Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer together again? Get out! It’s true—and this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly goes on the set with Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael Richards, who joined old pal Larry David for the new season of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Over the last six seasons, viewers have come to expect the outrageous from Curb, Larry David’s comedic exploration of a man named Larry David. For season 7, the co-creator of Seinfeld decided it was finally time to reunite the gang from his old, pathologically revered NBC sitcom, who up until now had resisted the urge to re-emerge. The story line, which starts in episode 3, is sprinkled over five of the season’s 10 episodes as Larry recruits the cast, then plans and tapes the big Seinfeld reunion (viewers will see a few scenes of the Seinfeld reunion episode on Curb). David is cagey on plot details, and will only hint that “Larry attempts to get [his estranged wife] Cheryl back, and the Seinfeld reunion figures prominently in that.” Adds Louis-Dreyfus, “It’s the anti-reunion reunion, and I’d like to copyright that.”
When David approached Seinfeld about a reunion plot on Curb in spring 2008, the comedian wasn’t terribly worried about mucking around with the legacy of his beloved nine-season show. “The idea of working with Larry was just too overwhelmingly appealing to me, and [Curb] is such a great show,” he says. “There was a little part of me that said, ‘Do we really want to tamper?’…But to hell with it. How much damage can you really do?”
The first scene that the Seinfeld gang shot required them to immediately slip back into their old characters. “Just before we shot that scene, I said to Jerry and Julia, ‘I don’t know if I can be George. I haven’t tried him on in a while,’” recalls Alexander. “And it was freaky how it just came right back out.” Richards, meanwhile, dove in feet first. “I’d always kept Kramer’s shoes,” he notes. “Once I got those shoes on, and I’m standing behind the door of Jerry’s apartment, I was ready.” Being surrounded by the original sets also helped them get back in the mood: The Curb producers tracked down Jerry’s apartment and Monk’s coffee shop in a nearby warehouse. (Some home improvements were required, including replacing Jerry’s apartment door, which Seinfeld had taken as a souvenir.)
While this strange trip may not be the reunion scenario that fans expected, both Seinfeld and David agree that it’ll be the only one viewers will ever get. “As far as I’m concerned, we did do it, and in a better way than I ever imagined,” says Seinfeld. “This exceeded my expectations, so there’s no chance I would revisit it now.” And there’s plenty of other action in Curb’s seventh season: Look for appearances by Meg Ryan, Rosie O’Donnell, Elisabeth Shue (who scores a part in the Seinfeld reunion), Sherry Stringfield, Christian Slater, and Sharon Lawrence, as well as the return of Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, and Richard Lewis.
For more on Curb Your Enthusiasm and the Seinfeld gang—including the cast’s picks for their favorite Seinfeld moments, and what Larry David really thought of Seinfeld’s polarizing series finale—check out the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, on stands Aug 28.
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What about Newman!? I’d love to see/hear Jerry say “Hello, Newman” one more time
I actually saw Jerry Seinfeld live a few weeks ago. At the end someone asked him to do a “hello Newman” and he mentioned that he got a chance to catch up with Wayne Knight while filming this, so I think there will be some Newman.
I also saw Jerry on August 21, in Ottawa, and someone also asked at the end to say “Hello Newman” The crowd burst out with cheers and laughter!
Oh geez, I know it’s weird to feel sympathy for a multi-cajillionaire but “Say ‘Hello, Newman’” must get pretty old. I saw Seinfeld EIGHT YEARS ago and clearly remember that “Say ‘Hello, Newman’” was the first audience request. (The other “questions” were just people randomly shouting out lines from Seinfeld. So classy.) Then again, maybe he hires a guy to follow him around and request “Hello, Newman” at every show.
so true
I just hope this isn’t as bad as the series finale.
Don’t worry. Newman is it in. (There are photos of him visting the set circulating on the net). There are also cameos from a few other favorites…
I just watched the making of the reunion on HBO, and Newman IS on it… it showed them filming a scene.
Sweet, can’t wait for Saturday!!!
great photo.
CURB is one of the greatest comedy programs in TV history, as is SEINFELD. Larry David is a comedic deity. I am sure Season 7 will be pretty, pretty, pretty awesome, with or without Jerry and friends.
Julia let it slip in another interview that Elaine now has a baby and is a horrible mother.
What other kind of mother could she be?
this kind of commenting may be not kind of nice to say about ellen. just because she says such thinks as ‘may be dingo can eat your babys’ not mean she can not be a good kind of mother to her own babys.
