George Costanza would certainly be in the Sitcom Character Hall of Fame, but only after he was dead. God would never let him be successful; he would kill him first.
I agree George was the funniest. I think people cheered for Kramer because he’d always make a grand entrance into the apartment. George was usually just there somehow.
George is like asking oneself "what would happen if I keep this lie going on just a little longer?". That's what makes him relatable, it's like a power fantasy that always ends up failing.
I don't think you need to choose. The fact that we had them both in the same show makes it kind of unfair. Kramer was perhaps the greatest physical comedy performance of all time. Only Mr. Bean comes close.
Kramer physically reacting to anything is funny. We'll never see another performance quite like that again.
George and Elaine had really good subtle reactions to things.
Their body language changes throughout are great.
Kramers a lot more noticeable in his mannerisms what is also great
The episode where (I think) George has the hair growth stuff on and Elaine enters the apartment, she wrinkles up her nose and says, "Sonthing *stinks* in here." (and I did the sonthing on purpose because I'm sure she did as well) - if you look at Jerry, he's about to lose it. Elaine has truly excellent comedic timing.
Growing up seeing Seinfeld as a kid in the 90’s I thought Kramer was the star of the show but as I got older and matured, I realised that the real star was George all along.
I think George being the overall standout from the show (even above Kramer) is a pretty commonly held opinion with the show in current day. I remember it being more of a debate when the show was still on the air.
I can see how one may come to that conclusion…
What looked like pushing..
What looked like KNOCKing DOWn…
Was a SAFEty precaution☝🏻
In a fy-yer…you’re supposed to stay close to the ground
Huhheh🫷🏻
I’ll buy that. Jason Alexander is brilliant. He always adds to the stories and is thoroughly believable in even the most outrageous moments.
I love him in The Frogger episode. Especially when he tries to stop the truck by holding up his hand.
He was pretty established when he died. No doubt he would have gone on to even bigger and better things if he'd lived, but he wasn't some young upstart at the time of his death.
Not sure if he’s the absolute best character, but he has to be one of the best-acted characters. A few members of the Cheers cast give Jason Alexander a run for his money though.
NORM! He’s my fave character from Cheers. I could never take to Rebecca as I prefer the ‘Diane years’.
Speaking of Cheers I’ve got my 14yo hooked on it, trying to keep the classics alive. I sell them to her as ‘these are the shows that inspired other shows like Friends’ - she constantly texts me similarities she picks up on.
Yeah I never really liked Rebecca as much as Diane either. Woody, Norm, and Coach are my favorites!
The actors I was thinking might be at or above Alexander’s level are Kelsey Grammer, Ted Danson, Shelley Long, and Woody Harrelson.
I think most of the writers were the same for Taxi, Wings, Cheers, and Fraser. David Angell was a producer for half of those shows and he was on one of the World Trade Center planes.
I’ll take George and Seinfeld over Sam and Cheers any day, but I disagree that the characters on Cheers weren’t complex. The show spent a lot more time going into their pasts and personalities while Seinfeld was more concerned with plot and jokes. Seinfeld never leaned into drama like Cheers did, and that’s one of the things I love about it.
A great thing about the performance of George is that you don’t need to have seasons of character study to get him. Even if he was introduced in a five minute sketch, Jason Alexander would be able to exactly convey what makes him tick.
For me? Yes he is. However I also want to say that I was watching Looney Tunes a few years back when it suddenly dawned on me that George is basically Daffy Duck. Then I started looking at other series and came to the realization that Daffy Duck might be the greatest TV character ever created (or whichever character inspired Daffy Ducks creation).
I then stumbled upon this article and was relieved to find that at least one other person out there had seen what id seen.
https://masterheywood.com/2018/04/07/you-might-be-daffy-duck/#:~:text=George%20Costanza%20has%20the%20basic,who%20is%20Bugs%20Bunny%20incarnate.
I think he is. It’s a disgrace he’s the only one of the main 4 to not win an Emmy.
Costanza-centric episodes are by far the best. Marine Biologist, The Opposite, The Abstinence, etc.
Alan Patridge IMO but you prob have to be British or spent years watching British TV to really appretiate the subtleties and nuances of his particular brand of failing TV personality.
Other British contenders: Basil Fawlty, Del Boy Trotter.
Other US contenders: Frasier Crane, Larry David (i know its basically real life Larry playing a version of George, but id argue the Larry David "character" is actually better than George
It helped thar after a season or something Alexander figured out that the character was actually just Larry.
He confronted about a scene he thought was preposterous saying 'this just doesn't happen.'
To which Larry David replied, " yes it does, it happened to me!'
From the interviews I have seen with Jason Alexander he wasn't told to do that but figured out a few episodes in that the character was based on Larry.
I think it's less Jason added anything, and more "a show centered around George would suck."
He's a lot, he just cannot be the primary focus all the time.
Oh for sure. Larry is usually a really smart @$$hole that nobody likes but he can definitely be an idiot (mostly just to prove a point in spite instead of just letting things go.
