Seinfeld spinoffs that never happened (1 Viewer)

[Brandt]

I'm somewhat suprised at the lack of spinoffs from what some have called the greatest TV show of all time. I think NBC and Michael Richards particularly screwed up by not doing one based on Kramer's character, especially since Richards had an idea that would have been perfect for Kramer: the private investigator.

The laugh potential for something like that would be enormous, I think. The setting could be real simple: Jerry and George have moved to LA to do the pilot of 'Jerry' once the group gets out of jail. Kramer, back in NY, somehow gets involved as a PI, solving people's mysteries, shadowing suspected cheaters, collecting background information on individuals, etc. Who knows, his business could be called 'Kramerica Investigations' or something like that. Maybe he and Newman team up for those particularly difficult cases.

I don't know, it seems like NBC and Richards really let a great opportunity slip through their fingers. Any other Seinfeld spinoffs that might-have-been?

 

[Mike Graham]

If I'm not mistaken, didn't Richard and NBC develop television show, where in a character, basically like Kramer, was a PI in LA? Also, even after heavy re-tooling behind the scenes with Seinfeld himself, wasn't the show cancelled after 2 or 3 episodes? I believe this aired back in the fall of 1999 or 2000.

 

[Ike]

I saw the show Mike is referring to. It was awful.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Supposedly, there was an actual "real" spin-off being developed, but based upon that Johnnie Cochran-esque lawyer that was a recurring character. Obviously, it never came together.

 

[Michael Hughes]

The best spin-off is "Curb Your Enthusiasm" that one carries on the Seinfeld tradition with its co-creator, Larry David

 

[MickeS]

I gotta agree with Michael here. CYE really is like a spin-off of "Seinfeld", with both Julia and Jason guest starring in some of the episodes (as themselves).

The PI show mentioned above was simply called The Michael Richards Show IIRC. It was not very good, but had potential. Too bad they didn't just let his character be Cosmo Kramer instead.

 

[Douglas*A*R]

Nah, Stanley Spadowski is the character that needs a spin-off.

"Life is like a mop..."

 

[Tom Meyer]

I've said all along that they should have spun off Jackie Chiles. That would have been *great*.

 

[Michael Hughes]

Actaully Newman could have had a decent shot at a spinoff show as well, whooda thunk Fraiser of all the Cheers characters would have made the best spinoff?

 

[Malcolm R]

whooda thunk Fraiser of all the Cheers characters would have made the best spinoff?

Certainly not those who created "The Tortellis."

 

[Mitty]

...whooda thunk Fraiser of all the Cheers characters would have made the best spinoff?

Um, I would have.

I think Frasier was the only character on Cheers who seemed to have any kind of life away from the bar.

I don't the Seinfeld actors have "missed" an opportunity so much as they have chosen to forego it.

I don't think any of the spin offs would have worked nearly so well in reality as in the imagination. The strength of many of the characters (particularly the supporting ones) is that they "leave you wanting more" so to speak. Sure, Newman, Puddy, Jackie Childs, Mr. Peterman, etc. were funny during their limited screen time, but that might wear mighty thin if they were the main character of their own show. Even the main characters benefitted greatly from the fact that time was divided up amongst all four of them. Kramer might not work nearly as well without some good "straight man" characters to work off of.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I don't know... let's say the post office fired Newman. He gets a job at FedEx or UPS and they show his adventures cross-country delivering packages and getting into trouble and so forth. I'd watch it.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

I think the trouble with a spin off from Seinfeld would be the fact that it truly was an ensemble cast. They worked off each other brilliantly. Without the other characters to interact with I don't think it would have succeeded.

Look at Watching Ellie. They retooled her character to be more like Elaine just to try and get some ratings. However, the other cast members are all wrong (and plain unfunny) and don't have the same chemistry as the Elaine character working off Jerry or Kramer or George or Pederman or Puddy, etc.

The same thing happened to the Michael Richards Show. Kramer has to play off other wacky characters and swift actors and writers. Richards was giving it his all, but everyone else didn't know how to react to his antics.

Dan