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Seinfeld Trivia Quiz
Seinfeld is the famous comedy "about nothing," following stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his friends — the neurotic, perpetually scheming George Costanza, eccentric across-the-hall neighbour Kramer, and sharp ex-girlfriend Elaine — as they obsess over the tiny absurdities of everyday life in New York City.
Q1. What was the original title of the Seinfeld pilot?
Answer: The Seinfeld Chronicles. The 23-minute pilot aired on 5 July 1989 and tested so badly that NBC left it off its schedule. The show was later renamed simply Seinfeld, partly as a precaution after a similarly titled ABC sitcom, The Marshall Chronicles, failed in 1990. "Jerry" is the show-within-the-show from season four.
Q2. Which holiday was introduced in the episode "The Strike"?
Answer: Festivus. The December 23rd holiday came from real life: writer Dan O'Keefe's father had made up his own holiday called Festivus. Many Seinfeld plots worked this way, with writers' experiences reworked for the characters, from Larry David's time at Saturday Night Live to a friend's car that would not stop smelling.
Q3. Which fake name does George use when he needs a cover story?
Answer: Art Vandelay. George reaches for Art Vandelay whenever he is lying about a job or inventing an excuse. The character was based on Larry David himself: stingy, envious and a compulsive liar, but reliable to his friends and surprisingly successful with women.
Q4. Which team gives George a job after he starts doing the opposite of every instinct?
Answer: New York Yankees. In season five's "The Opposite", George's new approach lands him a job with the Yankees, where he becomes assistant to the traveling secretary. In the same episode a chain of mishaps leads to the demise of Pendant Publishing, Elaine's employer. Jerry, meanwhile, is a Mets fan.
Q5. What is Kramer's first name, revealed by his mother in "The Switch"?
Answer: Cosmo. Kramer's mom, Babs, lets it slip in season six. The character was heavily based on a neighbour of Larry David's from his early comedy days in Manhattan, and "The Muffin Tops" later parodies the real Kenny Kramer's Reality Tour of Seinfeld locations.
Q6. What did Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David do with NBC's memo calling their pilot "weak"?
Answer: Hung it in a bathroom on the set. Test viewers complained that you "can't get too excited about two guys going to the laundromat" and called George "not a forceful character". The creators only saw the memo years later and hung it in a set bathroom, because, as Seinfeld put it, that is where someone reading it should be.
Q7. Which real New York diner's exterior was used for Monk's Cafe?
Answer: Tom's Restaurant. Tom's Restaurant at 112th Street and Broadway appears in establishing shots. Everything else was shot in Los Angeles, at CBS Studio Center, including all street scenes on its New York backlot; even the exterior of Jerry's building is in Los Angeles, at 757 S New Hampshire Avenue.
Q8. In "The Junior Mint", why did the writer choose a Junior Mint rather than popcorn?
Answer: His brother said Junior Mints were just funnier. Writer Andy Robin wanted Kramer to treat watching an operation like going to the movies and first pictured popcorn falling into the patient. His brother told him Junior Mints were funnier. The creators said the show's many real products were chosen for comedy, not paid placement.
Q9. Seinfeld won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1993. Which show beat it every year after that?
Answer: Frasier. Seinfeld was nominated every year of its run, but after its 1993 win it always lost to the Cheers spin-off Frasier, which went on to win a record 39 Emmys. Seinfeld's 1993 win had come against its time-slot rival Home Improvement.
Q10. Which catalog company does Elaine end up writing for?
Answer: J. Peterman. Elaine first meets J. Peterman in season six's "The Understudy". Before that she worked for Mr. Lippman at Pendant Publishing and as a personal assistant to the eccentric Justin Pitt. In season eight she even writes Peterman's biography, which spins off into Kramer's "reality tour" storyline.
Q11. How did NBC executive Rick Ludwin find the money to order more episodes after the pilot?
Answer: He cancelled a Bob Hope special. Ludwin, head of late night and specials, diverted the money to order four more episodes, the smallest sitcom order in TV history. A Chicago Tribune columnist later said that without that move there "would be no Seinfeld". Castle Rock had found no other buyer, and Fox had already declined.