Yeah, and now so did you. Way to spoil!
OMG!!! Can’t wait.
Thank God! Not another cover with the Twillight twits!!!
You got that right! Is anyone else sick of stupid teenage vampires?
I know – this is pretty surprising to see on the cover of Twilight Weekly.
Just when I let my subscription expire (too much Twilight! Not interested!), they go and put out a Seinfeld cover. Oh, cruel Irony. Off to the newsstands.
I love Seinfeld and Curb and can’t wait, but, wow…What a bunch of Twilight haters. Get over it!
Wow, that’s literally the exact thing I said when I saw this. I can’t believe it’s not Twilight. And Chris, I was almost in your boat. Too much Twilight = one less subscription.
You can’t help but smile when you look at the picture.Im sure it will be a great season as always.I wish newman would make a surprise appearance.
If only…..
Seinfeld could bury every single sitcom if it were to make a comeback.
Curb is the best comedy on t.v.!! I’m hoping this is not the last season.
it is ridiculous how excited i am for this season!!
I’m so excited! The gangs back together, but will this be enough?! I want it more. I want it all. I can’t wait!!! Wait until I tell the hubby.(smile)
I still laugh my a** off when I watch the reruns….They never get old, are always funny and so far have not been matched
This is a foursome that just can’t be beat !!! I still watch re-runs of them to this day – and they are still FUNNY !!!
Now THIS is Entertainment News!!! No Twilight talk??? Hooray for EW.COM!!!
This sound promising, but I sure hope we get the Blacks peppered through season seven. Leon is the perfect foil for Larry and I love that Loretta and Larry have a Christmas card together.
Lisa, Mark & Felicia:
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!!! I am as sick of “Twilight” as you all are. It’s about time the media realized that there is something other than tween stuff around. And for me, it’s not only “Twilight” but Miley Cyrus, High School Musical and the Jonas Brothers. Blech, blech and blech!!! Unfortunately, I don’t have HBO, so will have to wait for “Curb” on DVD, but will definitely see it then. “Seinfeld”, to use an old expression, is often imitated but never equaled. Long live Jerry, Elaine and George. (I don’t like Kramer.)
Come on over:)
Has kramer calmed down since his last gig !!??…….I hear kramer and pauly shore are doin a sitcom?…..praise-tha-lord.
I was SO excited when I heard that Curb was coming back for season seven. And now I can’t wait to see everyone from Seinfeld! I agree with some posters, I really hope Newman shows up!
No Newman.. since he lost about half his weight! It wouldn’t be the same
I like it “the anti-reunion reunion”. Sounds like a lot of fun..can’t wait!!
Julia Louis-Dreyfus looks hotter and younger than when she was on the show!!! How does that happen?? The guys look older and fatter but she is hot hot hot! And I love her on Christine btw.
You have to realize that Julia was worth a couple of hundred million before she got into showbiz. So she was willing to work hard for reasons other than money. To her, Seinfeld salary & residuals are chump change.
Try billions. To say she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth would be the understatment of the year.
I sho hopes Kramer beez telln sum raciss jokes.
I hope he doesn’t, but I can’t help but wonder if they will address that issue on the show. So far it looks like they are just going to ignore it.
Great photo – looks like Larry is trying to keep from cracking up himself…
Oh man, I’m so excited. I used to watch Seinfeld with my parents when I was in grade school. Needless to say, I didn’t get half of the jokes and, now that I’m older, I’ve been enjoying re-watching old Seinfeld episodes with more mature eyes. I think this is the perfect way to do a Seinfeld reunion.
“The Contest” episode must have been awkward. “Mom, dad, what are they talking about?”
yeah, I know JLD gets better and better with age.
I just hope they have The Blacks meet Michael Richards.
I’d be disappointed if they didn’t address that. Its the Elephant in the room, and I’d love to see some self-deprecating, foot-in-mouth awkwardness that Curb is renowned for.
I love it!!! The guys are back!! The best sitcom ever…
OH. MY GAWD!
I got my issue today, and tweeted all about the cover/show.
I can’t ever look at Michael Richards (or Kramer) the same way again, but I’ll try to look past it to get my Jerry, Elaine, George fix.
I agree. He is tainted now and I can’t get past it.
I find it ridiculous that you can’t get over it. It’s in the past. I know what he said was wrong, but he was drunk at the time and I’m sure he realizes it was a mistake. Have you ever heard of forgiveness?
Co-signed. And I actually won’t watch. I can’t suspend disbelief that long.
People that say “co-signed” are d0uche-bags.