Common Sense Media Review
By Sierra Filucci
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Yadda, yadda, yadda -- a classic for teens and up.
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Seinfeld
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 27 parent reviews
Parents say that while the show is often regarded as a classic and very funny, it contains considerable mature content that can be inappropriate for younger viewers, including sexual innuendo, crude humor, and questionable moral portrayals. Some find it entertaining and suitable for teens and adults, but many warn against exposing children to its more problematic themes, arguing that it often embraces selfishness and insensitivity in its characters.
- mature content
- inappropriate for children
- entertaining for teens
- problematic themes
- humor style
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 81 kid reviews
What's the Story?
SEINFELD, the smart, immensely popular '90s sitcom, follows the lives of four single urbanites living in New York City. Jerry Seinfeld plays an approximation of himself: a comedian with a cleanliness obsession whose love life rarely gets off the ground due to his tendency to turn tiny issues into huge disasters. Jerry's best friend is George Costanza (Jason Alexander) is neurotic, whiny, and cheap and has terrible luck in relationships, partly due to his own reluctance to commit. Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is Jerry's ex-girlfriend, a self-involved, occasionally bitter writer/editor who, much like Jerry, is in constant pursuit of good-looking dates. And, finally, Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) is Jerry's wacky neighbor, whose wild hair and bugged-out eyes match his broad physical comedy style -- most frequently demonstrated when he flies spastically into Jerry's apartment unannounced.
Is It Any Good?
While most sitcoms that came before it revolved around families or workplaces, this was one of the first to deal with the relationship between friends and was, famously, a show about "nothing." Seinfeld was created by comedy writer Larry David and stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld, and the show's characters are based on the two men and their close associates.
The four main characters spend much of their time in Jerry's apartment or at the corner diner complaining, obsessing, and over-analyzing others' behavior. While each character pursues and dates others, the group has a way of unintentionally warding off interlopers and keeping their foursome intact. And somehow, despite each of the four's unpleasant personality characteristics -- no one in the petty, selfish quartet is in any way an ideal role model -- their continuing follies are delightfully appealing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the situations and characters in Seinfeld. Are the situations realistic? What makes the characters appealing, even though they're often mean and selfish? Do you consider any of them role models?
What kind of judgments do the main characters make about the others in the show? What do these judgments say about the characters themselves?
TV Details
- Premiere date : July 5, 1989
- Cast : Jason Alexander , Jerry Seinfeld , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Michael Richards
- Networks : NBC , Syndicated
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Awards : Emmy - Emmy Award Winner , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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