It has been exactly 35 years since NBC took a gamble on one of its riskiest episodes of Seinfeld, a move that almost drove co-creator Larry David to exit the show. The beloved 1990s sitcom, co-created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, followed the misadventures of a fictionalized version of the stand-up comedian and his three closest friends: George Costanza (Jason Alexander), ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and neighbor Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). The series remains one of the most influential in television history, known for its iconic quotes and boundary-pushing storytelling, much like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The Episode That Almost Ended It All
Nowhere was this more evident than in the renowned season two episode 11, The Chinese Restaurant, which aired on May 23, 1991. At the time of its production, it was one of the most controversial scripts Jerry and Larry had ever presented to the studio. Network executives did everything they could to shut it down.
The episode follows the usual group of friends, except Kramer, as they wait for a table at a Chinese restaurant. As they wait longer, their hunger grows, and they agonize over various minor problems. The entire time, the maître d' teases them with the promise of a table any moment. It is a simple but delightful premise, based on Larry and Jerry's own experience of waiting in line at a restaurant.
Set entirely in the Chinese restaurant, the episode is shot in real time with no cuts, a format known as a 'bottle episode.' However, executives believed audiences would lose interest due to the lack of a concise plot and planned to cancel the episode entirely. Jerry revealed that NBC's Warren Littlefield even thought pages were missing when he first read the script.
"The Chinese Restaurant was the point where the network said: 'You know, we really don't understand what you're trying to do with this show, and we think it's wrong,'" Jerry recalled, according to Vulture.
Larry David's Ultimatum
Given the episode's lack of a discernible storyline, the network nearly axed it. However, the Curb Your Enthusiasm creator threatened to walk out if the episode was not released. Jerry added about the network's change of heart: "[NBC said]: 'We're going to air it anyway.' I was thrilled that NBC took that attitude. We had done enough good things at that point that they were willing to trust us."
The only alteration they made was deciding to air the episode at the end of the season, in case it turned audiences off the show permanently. But all that worry was for nothing; The Chinese Restaurant has since become a hall-of-fame episode, joining other classics such as The Soup Nazi, The Parking Garage, and The Puffy Shirt.
Larry David's Tendency to Quit
The Chinese Restaurant is not the only time Larry David has considered leaving the show. As he once told the Bill Simmons podcast: "It's tough to take orders and notes from people. I can't have a boss. I'm always the happiest when I'm in charge of my own stuff."
Seinfeld is available to stream on Netflix now.
