Jerry Seinfeld Says 'Seinfeld' Was Inspired by This 1950s Sitcom, and the References Were Hidden in Plain Sight

Jerry Seinfeld Says 'Seinfeld' Was Inspired by This 1950s Sitcom, and the References Were Hidden in Plain Sight

Seinfeld is often referred to as groundbreaking for its “no hugging, no learning” approach to comedy, but according to Jerry Seinfeld, that whole concept came from another popular sitcom. On more than one occasion, Seinfeld has cited The Abbott and Costello Show, which debuted in syndication in 1952, as the series that he patterned his show after. In it, the famous comedy duo of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello play fictional versions of themselves, …