Customer Reviews

Seinfeld: Seasons 1, 2 & 3 (Giftset)

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Get Out! "Seinfeld" on DVD? He's already the Master of His Domain why would it need to be released it on DVD? Because the fans demanded it and justice can only be served if one of the most popular and best sitcoms can be viewed, uncut and with lots and lots of background material on this groundbreaking show. Just a warning this review is for the gift set which includes the salt shakers, playing cards and a copy of one of Larry David's scripts. That's the main difference between this gift set (that and the fact that it includes the two boxed sets including the first three "seasons"). The first season consisted of five episodes (including the pilot)while the second consisted of 13 episodes as the network decided to commit to the show when the show received solid ratings. The third season consists of 22 episodes. All the episodes are the uncut original episodes that aired on NBC (most of the episodes in syndication are usually trimmed by a minute or two). The boxed set has a slipover case. Inside the inside slipcase each disc is nicely housed in individual slim DVD holders. 15 commentary tracks (if I'm counting correctly)for both sets. Deleted scenes, unused stand up bits, promos, featurettes make this a generous set particulary when compared to the bare bones releases for other similar (although not as funny) series.

When "The Seinfeld Chronicles" (the original title) first aired as a limited series no one suspected it would be the next big thing. Seinfeld and his collaborator/co-creator/co-producer and frequent co-writer Larry David pushed TV comedy to its boundaries and then demolished them. They'd then establish new boundaries and demolish those. That's groundbreaking, important television. It's also what made "Seinfeld" unique. Sure, "Who's The Boss?" could be funny but it had to be about something where someone learned something in every episode. Seinfeld's and David's mantra "learn nothing and be about nothing" proved that TV touching on the absurdity of real life could be funnier than TV where the characters learned valuable lessons and became better people. In truth, that rarely happens in the real world and the fact that Seinfeld made fun of and played with that convention made it important. It helped that it was damn funny as well.

Looks like something here in a marvelous high definition transfer from Columbia-Tristar. The good news is that even though the show was videotaped, the quality of the picture and sound for most of those analog episodes continues to look great. The blacks are solid for a videotaped program and the colors are as real and true as they appeared over a decade ago.

For a show about nothing this boxed set spends plenty of time and space talking about the something special that made this an outstanding show. The hour long documentary has interesting, revealing tidbits including a shocker from Julia Louis- Dreyfus-she never saw the original pilot episode. In fact, she didn't see it until she prepped for the commentary tracks and interview for this boxed set. Larry David's acerbic dry fatalistic sense of humor (which informs his terrific show "Curb Your Enthusiasm" on HBO) along with the witty, informed but ultimately wacky observations of the rest of the cast and crew make this a marvelous documentary. Unlike the featurettes or documentaries on a lot of TV shows (any of the "Sex and the City" ones for example), to invert a famous quip by a famous writer, "there's there there". Substance for a show about nothing what an ironic twist but in reality "Senfield" was about something. It was about the absurd little moments that populate our lives but a little more twisted.

"Kramer vs. Kramer" allows the real life inspiration for Cosmo Kramer to comment on his fictional counterpart. Kenny Kramer comes across as wacky and weird as Cosmo but a little scarier in that he occupies real space. We also get outtakes, bloopers (watch Jerry and the cast screw everything up and make the screw ups almost as funny as the scripts) and deleted scenes from episodes that ran a little but too long. "Master of His Domain" features the stand up material that introduced much of the first and second season (before it was ultimately seen as unnecessary) that was shot but never featured in the show. You can well imagine which episodes they were intended for and guess pretty accurately without seeing any info on the subject. "Sponsored by Vandelay Industries" features the funny promo ads and trailers that NBC ran to promote the show. "Inside Looks" provides a glimpse behind-the-scenes as to what was really happening when various episodes were shot. There's also some discussion about improve on the set, what inspired the various episodes and the chemistry that the ensemble cast had together. We also have the chance to see trivia about the various episodes but, more importantly, two slightly different versions of the pilot episode that play a bit different as well. It's like entering the Bizarro Universe from Superman at times.

The boxed set of the first three seasons is the way to go. There's really not a bad episode among them and "Seinfeld", like "Star Trek: The Original Series" literally hit the ground running. Yes, the series developed but it's frightening how good and sure these first three seasons are. That's rare in TV. There's also a copy of Larry David's script for with comments about the script, playing cards and, more importantly, replicas of the salt and pepper shakers from "Monk's". It's pricey but, really, it's the best bargain considering the extra stuff you get. If you want just the series, though, picking up the first two boxed sets separately is more cost effective.