Q12. Jonathan Wolff built the famous theme mainly from samples of which instrument?
Answer: Slap bass. Wolff wanted an instantly recognisable "audio signature" rather than a melodic sitcom theme, so he processed slap bass samples and added finger snaps and mouth noises. He wrote variations to match each episode's rhythm, and Larry David refused when the network asked for a more conventional theme.
Q13. Which episode is told in reverse chronological order, inspired by a Harold Pinter play?
Answer: The Betrayal. The season nine episode follows Sue Ellen Mischke's wedding in India backwards, borrowing the device from Pinter's play Betrayal. Other format experiments include "The Chinese Restaurant", which is just the gang waiting for a table, and "The Parking Garage", the first episode shot with no audience.
Q14. How much per episode did NBC offer Jerry Seinfeld for a tenth season?
Answer: $5 million. That came to $110 million for a 22-episode season, over three times more per episode than anyone on TV had been offered. Seinfeld turned it down to end the show on top and focus on his personal life. His 1998 earnings from the show, including syndication, were estimated at $267 million.
Q15. Which NBC episode was shown only once after it caused protests?
Answer: The Puerto Rican Day. In the season nine episode Kramer accidentally burns a Puerto Rican flag, which caused a furor among Puerto Ricans. NBC aired it only once and Seinfeld kept it out of syndication for several years before it was added back uncut. "The Contest", despite its subject, won an Emmy.
Q16. Which episode was written for season two but never filmed because its content was deemed unacceptable?
Answer: The Bet. Larry Charles wrote "The Bet", in which Elaine buys a gun from a friend of Kramer's. It was dropped and replaced by "The Phone Message". "The Stranded", also meant for season two, aired in season three, which is why Jerry opens it by clearing up a continuity error about George's job.
Q17. "The Keys" crossed over with which CBS show, the first such cooperation between rival networks?
Answer: Murphy Brown. The episode marked the first time two rival networks worked together on a crossover. The same early seasons set benchmarks like "The Deal", which defined Jerry and Elaine's friendship, and "The Busboy", the first episode where George, Kramer and Elaine each had their own storyline.
Q18. Where was Seinfeld actually filmed after the pilot?
Answer: CBS Studio Center in Studio City. The first three seasons used Soundstage 19 and the rest moved to the larger Stage 9. Jerry's apartment set was famously cramped; Jason Alexander said nobody would build that set if they knew the show would run nine years. The pilot itself was shot at the old Desilu Cahuenga studios.
Q19. What did the pilot finish behind in its time slot on 5 July 1989?
Answer: Jake and the Fatman. The pilot came second against the CBS police drama with a Nielsen rating of 10.9. When NBC repeated it a year later it scored 13.9, and research showed it was popular with young men, which helped secure a second season. It took another three years to reach the top five.
Q20. Which feature was used in only one episode, "The Note", before executives asked for it to be removed?
Answer: Scatting female backup singers in the bumper music. Wolff added singers whose phrase sounded like "Easy to Beat", and Seinfeld and David liked it enough to make three episodes that way without telling NBC or Castle Rock. The executives disliked it, so the other two were redone. Louis-Dreyfus joked the lyric was too close to the low ratings.
Seinfeld quiz answers and explanations
Every question from the quiz above with its correct answer, the story behind it, and where the fact comes from.
-
What was the original title of the Seinfeld pilot?
Answer: The Seinfeld Chronicles. The 23-minute pilot aired on 5 July 1989 and tested so badly that NBC left it off its schedule. The show was later renamed simply Seinfeld, partly as a precaution after a similarly titled ABC sitcom, The Marshall Chronicles, failed in 1990. "Jerry" is the show-within-the-show from season four.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Which holiday was introduced in the episode "The Strike"?
Answer: Festivus. The December 23rd holiday came from real life: writer Dan O'Keefe's father had made up his own holiday called Festivus. Many Seinfeld plots worked this way, with writers' experiences reworked for the characters, from Larry David's time at Saturday Night Live to a friend's car that would not stop smelling.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Which fake name does George use when he needs a cover story?
