Seinfeld (TV Series) Good News, Bad News (1989) User Reviews

Quite the stage setter.

[Pavel-8 · 8/10 · 14 June 2003]

Watching this pilot episode is entertaining as comedy. But looking back on it as the commencement of "Seinfeld"'s evolution is fascinating as well. The pilot initially aired as a test episode to determine the worthiness of the sitcom. I think it worked.

Everything in the episode is a little bit slower than later shows, when everyone is humming along. One can see the lines aren't quite as pointed, sharp, or quick. Kessler (Kramer) hasn't cut loose yet, nor has anyone else. The editing doesn't appear quite as quick-cutting. Elaine doesn't even exist. Many later staples (coffeeshop, apartment, Kramer's hair) are different than in the series.

No one seems completely confident in this new sort of comedy they're experimenting with. But one can observe exactly where everything spawns from. The storyline still features common occurrences and strange coincidences. Jerry and George still discuss seemingly insignificant details and still don't understand women. It's a real treat to see.

Watching this episode is like reading the rough draft of a paper or seeing an early dress rehearsal of a play. The seeds are all there; they just need to be watered with time and experience.

Bottom Line: In the long run, not one of the better episodes, but still worth watching anytime it is rerun. It is classic because it was the original.

Not great by the show's standards, but still one hell of a pilot.

[Chromium_5 · 8/10 · 2 December 2004]

"Seinfeld" is without a doubt one of the greatest sitcoms ever made. Not only was it consistently hilarious, it was cool and different from the very beginning... yes, even from the very first episode! Watching the pilot is an interesting experience, because it's not as good as what was to come, but it's still very well written and funny.

Like someone else said, this feels like a rough draft of "Seinfeld." You can tell the characters of George and Kramer (or Kessler) are written differently than what they turned into. George is a lot more confident--in fact, he seems more confident than Jerry (this definitely didn't last long). Kramer is more of a bum, not the hipster doofus he eventually became. Still, they all have great chemistry together, and the story is witty and funny.

All in all, it's fascinating to watch. It's the tip of the iceberg... a glimpse of the awesome show that is to come.

Jerry: I put them on my kitchen floor like little tumbleweeds. I thought maybe the cockroaches would see it, figure this is a dead town: "Let's move on."

[bombersflyup · 6/10 · 15 December 2021]

So Seinfeld's one of my all-time favourite shows I've watched a million times, but I've never considered this episode part of the series. I didn't even have it rated, I always start at "The Stakeout." It's solid though, there's some good material in here. The plot's rather basic for the entire episode to be about and it's more that this person treats Jerry poorly and is unkind, rather than him misunderstanding her. The other characters only exist through Jerry here too, not to mention Elaine's absence, Kramer being less vibrant, named Kessler and with a dog.

George: Ya know, I can't believe you're bringin' in an extra bed for a woman, that wants to sleep with you. Why don't you bring in an extra guy too?

Surprisingly Good

[jamsilve · 15 November 2003]

Like the final episode, the pilot is actually pretty good, when you consider the circumstances. No Elaine, Kramer is Kessler and he knocks when entering a room, and George has a steady job and confidence. All that said, some quality moments, like when Kessler pulls to pieces of bread out of his robe pockets in Jerry's apartment and says to him "Got any meat?" Funny stuff.

Surprisingly poor start to television's greatest show

[Gafaddict · 6/10 · 30 September 2006]

Personally I consider "Good News, Bad News" to be the worst in the already sub-par first season, as well as the worst in the entire Seinfeld series. The plot is in the same category as many of the classic episodes, but too much time is spent on minute details and doesn't seem like a complete episode. We can see more of Jerry's stand-up in the pilot than usual, unfortunately this is a detail of the series that was abolished in the end.

But we do see some of the, Jerry's critical over-analyzing, George's deceiving plans to woo a girl, and Kramer's (now Kessler) unbelievable eccentricity. Noticeably Elaine is absent from this one, but her role begins in the next episode.

Usually pilot episodes aren't much compared to the later episodes. However this episode wasn't all that great as far as pilots go, but thankfully NBC gave it time to develop into one of TV's greatest landmarks.

A very good first episode

[floydianer · 9/10 · 15 March 2006]

Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld's script for this Seinfeld pilot episode is good, often very funny, although not quite up to what the world would see in future episodes like "The Pen", "The Bubble Boy" or "The Outing". What it lacks though is an interesting plot: the storyline of Laura, the woman from Michigan, is actually quite uninteresting and the actress playing her is not a big deal either. The other female character, the waitress, is funny on the other hand and her conversations with Jerry and George are good. Still, we needed Elaine to really set things going.