Sharp, witty and frequently funny observations pop up in the 15 commentary tracks for the episodes from the first three seasons. While all of them are good, those featuring David, Seinfeld and the rest of the cast work best. Why? Because we are familiar with all of them and it's like inviting friends into your living room to comment on their own home movies and embarrassing photos. In closing, Seifeld was certainly sponge worthy. Yada-yada-yada, yabba-dabby-doo, get out!

While I like all the enthusiam for the show SEINFELD, I agree with the other review about reviewing the actual product, rather than just the show, which we all love anyway.

This DVD set far surpasses my expectations. It contains such an abundance of bonus materials; the discs could possibly take you months to get through, particularly the "notes about nothing" caption track, which like pop-up-video, captions each moment with a bit of trivia about the actors, characters, locations, etc.

The 'remastered' episodes look great. Certainly better than broacast and most definitely better than my horrendous VHS tapes. The most welcome surprise was seeing all the stand-up material from the MIDDLE of the episodes, something that was often removed in syndication.

In terms of the box-set extras, they are so-so. I haven't actually opened the deck of cards yet, or filled the salt/pepper shakers, but I suppose the inclusion of the script was nice. I would have been a bigger perk if they included "The Bet," the unfilmed script they spoke about in one of the DVD extras.

Aside from that, a very worthwhile purchase!

I've noticed that for once both the Product Details sections and the Editorial Review cover the features of this DVD set very well, mentioning all the episdoes and extras, leaving my review free to be short and less boring.

If you are a Seinfeld aficionado like I am, get the ReGift set. The script is nice and bound like a book, complete with handwritten notes by Larry David. There are extras on each DVD, all eight CD's from seasons 1,2, and 3. The salt and pepper shakers are great, and complete with a miniature napkin holder too. The playing cards are fun (and useable), with a picture of Kramer on the Joker, Jerry on the Kings, Elaine on the Queens, and George on the Jacks. Season 1 and 2 come in one box, and season 3 in a separate box, each with an separate episode guide inside. This is a very nice set and worth spending the money on.

After all that, well, Seinfeld is Seinfeld. Now you can enjoy all the classic episodes we all love without those commercials inbetween from all the taping we use to do on TV. The DVD's offer the option of "Play All" or selecting individual episodes, a feature I really like in program sets.

In particular, I really liked the extra called "Kenny to Cosmo" where a picture of the real Kenny Kramer is shown, an old neighbor of Larry David from a long time ago, and the resemblance is striking. Larry David even got the original Kramer to participate in the interveiws on this piece. Great extra.

Seinfeld is still one of the funniest shows available, although I watch little to no television, Seinfeld and even its reruns is one of my exceptions. The DVD set is a must for any Seinfeld fan, and a great starter for anyone who is interested in getting deeper into this cult classic. Enjoy!

I love the entire set. I love the interviews and the bloopers. I also love the pop-up text that comes with each show. I think they lend much insight to these episodes that I have seen over and over again. I don't care that I paid an extra $20 for a salt and pepper shaker and a deck of cards. It was worth it. I'm out there, Jerry, and I'm loving every minute of it!

I was perusing the reviews. Five stars are not unexpected. The show has been out of production for years and it's still the most popular thing on TV. Then I came to reviewer Wes from Oregon. One star! I just had to read that one. Only one out of 21 readers at the time of this writing found his review helpful and that was probably from Wes himself.

One of his comments, "There's not a single laugh to be had", was somewhat true. There are tons of laughs to be had, not just a single laugh. Anyone who can't laugh at Seinfeld and company takes life too seriously. Seinfeld is funny because we ALL have done similarly stupid and neurotic things. Maybe not on a regular basis, but now and then. Those who can admit this will find the show hilariously funny.

And that is what makes Seinfeld so special. They joke that it's a show about nothing. It's not. It's a show about ourselves. The first three seasons built the characters and the later seasons expanded to society in general. The lunacy of political correctness was evident in later episodes such as Kramer refusing to wear the red ribbon and "Top of the Muffin" where the unused bottoms of the muffins were given to the homeless.

If you never got into Seinfeld, such as Wes, it's only because you never got to know the characters or were afraid to laugh at yourself. This is your golden opportunity to realize Seinfeld was/is not a fad. No one watched Seinfeld because "everyone else" was watching it. We watched it because it confirmed that we are not alone in our neuroses and we are all pretty funny. Looking at others while watching the show was not to know when to laugh, but because we either recognized our friends in the characters or were thinking our friends recognized us in them.

The only series that ever came close to Seinfeld was the early Bob Newhart show where Bob and his wife Emily lived in Chicago across from their neighbor, Howard. If you liked that show, you'll love Seinfeld. If you're too young to remember Bob Newhart, well there's a series that should come out on DVD.

hey i found some easter eggs for volume one and was wondering if anyone else found different ones other then these :

Camera testing for lighting and coloring.
On disc 1, go to the extras section and press up twice to highlight the chili. Press enter to view 3 minutes of Camera tests for lighting and coloring of the apartment once the show was picked up after the pilot with commentary by i think the show director and maybe the set director i dont know u will just ahve to check.

