| "The Seinfeld Chronicles" | |
|---|---|
| Seinfeld episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Art Wolff |
| Written by | Larry David Jerry Seinfeld |
| Featured music | Jep Epstein (original broadcast) Jonathan Wolff (re-runs) |
| Cinematography by | George La Fountaine |
| Production code | 101 |
| Original air date | July 5, 1989 |
| Guest appearances | |
| Lee Garlington as Claire Pamela Brull as Laura[1] | |
"The Seinfeld Chronicles" (also known as "Good News, Bad News", "Pilot", "The Premiere", or simply "Seinfeld")[2] is the pilot episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld, which first aired on NBC on July 5, 1989.[3]
The first of the 180 Seinfeld episodes, it was written by show creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld and directed by Art Wolff. It revolves around a fictionalized version of Seinfeld, who is unsure about the romantic intentions of a woman he met, and frets about the meaning of her signals with his best friend George (Jason Alexander) and neighbor Kessler (Michael Richards, whose character was later renamed "Kramer").
The storyline and main characters were inspired by real-life events and people. Though NBC executives were unsure about the show, they, as Warren Littlefield later stated, "all said, 'Ah, what the hell, let's try a pilot on this thing and see what happens'."[4] However, test audiences reacted extremely negatively. Although NBC would still broadcast the pilot to see how audiences and critics reacted, they decided not to order a first season of the show. Castle Rock Entertainment, which produced the pilot (and the subsequent series), had another pilot produced for NBC featuring actress Ann Jillian in her own eponymous series. After The Seinfeld Chronicles' poor reception, the production company turned to Jillian's series, which tested better and had earned a full-season order (it ran a single 13-episode season and was cancelled by the end of 1990).[5]
When The Seinfeld Chronicles aired, it was watched by nearly 11% of American households and received generally positive reviews from television critics, most of whom were disappointed that NBC did not order a first season. Convinced that the show had potential, and supported by the positive reviews, NBC executive Rick Ludwin convinced his superiors to order a four-episode first season (the smallest order in American TV history),[2] offering a part of his personal budget in return. The show, renamed Seinfeld, went on to become among the most successful sitcoms in television history.
HowItBegan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).Castle Rock, which owned the series, had two pilots at NBC that year: Seinfeld and one with Ann Jillian. Whereas Seinfeld tested poorly, Ann Jillian tested through the roof and earned a 13-episode commitment. Castle Rock decided to focus on that.