The characters themselves are already established. George is a bit more confident and self-assured than later, but you definitely can see the future George Costanza in him. Kramer, or Kessler, is already funny and Michael Richards's great. It is indeed quite unusual to see him knock on the door before entering, have a dog that miraculously disappeared and have a normal hairstyle. Of course Jerry never really changed at all.

What really carries this, and the early episodes is the dialog. Quite frankly, Seinfeld is the show in television history with the best and funniest dialog. David and Seinfeld are writing on an high level right from the beginning. Prominently featured is Seinfeld's stand-up routine. The opening speech is quite unfunny but he gets much better later on. He really has the time for longer stories in the early episodes, and not just a quick joke like it would be in the future.

It's Seinfeld, it's great, Watch it!

First Seinfeld Experience... somewhat solid

[egunderson24 · 7/10 · 22 May 2019]

As it is known as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, it is interesting to look back on it. I am just beginning my first watch of the series, and I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed with the pilot. It seems like there's about 50% stand up and 50% actual events happening, like seeing the events unfold like at the laundromat or Jerry's apartment. From what I've gathered, it's not a story-heavy show. The stand-up does have some good moments, but it's really when they would show us the actual events that it becomes the funniest. The chemistry between Seinfeld and the other characters like George is great. The laundromat scene is great and the scene where Jerry is talking to George about what happened between him and this girl is easily the funniest part of the episode. Jerry's cluelessness is what makes it so funny and how George would respond to it. Unfortunately she only appears at the very end for maybe two minutes max. But it is funny when she reveals that she's already engaged. Overall it's a bit of a rocky start but it's still a fun watch and I'm still going to continue watching.

Let the fun begin!

[MaxBorg89 · 10/10 · 5 November 2007]

In one of this episode's funniest scenes, George Costanza (Jason Alexander) looks at a dryer and then says: "This is the dullest moment I've ever experienced.". Quite ironic, given this line is spoken in one of the most hilarious TV products of all time (some even say Seinfeld is the best US sitcom ever, and it is hard to disagree).

Though a bit different from the rest of the show, this pilot has everything you would expect from the series: an everyday premise, sharp writing and some of the best characters to have appeared on American television. The plot is extremely simple: stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld, playing "himself", is receiving a visit from a woman he met in Michigan and, uncertain as to what he should do, discusses his options with his best friend George, whose interpretation of events keeps changing, depending on the so-called signals. In between, the two also get to talk about buttons, laundry ("You can't over-die, you can't over-dry!") and coffee, with Jerry's goofy neighbor Kramer (Michael Richards) adding to the absurdity of certain situations, all of which are later incorporated in the protagonist's stage routine.

As with every other episode of the series, the main pleasure derives from seeing comedy gold spun from a pitch so simple it would probably be boring as hell in another program. Then again, this is Seinfeld, the "show about nothing", where the writers, headed by Larry "Curb Your Enthusiasm" David, were able to make random topics riveting with the same ease as Quentin Tarantino (minus the constant swearing, of course).

The consistent genius of the comedy is also the main reason why it is easy to overlook a few minor "flaws": there's no Elaine; George is oddly confident for a self-proclaimed "lord of the idiots"; Kramer has a dog that is never seen again in the series and, completely out of character, knocks on the door before entering Jerry's apartment (he does, however, atone for that misstep by extracting two slices of bread from his pockets and saying: "You got any meat?"). Normally, such inconsistencies would undermine an episode's value. But we're talking about a show that received its strength from having no real continuity, and therefore the right thing to do is the following: ignore the defects (it is a pilot, after all), get the DVD and watch The Seinfeld Chronicles for what it is - the smart, witty beginning of the smartest, wittiest thing that's ever aired on the small screen. End of story.

Let the fun begin!

[LeRoyMarko · 7/10 · 16 September 2006]

First ever episode of Seinfeld. A pilot, actually. Starts with a bang, even though the Elaine character is not in this one; Jerry's apartment is different; Kramer is actually Kessler and he has a dog; the coffee shop is not Munk's; there's Claire the waitress; there's cheesy music. But it's still a lot of fun. The famous scene where Jerry and George are discussing the place of a button on a shirt started it all. And right from the start, relationships are analyzed. Great lines in the laundromat where Jerry says that you "can't over-dry, just like you can't over-die". Back then, the show included a lot of stand-up routine from Jerry: "the washing machine is the nightclub of clothes"!