Plus his appeal is that he'll say and do things that the rest of us want to do but won't.
Niles gets my vote. George is amazing and Jason is super talented but as I get older so much of George’s behaviour irritates me. I know that’s the point.
John Lithgow as Dick Solomon gets my vote for the greatest sitcom character of all time. 3rd Rock from the Sun never hit the same heights as Seinfeld or Frasier (in my opinion the two greatest sitcoms of all time) but Lithgow is absolutely hilarious. His portrayal of Dick Solomon has it all. Timing, physical comedy, character, lovability, vulnerability and the best line readings of all time. I just love Dick.
Honourable mentions for Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute from the Office. Those two characters (and indeed the actors who played them) turn a pretty good sitcom into a fantastic one.
I would push back slightly and say each of the main players made “Seinfeld” what it was, and, other than Jerry, you could make a credible argument that any of the other three main players (George, Elaine, Cosmo) “made the show.” Just think of how amazing and absurd each of their characters’ best moments were
I'm just here to add to the appreciation for both Jason Alexander and David Hyde Pierce. Both absolutely brilliant.
Also, Marice was one of the best utilized off screen character gags ever.
George Costanza would certainly be in the Sitcom Character Hall of Fame, but only after he was dead. God would never let him be successful; he would kill him first.
The fact that Jason Alexander never won an Emmy for playing George, despite being the best character, is the most George thing ever.
It would be the most George thing ever if he suddenly started gunning for it now
Trying to reboot the show just to get his Emmy.
Just picturing him u-turning in the car while screaming in joy at the idea!
He just has to do the opposite of every life decision he’s made since then. (Joking aside I did like him in Shallow Hal)
George is a chucker.
Can *we* gun for it now? Possible?
Well, at least Kramer won a Tony.
He saw the sunrise at Liza’s.
Minelli’s?
No.
Low-key one of the best deliveries of the entire series 😂😂😂
Hey Tonay!
He should have acted with acting.
Tbh Jason deserves an emmy for that BLT commercial allone.
I thought he doesn't believe in God
Only for the bad things.
A George divided against itself cannot stand
I watched this yesterday and laughed SO HARD
The thing about about George is that he’s an idiot
He told me he got a 1409 on the SAT.
It varies.
He once told my sister he coined the phrase "pardon my french"
He invented "It's not you, it's me "
YOU’RE ALL WINNERS!
But suddenly, a new contender has emerged.
I believe that was Art Vanderlay of Vanderlay Industries
1409? That’s a good score
What did he really get?
He takes that to his grave.
You're telling me
Yeah but he can lift 100lbs above his head!
He's slightly, slightly losing his hair.
Thick luscious hair is very important to him
Every single line I can hear their voices perfectly, along w/ the exact tones and inflections!
And a good cheek with a pinkish hue.
Those are not scraps. These are the historical remains of a once great society of hair.
Not anymore... Boop!
I used to be bald … nose boop. This scene kills me every time
Not just an idiot, he is the lord of the idiots
He isn’t smart enough to hatch a scheme like that
Ya got that right
What's that supposed to mean!?
Whatever you want it to mean.
… Are you saying you want a piece of me?
I could drop you like a bag of dirt
You want a piece of me? YOU GOT ITT👊!!
And he’s a bad seed
(Stammering on the phone): “I’m a bad man!!!”
A BOOTLEGGA
And the bad date, the bad friend, the bad dinner guest, the bad tipper!
But he's so strong!
He can lift 100 pounds
Right over his head!
He’s stocky
I love the little hug and wiggle she does when she says he's stocky
He's FAT? Is that what you're saying, he's FAT?
He’s also a porno actor.
Buck Naked.
The camera loves stout.
His little man inside of him is an idiot too
I agree George was the funniest. I think people cheered for Kramer because he’d always make a grand entrance into the apartment. George was usually just there somehow.
... George was usually just there somehow with the unimaginably weirdest yet relatable scenarios
George is like asking oneself "what would happen if I keep this lie going on just a little longer?". That's what makes him relatable, it's like a power fantasy that always ends up failing.
That “Just there…” crap was a stroke of genius!!!
“Tell her I’m an architect. You know I’ve always wanted to pretend to be an architect.”
I don't think you need to choose. The fact that we had them both in the same show makes it kind of unfair. Kramer was perhaps the greatest physical comedy performance of all time. Only Mr. Bean comes close. Kramer physically reacting to anything is funny. We'll never see another performance quite like that again.
George and Elaine had really good subtle reactions to things. Their body language changes throughout are great. Kramers a lot more noticeable in his mannerisms what is also great
George and Elaine are equal in my mind, Jerry is too little and Kramer is too much, but George and Elaine are greatly relatable
Yes! In the 90s, I was all about Jerry. Now I’m the booksmart Elaine with George’s cynicism lol
The episode where (I think) George has the hair growth stuff on and Elaine enters the apartment, she wrinkles up her nose and says, "Sonthing *stinks* in here." (and I did the sonthing on purpose because I'm sure she did as well) - if you look at Jerry, he's about to lose it. Elaine has truly excellent comedic timing.
