael Des Barres appears as the restaurateur.
6222"The Handicap Spot"Tom CheronesLarry DavidMay 13, 1993 (1993-05-13)42027.6[29]
While buying a TV engagement gift for "The Drake", George parks his father Frank's car in a handicap parking spot; afterwards a disabled driver is injured and an angry mob destroy the car. When the wedding is called off, they try to get the television back, but the presents have been donated to charity. Later, Mr. Costanza is arrested for George's parking misdemeanor, and George becomes his butler since he is unable to repay the car damages. Kramer visits and falls in love with the handicapped woman, and convinces George to help buy her a replacement wheelchair; they get a cheap one, but the brakes are defective. Finally, while impersonating charity workers, George and Kramer are able to get the TV back.
6323"The Pilot"Tom CheronesLarry DavidMay 20, 1993 (1993-05-20)42332.8[30]
6424424
Jerry and George begin casting for their pilot, Jerry, which is finally ready. George is upset over the casting of his alter ego. NBC executive Russell Dalrymple becomes obsessed with Elaine, who files a complaint when she concludes that Monk's is hiring only large-breasted women. Jerry and George prepare for the taping of Jerry and each of the principal four gives tips to his/her television alter ego. Joe Davola makes one final attempt on Jerry's life during production, but is foiled. Elaine wears a disguise to hide from Dalrymple and finds out that the large-breasted women are the owner's daughters. The show Jerry is rejected right after the pilot airs because the new NBC president doesn't like it. Jerry and George blame it on Elaine because of her dumping Dalrymple, who has run away to save whales.

References
  1. "The Seinfeld Crew and Credits at Seinfeld Official Site". Sony Pictures. p. D3. Archived from the original on July 23, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  2. "The Stock Tip episode at Seinfeld Official Site". Sony Pictures. p. D3. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
  3. "Seinfeld and nihilism". December 3, 1999. p. D3. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
  4. "Seinfeld: Season 4". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  5. "Television: Forgetting Nothing". Time.com. January 12, 1998. Archived from the original on December 3, 2007.
  6. "TV Ratings: 1992–1993". ClassicTVHits.com. p. D3. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2007.
  7. "Seinfeld Episodes | TVGuide.com". TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 5, 2008. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
  8. "Seinfeld Prod. Codes for all seasons". epguide.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2008. Retrieved March 23, 2008.
  9. Donlon, Brian (August 19, 1992). "Bush would rather not talk to Dan". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  10. "CBS shines with 'Malibu'". Life. USA Today. August 26, 1992. p. 3D.
  11. Gable, Donna (September 23, 1992). "CBS wins with some old friends". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  12. Gable, Donna (September 30, 1992). "'Murphy' wave carries CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  13. Gable, Donna (October 7, 1992). "Monday lineup bolsters No. 1 CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  14. Donlon, Brian (October 14, 1992). "Rankings omit Perot' paid ad". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  15. Gable, Donna (November 4, 1992). "Politics, Halloween scare up an ABC win". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  16. Gable, Donna (November 11, 1992). "Election news, football kick up ABC's ratings". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  17. Gable, Donna (November 18, 1992). "'Jacksons,' solid gold for ABC". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  18. Gable, Donna (November 25, 1992). "Jacksons help as-easy-as-ABC win". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  19. "TV Guide's Top 100 Episodes". Rev/Views. Archived from the original on June 22, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  20. Gable, Donna (December 2, 1992). "'Weapon 2' serves CBS well". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  21. Donlon, Brian (December 23, 1992). "Early Christmas gift for CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  22. Donlon, Brian (January 13, 1993). "Women help push CBS to top". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  23. Gable, Donna (February 10, 1993). "CBS rides to top on wings of 'Skylark'". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  24. Gable, Donna (February 17, 1993). "King of Pop and 'Queen' rule the ratings". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  25. Donlon, Brian (February 24, 1993). "'Queen' rules in CBS' royal sweep". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  26. Gable, Donna (March 3, 1993). "Grammy show a winner for CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  27. Gable, Donna (March 24, 1993). "Waco standoff lifts CBS' '48 Hours'". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  28. Donlon, Brian (April 21, 1993). "New shows find their niches". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  29. Gable, Donna (May 19, 1993). "'Cheers' nudges NBC to No. 1". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  30. Gable, Donna (May 26, 1993). "'Cheers' brings happy times to NBC". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
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