Watched on DVD on September 16th, 2006.

And that's the end of that story

[Weezer-16 · 10/10 · 17 January 2000]

I'm totally a Seinfeld fanatic, lunatic, maniac, Unbelievable fan! I've seen every single episode several times. It's very difficult to put words that describes my opinion about the series.

One thing is for sure! The genius, Jerry Seinfeld and his fellow actors and actresses do this to the best comedy- series in the world. They use a technique, in which they don't try to make every single event to a very funny one. They use natural dialogs. Even if they aren't hilarious all the time, the outcome is a great comedy with a funny plot and remarks.

Another thing that's great about the show, is that the events that occur get so "tangled" up in each other, but still it fits perfectly together every time.

To sum up I have to say that I like shows that don't contain any moral. The characters do things all the time, without caring about the consequences. I really like that. It makes the show original.

I will continue to watch the show for the rest of my life.

10 of 10 stars... I really mean that! The show has made me laugh so many times.

Does not accurately represent Seinfeld and its legacy but is still an interesting retrospective viewing experience

[SLionsCricketreviews · 6/10 · 7 January 2018]

I have taken it upon myself to watch Seinfeld, one of my absolute favourite television shows, once more from the very beginning and in the process of doing so, write up reviews which might be a harder task than imaginable given how consistently brilliant this show would become somewhere down the road. Watching and attempting any form of criticism of the very early episodes of Seinfeld can be an equally difficult task given the fact that a lot of the criticism is helmed by the fact that the early stages of Seinfeld do not reflect the brilliance and wit and joy of the show and not criticism inherent to the early episodes in and of themselves.The fact that the early episodes do not reflect a feeling of Seinfeld quite so much is what prevents me from enjoying them more and while the criticism may be somewhat unwarranted given how much experimentation went into settling on a design for the show, it cannot be avoided here in my case.

All of this is not to say that the early episodes have no place among the catalog of Seinfeld, but rather that it doesn't paint Seinfeld's potential as a show. It all begins here with this rather clunky pilot that does not hit much of the strides of Seinfeld, the show as it would go onto become. There's no Elaine, first and foremost, which is one of the more frequent observations regarding this episode and it certainly hurts not having that feminine anti-feminine presence as Elaine would bring tot he show. There's no Kramer in this episode, not because his name is substituted for Kessler (real life Kenny Kramer, ex-neighbour of Larry David's, was the basis of Kramer and he did not lend rights for his name to be used for a character based on him) but rather because Kramer is a little too aloof and described as a shut-in with little to no experience of social contact (evident to some extent in his brief interactions with George) and even George, arguably the episode's strongest point, is not the oddly endearing, dead on confidence, pathetic loser that he is renowned for.

Even more so than inconsistencies regarding characterization is the fact that this episode will most likely not reap too many rewards for those watching it for the first time today. There are few laughs throughout this twenty-two minutes, the stand-up sequence while it has a charm to it is not necessarily entertaining and overlong (first time viewers do not need to fear for the show severely cuts down on the stand-up by the time the show hits its stride) and even the characters obsessing over the minutia of their daily lives (Jerry pinpointing the one out-of-place button on George's shirt), while amusing, lacks the confidence and zip that would over time come to both the writers and actors.

Nevertheless, despite the fact that the episode may operate low on praise, is a watchable half hour of television. It works better as a retrospective exercise, watching this first episode, and it is amusing how many notes this episode misses that have come to define Seinfeld the show. The fact that the pilot is clunky should not in any way be an indicator of the show to come given both the lesser state of television then and the time taken for creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld to find the show its own identity. All of this is but a part of the grand tale of Seinfeld's rise to pop culture phenomenon as one of the all time great television shows.

Hilarious, but

[Quinoa1984 · 8/10 · 13 July 2000]

As much as I found this pilot episode to be funny, some things made me ponder. For instance, why isn't Elaine here, why is Kramer named Kessler and why is this only 30 minutes long. Well- 1, Elaine didn;t show up until mid-first season, 2, Kramer came along in the first episode and 3, this is the pilot. Yes, this is the original Seinfeld pilot aired to see if the show would become a hit. Though very funny for a pilot, it didn't sky rocket the show to stardom immediately (the show was at first called dumb and not about anything). But eventually, the show got funnier until it became (to me) the funniest sitcom ever. Kudos Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David for creating such good characters. A+

That wasn't in the manual...