One on disc 3 of Volume 1, go to Extras, then click on Inside Looks and one of the Chinese crackers becomes active, click on it and you see an Inside look on a discarded episode, "The Bet"

Then on disc 4 of Volume 1, go to Set Up, a stain from George's hospital food is active, click on it and you see a comparison of Seinfeld unrestored and remastered. Haven't found any on disc 2 yet, or any in volume 3.

please tell me if u find any others

The best sitcom on television is finally now on DVD. When I found out that Seinfeld was coming out on DVD I knew I had to have it. In this gift box set including season's 1,2, and 3, how can you go wrong? Not only that but also bloopers, deleted scenes, interviews, and much, much more. But specifically for this gift set also you got a script written by Larry David for the episode "The Big Salad", poker cards including the cast, and a napkin dispenser with salt and pepper shakers. All you need and more is in this collection of the funniest sitcom ever. Hopefully they'll release this gift set with the up-coming seasons of Seinfeld. All the episodes re-mastered with quality picture and sound looks better than watching it on TV. This may seem a little pricey but it's worth every penny. This series DVD includes two versions of the pilot. Kenny vs. Kramer, in inside look of how Kramer was really based upon a Larry David's neighbor Kenny Kramer, original adds for the show, an inside-look of how the show began, cast and crew commentaries, and much more I can't even name all them. This is surely the collection I was waiting for. 40 episodes, 8 discs, special features, scripts, models, and much more! How could you find one flaw in this collection? It's the best! Seinfeld's the best! You definitely need to buy these seasons and the up-coming seasons. You won't regret it.

Please note: I am giving a 1-star rating to the overall "Seinfeld Limited Edition Gift Set (Seasons 1-3 with Original Script, Salt & Pepper Shakers, and Playing Cards)." The episodes themselves are great 5-star affairs.

I just wanted to give a heads-up to prospective buyers that this box set is a bit of a letdown. The salt and pepper shakers are miniatures that stand about three inches tall, the so-called "original script" is a cheap miniature photocopy of a script (and is hardly legible), and as for it being signed, well, think again. It is not literally signed. What you really get is a photocopy of Larry David's signature on a small and useless photocopy of a script, with photocopies of illegible scribings by David throughout the script. If you want a signed script, I'd suggest looking elsewhere for one that is literally signed in-person and has a Certificate of Authenticity. And the playing cards are small and useless as well.

I know this box set is very attractive. Obviously, that's why I bought it myself. But it really is quite a disappointment once you open it up. I recommend buying the DVDs for seasons 1-3 individually. You will save about thirty bucks.

I couldn't resist the ReGift set, they were the cherry atop the cake, the greatest cake ever, if you will.

However, when I opened the box I was very disappointed. The script was good, the rest was very poor. The cheap tin napkin holder and the ceramic sauce bottle salt and pepper are the worst quality imaginable. The salt and pepper set fall out of the holders at the merest brush of a hand. The playing cards only have the cast on the picture cards, but they are just the faces clumsily placed over the standard picture card faces.

The cardboard packaging I'm used to, American dvd releases seem to suffer from using the cheapest materials possible, no Amaray cases here!

I wish I'd saved my money. The European version of the box set doesn't have the gifts and is therefore cheaper. I should have got that instead rather than importing the US one JUST for the gifts. After all, the content of the dvds is marvellous. There are notes for every episode, the deleted scenes and behind the scenes stuff is riveting, and the whole menuing system is excellent, with various paths to get to all the extras, which are also placed in context to each episode.

As I was browsing through these reviews, I am glad to see that most people here get it. For those who say the show isn't that funny or doesn't have a huge following, they must be living in an alternate universe. The show was named the #1 sitcom of all time by T.V. guide and I know a lot of people who have been anxiously awaiting the DVD release.

The way I see it, there are two types of people. Those who like Seinfeld and those who don't. Those who like it realize that all of the little insignificant things that the show dwells on such as various personal characteristics (i.e., close talker, low talker, regifter, things like this) are things that the majority of us deal with on a daily basis. The things that Jerry and friends talk about in the diner are the things that people talk about with their friends. These are the stupid conversations of daily life. That is what makes the show so relatable and funny.

For those who don't understand or think the show is funny, I have only one conclusion. You are the other type of people, and most often the kind that are made fun of on the show. How could you get it or think it is funny. For those of us who get it, we are very lucky. For those of you who don't, perhaps you should watch the show and see how many of the subordinate characters remind you of yourself.