Jerry Seinfeld on his way to pick up Larry David in a 1952 Volkswagen Bug
First there was Bee Movie. Then came The Marriage Ref a few years later. In 2012, legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s latest project is Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, a new web series perfectly summed up by its name.
While Comediansis miles ahead of Seinfeld’s animated insect movie and his marriage counseling reality show on the watchability scale, it’s still disappointing that the 58-year-old funnyman ended his eponymous NBC sitcom at the top of his game 14 years ago. I realize that he needed a br
eak after nine years on top of the television world, but it seems his creative drive could’ve pushed him a little further down the road.
Not that I’m complaining about watching Seinfeld and his funny friends yuk it up in a classic automobile for 10 or 15 minutes every week on the series’ official website. The episodes, which began July 19 and premiere every Thursday, find Seinfeld cruising around in vintage vehicles with his buddies on their way to grab a bite to eat, each time hosting a new car and a different guest.
For instance, the very first installment of the series, features a get-together with Seinfeld co-creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David, who rides along in a blue 1952 Volkswagen Bug. With each episode offering a window into the witty banter Seinfeld and his guests exchange, it’s as if the viewer is riding along in the backseat and sitting in a corner booth at the restaurant where they eventually end up, creepily overhearing every wisecrack.
“I always loved this car… Everybody in college had this car,” said David on his way to grab coffee and pancakes with his car aficionado friend, cautioning that meeting up with Seinfeld isn’t atop the list of things he’d like to being doing at the moment. “I wouldn’t say I’m excited, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Over the course of David’s 13-minute episode, the iconic sitcom pair discuss comedian work ethics, people who worry about what others are eating, the absence of heat as it relates to deliciousness and the Bug’s retro semaphore turn signal.
Seinfeld and Rick Gervais cruising around in a 1967 Austin-Healey 3000
The other snazzy collector cars featured in Comedians thus far include a blue 1967 Austin-Healey 3000, blue Dodge Challenger T/A, red 1970 Mercedes Benz 280 SL and blue 1963 Carmon Gia. Comedians Ricky Gervais, Brian Regan, Alec Baldwin and Joel Hodgson all appear in subsequent episodes.
Interestingly enough, Seinfeld doesn’t own any of the cars featured in the series. Some episodes are filmed in California, so it certainly wouldn’t make sense for the New York resident to have his expensive automobiles shipped across the country, but you’d think he’d want to show off some of his own cars for the New York episodes. After all, he is one of the world’s most famous car collectors and, thanks to those Seinfeld royalties and his popular stand-up tours, among the richest.
Perhaps he’s afraid he’d lose it in the parking lot?