[itamarscomix · 7/10 · 27 September 2011]

What's going on here? Where's Elaine? Why are they calling Kramer by the wrong name, and why does he have a dog? And why on earth are they sitting at a regular table at Monk's? The pilot episode for Seinfeld - sometimes called 'The Seinfeld Chronicles' or 'Good News, Bad News' - can be startling to watch. It looks very little like Seinfeld at all. Even when you can't put your finger on something specific, it just feels wrong; it feels a lot, not by accident, like Jerry and George's failed pilot 'Jerry'.

But Seinfeld's special brand of humor is all there, in a more concentrated for than on any other episode in fact. Almost every conversation Jerry and George have - about the buttons on a shirt, about overdrying your laundry, about the meaning behind different kinds of greetings - is a perfect classic example of a 'Seinfeldian conversation', and these are the ones that set the pace for the rest of the series. It's not as funny as almost all episodes from the second season onwards, but it's a terrific pilot and an essential part of the show's canon.

Worst episode of television I've ever watched

[ksudusky · 1/10 · 4 May 2021]

This was my first time watching Seinfeld and I'm not sure if all of the episodes are this bad, but this episode was terrible to me. None of the jokes were funny, the characters were all bland, the writing was terrible, it was so boring I was actually looking forward to the advertisements. I would give this episode 0/10 stars if I could.

Pilot: Funny but most interesting to see the early stages

[bob the moo · 17 January 2010]

Jerry has a date tomorrow, or maybe he doesn't because he is not 100% sure the woman coming into New York for work will see him. George is convinced that all the verbal cues point to him being a back-up plan or her just being polite, but this is thrown into a cocked hat when she asks if she can stay at Jerry's for the night. George goes along to help pick her up at the airport to give assistance on the clues given on her intentions by her physical greeting.

From the very start this "show about nothing" opens with the sort of territory that it would do successfully for many seasons. The dialogue drives it forward as the two characters sum up the modern anxiety of day-to-day life and dating by over-analysing everything and over thinking a situation that is admittedly not the clearest or easiest. It is not hilarious but it is quite amusing and well written because while it does have exaggeration for comedy effect. The show pushes George to the fore in this episode while Jerry really does his best work in the stand-up sections. George is pretty good although he is more reasonable than in the full series and when he does act-up it feels forced. Kramer is here and seems mostly like he will continue to be, except with wilder hair. Elaine is absent from the pilot but this was still a work in progress.

Overall an amusing pilot that is entertaining but also serves as a look at how the show started and was pretty much doing what it wanted to do from the start.

Distinctly, the first episode

[drobertmitchell · 7/10 · 23 March 2007]

As soon as the episode begins, it's obvious that this is the first episode. The credits are different. The nightclub is different. There is more stand-up than usual. The restaurant is very different. No booths! Jerry's apartment building is different. His apartment is nearly the same.

Jerry worries that a guest is coming from out of town. A female guest. He thinks he should clean the bathroom. George says: Filth is good! You think rock stars have soap and ammonia lying around? (Take a look at the memorable quotes.)

They meet Laura as she gets off the plane. She gets seductively comfortable at his place, requesting wine and an extra night.

And it goes on from there. It ends with a good bit of stand-up.

Overall, a good episode. Although without Elaine, it doesn't feel like the whole show. Julia Louis-Dreyfus was a great addition with Elaine, starting in the next episode.

Seems fun

[CursedChico · 9/10 · 29 October 2020]

It seems fun. I first time saw this show. I liked it. It is not like other sit-coms. It shows the place and scene then the platform where the guy speaks and does stand-up.

Educational and Relatable

[joeblowxxx · 7/10 · 2 July 2019]

I gave my son a vhs copy of this episode for his ninth birthday and told him everything he needed to know about women could be found within the tape. Normalizing catcalling, doing favors with strings attached, listening to George Costanza. Now I only get to see him on the weekends. Whatever. Leaves me plenty of time to study the tapes.