Answer: Art Vandelay. George reaches for Art Vandelay whenever he is lying about a job or inventing an excuse. The character was based on Larry David himself: stingy, envious and a compulsive liar, but reliable to his friends and surprisingly successful with women.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Which team gives George a job after he starts doing the opposite of every instinct?
Answer: New York Yankees. In season five's "The Opposite", George's new approach lands him a job with the Yankees, where he becomes assistant to the traveling secretary. In the same episode a chain of mishaps leads to the demise of Pendant Publishing, Elaine's employer. Jerry, meanwhile, is a Mets fan.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
What is Kramer's first name, revealed by his mother in "The Switch"?
Answer: Cosmo. Kramer's mom, Babs, lets it slip in season six. The character was heavily based on a neighbour of Larry David's from his early comedy days in Manhattan, and "The Muffin Tops" later parodies the real Kenny Kramer's Reality Tour of Seinfeld locations.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
What did Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David do with NBC's memo calling their pilot "weak"?
Answer: Hung it in a bathroom on the set. Test viewers complained that you "can't get too excited about two guys going to the laundromat" and called George "not a forceful character". The creators only saw the memo years later and hung it in a set bathroom, because, as Seinfeld put it, that is where someone reading it should be.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Which real New York diner's exterior was used for Monk's Cafe?
Answer: Tom's Restaurant. Tom's Restaurant at 112th Street and Broadway appears in establishing shots. Everything else was shot in Los Angeles, at CBS Studio Center, including all street scenes on its New York backlot; even the exterior of Jerry's building is in Los Angeles, at 757 S New Hampshire Avenue.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
In "The Junior Mint", why did the writer choose a Junior Mint rather than popcorn?
Answer: His brother said Junior Mints were just funnier. Writer Andy Robin wanted Kramer to treat watching an operation like going to the movies and first pictured popcorn falling into the patient. His brother told him Junior Mints were funnier. The creators said the show's many real products were chosen for comedy, not paid placement.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Seinfeld won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1993. Which show beat it every year after that?
Answer: Frasier. Seinfeld was nominated every year of its run, but after its 1993 win it always lost to the Cheers spin-off Frasier, which went on to win a record 39 Emmys. Seinfeld's 1993 win had come against its time-slot rival Home Improvement.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Which catalog company does Elaine end up writing for?
Answer: J. Peterman. Elaine first meets J. Peterman in season six's "The Understudy". Before that she worked for Mr. Lippman at Pendant Publishing and as a personal assistant to the eccentric Justin Pitt. In season eight she even writes Peterman's biography, which spins off into Kramer's "reality tour" storyline.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
How did NBC executive Rick Ludwin find the money to order more episodes after the pilot?
Answer: He cancelled a Bob Hope special. Ludwin, head of late night and specials, diverted the money to order four more episodes, the smallest sitcom order in TV history. A Chicago Tribune columnist later said that without that move there "would be no Seinfeld". Castle Rock had found no other buyer, and Fox had already declined.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Jonathan Wolff built the famous theme mainly from samples of which instrument?
Answer: Slap bass. Wolff wanted an instantly recognisable "audio signature" rather than a melodic sitcom theme, so he processed slap bass samples and added finger snaps and mouth noises. He wrote variations to match each episode's rhythm, and Larry David refused when the network asked for a more conventional theme.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Which episode is told in reverse chronological order, inspired by a Harold Pinter play?
Answer: The Betrayal. The season nine episode follows Sue Ellen Mischke's wedding in India backwards, borrowing the device from Pinter's play Betrayal. Other format experiments include "The Chinese Restaurant", which is just the gang waiting for a table, and "The Parking Garage", the first episode shot with no audience.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
How much per episode did NBC offer Jerry Seinfeld for a tenth season?
Answer: $5 million. That came to $110 million for a 22-episode season, over three times more per episode than anyone on TV had been offered. Seinfeld turned it down to end the show on top and focus on his personal life. His 1998 earnings from the show, including syndication, were estimated at $267 million.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Which NBC episode was shown only once after it caused protests?
