Seinfeld is considered one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. This success led audiences to wonder what was next for the cast of such a groundbreaking and popular show. Seinfeld himself wasn't interested in a follow-up so all eyes were on the supporting cast as to what they would do next.
And the question arose, would they have success as the lead of their own show sans the elements that made Seinfeld so good? And would they be able to portray different characters without too much comparison to the ones that made them famous? At first, the cast struggled, unable to escape the iconic characters they had created, which propagated the myth of "The Seinfeld Curse," but a few found success eventually.
10 Bob Patterson (2001) - 4.6
Jason Alexander's first solo outing would resemble Michael Richards' failure from the year prior. His show concerned the exploits of "America's #3 Self Help Guru," Bob Patterson, a motivational speaker whose personal life is a mess. The show was basically "George Costanza as a motivational speaker," since the two characters shared similar traits.
However, audiences didn't tune in and ABC canceled it after just five episodes. Alexander blamed the show's ratings failure due to the 9/11 attacks that occurred around the same time. Several years later, Alexander, still a fan of the concept, toured the country in a live one-man comedy show as a new character, Donny Clay, "America's #4 Self Help Guru."
9 Kirstie (2013-2014) - 5.1
After being the first cast member out of the gate with a new show, it would take Michael Richards another 13 years to get onto another one. In between, he had his own personal troubles and didn't do much acting outside a small role in Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie and appearances as himself on Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Richards' television return was Kirstie, a TV Land show, starring Kirstie Alley as a broadway star reconnecting with the son she gave up for adoption. Richards played her wacky driver, Frank. Jason Alexander guested on one episode but that didn't help as the show was canceled after one season and Richards hasn't returned to television since.
8 The Michael Richards Show (2000) - 5.2
Michael Richards was the first Seinfeld cast member to have his own show. He would be joined by three Seinfeld writers and the concept would follow Richards' comedic exploits as a private detective. However, after the pilot tested negatively, NBC retooled the show, and Richard's character, Vic Nardozzi, essentially became Kramer. Nardozza moved and talked like Kramer, and while the show used Richards' mastery of physical comedy, it just wasn't as funny.
The show didn't fare well in the ratings and NBC canceled it after eight episodes. Tragically, that same year, the creators of Monk offered Richards the title role of the eccentric detective. He turned it down and Tony Shaloub took the part and Monk became a detective comedy classic.
7 Listen Up (2004-2005) - 5.8
Jason Alexander's second attempt at a series actually lasted a whole season. Listen Up was loosely based on real-life sports broadcaster Tony Kornheiser. The show was more family-oriented than Seinfeld, with Alexander playing a Dad, which might've turned George Costanza fans off the show.
Reviews for Listen Up were very negative but it actually garnered some decent ratings. However, CBS canceled the show due to "rising production costs." Currently, this is Jason Alexander's final sitcom.
6 Watching Ellie (2002-2003) - 6.1
Julia Louis-Dreyfus' first attempt at her own show proved to be the rockiest of her co-star's. Watching Ellie initially aired as a single-camera show, documenting 22 minutes in the real-time life of a cabaret singer. The first few episodes even featured a countdown clock in the corner of the screen. Louis-Dreyfus' husband Brad Hall created it, and while an interesting concept, the adherence to the real-time format limited Watching Ellie, and NBC put it on hiatus before airing all the episodes.
The show returned nearly a year later with the same name, premise, and cast (that included a pre-Office Steve Carell), but without the real-time format, in-lieu of a multi-camera sitcom setup with an audience and laugh track. Unfortunately, the show didn't fare any better and NBC canceled it after six episodes.
5 The Exes (2011-2015) - 6.7
During Seinfeld's final season, Newman actor Wayne Knight became a full cast member on the hit TV show 3rd Rock From the Sun, airing until 2001. After that, Knight did a lot of voice work and appeared on Hot In Cleveland for a season before having a main role on the TV Land show The Exes.
The Exes concerned three divorced roommates in New York City trying to get back on the dating scene. Knight played Haskell, a couch potato who sells stuff on the internet to make money. The show received average reviews and lasted four seasons.
4 The New Adventures Of Old Christine (2006 -2010) - 7.1
Julie Louis-Dreyfus fared much better on her overly-long titled second sitcom outing, lasting five seasons. The story revolved around a divorced woman named Christine whose ex-husband starts dating a woman also named Christine, hence making Louis-Dreyfus "Old Christine." The show detailed her life as a single mother, dating and raising a son.
The show received decent reviews and ratings, and its success briefly broke the supposed "Seinfeld Curse." Julia Louis-Dreyfus actually won an Emmy for the show. Eventually, CBS canceled Old Christine which show creator Kari Lizer called "sexist." Unfortunately, the producers failed in trying to save the show by moving it to another network, but Louis-Dreyfus' true comeback was still yet to come.
3 The King Of Queens (1998-2007) - 7.3
As Frank Costanza, George's volatile father, Jerry Stiller commanded the screen, making him a great addition to every Seinfeld episode he appeared in. However, when Seinfeld wrapped, Jerry Stiller planned to retire. Which meant turning down a role in The King of Queens' pilot, a role that had been written specifically for him.
Another actor took the role instead, but when Stiller changed his mind, he reshot all his character's scenes (ironically, Jerry Stiller replaced the original Frank Costanza, reshooting all of his scenes too). For nine seasons, Stiller played Arthur Spooner, the eccentric basement-dwelling father of Leah Remini's Carrie, often annoying his son-in-law, Doug, played by Kevin James. Like Frank, Arthur was known for volatile outbursts and made the show better. The King Of Queens still airs today around the world in syndication, so between it and Seinfeld, audiences can enjoy the late Jerry Stiller's comic genius anytime they want.
2 Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee (2012- Present) - 8.1
Jerry Seinfeld never had an interest in doing another show after Seinfeld. He was never an actor to begin with and didn't seem to have a desire to pursue other acting roles, so he returned to what he loved most: stand-up comedy. Always tickled by the idea of a "curse" named after him, Jerry's had a few projects like Bee Movie and a few guest spots on Curb as himself, but his highest-profile return to the screen is Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.
Airing originally on Sony's fledgling website Crackle, the show moved to Netflix in 2018. Comedians In Cars features Jerry's two loves: cars and talking about comedy with other comedians. Over the years, he's driven around and chatted with Larry David, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Sarah Silverman, and even Barack Obama. The episodes run 15-20 mins each and are a fun, unique spin on the talk show. It's hilarious and insightful listening to comedians talk about their lives, their craft, and great watching Jerry in his element.
1 Veep (2012-2019) - 8.3
With Veep, Julia Louis-Dreyfus officially broke "The Seinfeld Curse" and became part of a show many consider a classic. Inspired by the BBC show, The Thick Of It, original series' creator Armando Iannucci adapted it for HBO. Veep dealt with the comedic exploits of Vice President Selina Meyer and the inner workings of her staff.
The show received critical acclaim and Louis-Dreyfus' performance has become iconic. For Veep, she won six consecutive Best Actress Emmys, and the show won twice for Best Show. Of all the Seinfeld core cast members, she's the only one to have had success creating another popular television character. Selina's very different from Elaine and showcases Louis-Dreyfus' comedic range. Time will tell if any of the others will ever have post-Seinfeld success like her.
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