Funny, witty and so much ahead of its time

[Horst_In_Translation · 8/10 · 30 September 2013]

These twenty two minutes of Jerry Seinfeld playing Jerry Seinfeld showed us the shape of things to come, i.e. the long-running series that was launched not much later. It's a mix of Seinfeld doing standup comedy and interacting with his friends. While his shows were pretty funny too, I definitely preferred his scenes with Jason Alexander, who wasn't even 30 when this was made, but still totally dominated the screen in his scenes. Kessler is already there as well, so the only one still missing is Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who, as a side note, has already won more Emmys most recently for 2 seasons of Veep than for Seinfeld.

We find out wisdom about female signals, laundromats, cotton balls and many many more. It's truly innovative take on male-female relationships that always start as job interviews that last all night. It's a short film that oozes creativity from everybody involved, especially creator Larry David. The humor and references are still unbelievably relevant 25 years later. It's all you can ask for in comedy. Very much recommended and a great start to get into the series.

You are engaged?

[dannylee-78082 · 7/10 · 21 February 2023]

1. Jerry quibbles over a button with George 2. Jerry has a female guest over 3. Who turns out to be engaged

It's going to be hard to review 20 minute sitcoms and I hope I can do them effectively. This is my first exposure to Seinfeld, which is deemed as a classic. I've known it for a while but it's my first time actually watching it. I thought it had decent humor. I really like Jerry Seinfeld as a character. Thought he had excellent standup bits. I can't really stand laugh tracks because it gets me self conscious when my laughs are not in line with the track but that's something that I might need to get used to. It feels like HIMYM in the sense it talks a lot about romantic pursuits in a big city such as NYC. Excited to start on this journey!

The Chronicles

[ThunderKing6 · 10/10 · 3 January 2023]

Where it all began for the Khazar.

I really do like this pilot and season 1 because it had so many recasts and changes, which makes the show even more interesting due to the changes.

This pilot episode was a very smooth, funny, simple start to what would become the greatest show in television history.

About: Jerry gets a call from a lady that she's coming over, and he doesn't know what to expect. Indirectly stated, Jerry wanted to get into her dress.

Spoiler alert: It doesn't happen because she's in engaged, therefore used Jerry for a free motel.

George also makes his debut. The first line of the series was Jerry ripping on George's button.

Kramer makes a debut as a goofy neighbor. I wish they kept this Kramer for the rest or majority of the series because I thought he was great.

Elaine did not debut yet because the initial plan was to make the waitress the fourth wheel, that never happened.

Laugh meter: 10. A mellow, funny episode that felt like he was actually in New York.

Highlight: Airport greeting. This episode proved that George was gonna be a legend.

Overall, a solid pilot and an episode

Should you watch this? Yes.

Rather Tame but First Episode

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 10 October 2021]

We get to know the characters with just enough substance to get things rolling. Here George warns Jerry that the woman who is coming to New York is not really interested in him. His commentary as a standup will be a staple here. So off and rolling.

The start of it all

[jamariana · 8/10 · 12 July 2017]

Seinfeld is the best of the best when it comes to comedy writing. Every line, every joke, every single word uttered by any of the main characters - Jerry, George, Kramer, or Elaine (who was not in the pilot) - is so well-crafted. This was a great episode. George accompanies Jerry to do his laundry, Kramer tells Jerry about how he "almost" became a lawyer, and Jerry receives a house guest that sends a lot of mixed signals. It truly is a show about nothing. But the way each episode draws our attention to the brilliance of the writing allows it to soar way above everyday television.

The beginning

[safenoe · 7/10 · 6 April 2024]

I remember seeing Good News, Bad News, the Seinfeld pilot, back in the 1990s, and I saw it only after having watched the first few seasons. Anyway, being a Seinfeld fan, I'm one to reflect on the origins and history of Seinfeld, one of the best sitcoms from the 1990s, alongside the sadly underrated Parker Lewis Can't Lose. Anyway, there are some differences to the rest of the series, as there's no Elaine, and also Kramer is called Kessler. Also Lee Garlington guest stars as Claire, who almost stole the Robert Redford movie Sneakers as Dr. Elena Rhyzkov. Well done for Seinfeld surviving after this episode.

Not Nearly As Funny As It Was Back When Cocaine Was Cheap

[nebohr · 4/10 · 13 October 2021]

If it wasn't for the laugh track we doubt people would even realize this is a comedy show.

Jerry's opening monolog didn't age very well. "Being out" doesn't mean the same thing as it once did. Back then people still depended on "telephone" "land lines". People still carried "cash". There was no Uber.

Maybe the episode itself will be funny. Nope, it wasn't.

Oh, and every "audience" has the same actors. See for yourselves.