Answer: The Puerto Rican Day. In the season nine episode Kramer accidentally burns a Puerto Rican flag, which caused a furor among Puerto Ricans. NBC aired it only once and Seinfeld kept it out of syndication for several years before it was added back uncut. "The Contest", despite its subject, won an Emmy.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Which episode was written for season two but never filmed because its content was deemed unacceptable?
Answer: The Bet. Larry Charles wrote "The Bet", in which Elaine buys a gun from a friend of Kramer's. It was dropped and replaced by "The Phone Message". "The Stranded", also meant for season two, aired in season three, which is why Jerry opens it by clearing up a continuity error about George's job.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
"The Keys" crossed over with which CBS show, the first such cooperation between rival networks?
Answer: Murphy Brown. The episode marked the first time two rival networks worked together on a crossover. The same early seasons set benchmarks like "The Deal", which defined Jerry and Elaine's friendship, and "The Busboy", the first episode where George, Kramer and Elaine each had their own storyline.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Where was Seinfeld actually filmed after the pilot?
Answer: CBS Studio Center in Studio City. The first three seasons used Soundstage 19 and the rest moved to the larger Stage 9. Jerry's apartment set was famously cramped; Jason Alexander said nobody would build that set if they knew the show would run nine years. The pilot itself was shot at the old Desilu Cahuenga studios.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
What did the pilot finish behind in its time slot on 5 July 1989?
Answer: Jake and the Fatman. The pilot came second against the CBS police drama with a Nielsen rating of 10.9. When NBC repeated it a year later it scored 13.9, and research showed it was popular with young men, which helped secure a second season. It took another three years to reach the top five.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
-
Which feature was used in only one episode, "The Note", before executives asked for it to be removed?
Answer: Scatting female backup singers in the bumper music. Wolff added singers whose phrase sounded like "Easy to Beat", and Seinfeld and David liked it enough to make three episodes that way without telling NBC or Castle Rock. The executives disliked it, so the other two were redone. Louis-Dreyfus joked the lyric was too close to the low ratings.
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
Seinfeld by the numbers
- Seasons
- 9
- Episodes
- 180
- First aired
- 5 July 1989
- Last aired
- 14 May 1998
- Finale viewers (US)
- 76.3 million
- Emmy for Outstanding Comedy
- 1993
- Turned-down 10th season offer
- $110 million
- Syndication earnings (to 2017)
- about $4.06 billion
Source: Wikipedia: Seinfeld
About the Seinfeld quiz
Seinfeld is sometimes called the show about nothing, but its history is full of near-misses. Its pilot was rated weak and nearly dropped, the network found money for more episodes in an unusual way, some episodes were never made, and Jerry Seinfeld walked away from a large offer for a tenth season. Those stories, together with the show's best-known episodes, give a quiz more to test than catchphrases.
Questions cover the show about nothing — Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer, their New York haunts, the running gags, and famous episodes like "The Contest" and "The Soup Nazi."
What this Seinfeld quiz covers
The quiz moves through all nine seasons, from The Seinfeld Chronicles to the finale, but leaves out the catchphrase questions every Seinfeld quiz repeats. Instead you get the stories behind the show: the memo that nearly killed it, the Bob Hope special that saved it, where it was really filmed, the slap-bass theme, the episodes that were never made or only shown once, and the $110 million Jerry turned down. Each answer below explains the background and links to the source.
How to play
Tap an answer to see the right one straight away, with the story behind it, and check your score at the end. Play Again resets the quiz.
Seinfeld quiz — frequently asked questions
Do I need to remember specific episodes?
For some questions, yes. A few name episodes such as "The Strike" or "The Junior Mint", but the question always explains what happens in them.
Is it only about the main four?
Mostly, with some questions about the people behind the show, including the composer, network executives and Larry David.
How obscure does it get?
The expert round covers unmade episodes, network crossovers and early ratings that even big fans may not know.