Before ‘Friends’ there was ‘Seinfeld’: the TV show that was famously ‘about nothing’ and ran for 9 seasons on the NBC network during the 90s. The loose premise was that we would see how New York stand-up Jerry Seinfeld (playing a version of himself) gathers material for his act through the misadventures he has with his gang of regular acquaintances.
There was Jerry’s best friend and eternal loser George Costanza, ex-girlfriend turned platonic ideal, Elaine Benes, and his crazy next-door neighbour Kramer, a “hipster doofus” who was notorious for cooking up hare-brained get-rich-quick schemes (a Pizza restaurant where customers make their own pizzas!).
They were an enduring Fab Four that made its mark on popular culture, but more so in the States than in the U.K. where it was unceremoniously dumped in late night schedules. But a highly devoted following grew over the years and many of its catchphrase have entered the modern lexicon (“You double-dipped the chip” and “not that there’s anything wrong with it”).
What’s the Deal With Jerry’s Stand-Up Club?
With LEGO® Ideas models for ‘Friends’ with its Central Perk set (21319) and apartment from ‘The Big Bang Theory’ (21302) becoming big hits, with the latter already a retired model and the former now labelled ‘Hard to find’, it is welcome news indeed to this blogger and confirmed Seinfeld-nerd, that in celebration of the sitcom’s 30th anniversary this year, Brent Waller’s fan submission, using 900 pieces, has been approved and will be adapted by an expert LEGO® builder sometime in 2021.
The prototype images offer us tantalising glimpses of the potential of the set with its expansive recreation of Jerry’s Upper West Side Manhattan apartment, including bathroom and hall space from which Kramer can launch himself into Jerry’s domain in one of his famous, studio audience-pleasing entrances.
At a first glance, Waller seems to have nailed the key visual elements of Jerry’s apartment: the couch, the breakfast bar, the overall half-octagonal design. However, the missing bicycle mounted on Jerry’s wall, his dormant PC (which we only ever saw him use in one episode out of 180) and beloved Superman statue could all do with being included. His collection of VHS tapes needs curating as well.
Plus the couch could use a little finesse and no I’m not talking about the pee stain left by Poppy, although a reversible cushion might be a good idea there, Jerry – just don’t tell George’s father!
It looks like LEGO® plan to expand the proposed roster of five mini-figures that included Jerry’s long-time nemesis (or personal Lex Luthor), neighbour and mailman, Newman, to a more representative rogue’s gallery of the show’s returning characters.
It looks like George’s parents, Estelle and Frank Costanza have been added (with aluminium Festivus pole to boot), as have fan favourites like The Soup Nazi, David ‘8 Ball’ Puddy and the show’s co-creator Larry David, but what about Mom and Pop Seinfeld, Uncle (‘Hello!’) Leo, or even Bania? “It’s gold Jerry, gold!”
The league of Seinfeld’s revolving characters is an prodigious one that could warrant a few series of mini figures alone, but what of the proposed figures themselves? I feel that Jerry could use some proper sneakers and the hair pieces for both Kramer and Elaine need a little teasing. George could be a little more rotund as could Newman of course. Yet overall, the look is right, but what’s with Jerry’s sideburns?
Lego could really go to town with the accessories here: a bowl of cereal for Jerry (Captain Krunch or Kicks will do); Fusilli Jerry for Kramer (a tiny likeness of Jerry made from pasta); a Big Salad for Elaine; and a wig for George. Or, how about a Pez dispenser for Jerry, an Urban Sombrero for Elaine and a Cuban cigar for Kramer? The possibilities are endless.
I’m encouraged by a series of promotional images that recreate iconic scenes from famous episodes of the show like ‘The Puffy Shirt’, ‘The Junior Mint’ and the closing tableau from ‘The Finale’.
It would seem that LEGO® definitely has, to quote Elaine, “unbridled enthusiasm” for the “excruciating minutia” of Seinfeld’s iconography, I only hope they find time to add a trip over to Kramer’s abode a la ‘The Merv Griffin Show/ episode, or engineer a component to the model whereby Jerry’s apartment revolves into Tom’s Restaurant setting and Kramer’s Coffee Table Book About Coffee Tables becomes a LEGO® reality. As Kramer himself might say: “Giddy up!”
Let us know what you think by dropping a comment below!
