Three decades ago, TV shows were about something… and then a little show about nothing changed everything.
On July 5, 1989, Seinfeld made an unremarkable debut on NBC and puttered along for a few low-rated seasons — it would’ve been cancelled five times over by today’s NBC, of course — before blossoming into a true cultural phenomenon. Now, 30 years later, the misadventures of Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer stand as one of the greatest and most popular comedies in TV history, with a refreshingly low-stakes look at life’s little quirks and annoyances — and an avalanche of catchphrases we’re still quoting today. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
To celebrate 30 years of Seinfeld, we’re rolling up the sleeves of our puffy shirts and ranking the 30 best episodes across all nine seasons…