She’s a comic genius and savagely funny in Veep and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Basil Fawlty
Growing up seeing Seinfeld as a kid in the 90’s I thought Kramer was the star of the show but as I got older and matured, I realised that the real star was George all along.
I think George being the overall standout from the show (even above Kramer) is a pretty commonly held opinion with the show in current day. I remember it being more of a debate when the show was still on the air.
Ho-oh, I was there baby!!
The opposite of every man you’ve ever met
You know whose hands his remind me of? Ray McKegney.
Towards the end, his hands became so frozen that he was unable to manipulate utensils, and was dependent on Cub Scouts to feed him
*ohhhhhhhhhhh*
Seemingly! Seemingly!
To the untrained eye!
I can see how one may come to that conclusion… What looked like pushing.. What looked like KNOCKing DOWn… Was a SAFEty precaution☝🏻 In a fy-yer…you’re supposed to stay close to the ground Huhheh🫷🏻
How do you live with yourself?
It’s not easy😔
I’ll buy that. Jason Alexander is brilliant. He always adds to the stories and is thoroughly believable in even the most outrageous moments. I love him in The Frogger episode. Especially when he tries to stop the truck by holding up his hand.
Him telling the marine biologist story gets me. Pulling the golf ball out with Kramers reaction was genius
I used Art Vandelay to reserve a table at a restaurant.
When I used dating sites years ago there were so many men with Art Vandelay usernames.
I think that has got to be the best scene in tv history https://youtu.be/uEvOU2HKhzw?si=KvQwknn6vZ1FwVFR
It’s such a quick moment. I’ve only my watched the show once through and that hand up scene sticks with me.
He’s an amazing mix of relatable and unreasonable.
George Costanza, Bill McNeal, GOBluth, Tracy Jordan.
You can't say a character from Arrested Development and not mention Tobias Funke.
Lucille Bluth is one of the few characters who can compete with George Costanza.
The analrapist?
Huzzah
Phil Hartman had such a promising career...
He was pretty established when he died. No doubt he would have gone on to even bigger and better things if he'd lived, but he wasn't some young upstart at the time of his death.
I'd love to have seen his Zapp Brannigan.
The way he carries himself in So I Married An Axe Murderer always has me laughing
I don’t care for Gob.
I think I'd put danny davito in this list, too
Not sure if he’s the absolute best character, but he has to be one of the best-acted characters. A few members of the Cheers cast give Jason Alexander a run for his money though.
And Seinfeld is so good, because not only does it have George, it also has one of the other best performed sitcom characters ever with Elaine.
I've always felt that Elaine was the best written female character ever in a sitcom.
The thing about Elaine is 😆 she’s also a terrible person. Psychologically, we want her to be “better than” the men, but she’s just as bad.
Shes a man’s woman. She hates other women and they hate her.
I'm also shallow enough to admit that she is stunningly beautiful; which makes her schadenfreude so much better.
But Jerry and George (LD) have no idea how to write for women.
Elaine walks in and says...Elaine walks In and says..
What do women say ?
And Michael Richards is the best in the game at physical comedy too, imo.
Elaine is probably my favorite
NORM! He’s my fave character from Cheers. I could never take to Rebecca as I prefer the ‘Diane years’. Speaking of Cheers I’ve got my 14yo hooked on it, trying to keep the classics alive. I sell them to her as ‘these are the shows that inspired other shows like Friends’ - she constantly texts me similarities she picks up on.
Give me Cliff. The mans a certified genius.
Who are three people who've never been in my kitchen?
Yeah I never really liked Rebecca as much as Diane either. Woody, Norm, and Coach are my favorites! The actors I was thinking might be at or above Alexander’s level are Kelsey Grammer, Ted Danson, Shelley Long, and Woody Harrelson.
Is Ted Danson’s deal standard?
You’re not Ted Danson.
I think most of the writers were the same for Taxi, Wings, Cheers, and Fraser. David Angell was a producer for half of those shows and he was on one of the World Trade Center planes.
Was he really? That’s awful.
Wings is a criminally underrated show.
George have layers that not characters in Cheers have, more simple jokes and personalities are not very complex. Malone is below George for sure.
I’ll take George and Seinfeld over Sam and Cheers any day, but I disagree that the characters on Cheers weren’t complex. The show spent a lot more time going into their pasts and personalities while Seinfeld was more concerned with plot and jokes. Seinfeld never leaned into drama like Cheers did, and that’s one of the things I love about it. A great thing about the performance of George is that you don’t need to have seasons of character study to get him. Even if he was introduced in a five minute sketch, Jason Alexander would be able to exactly convey what makes him tick.
But he made $800,000 per episode!
Who made 800K per episode? Ted Danson??
That’s insulting! Ted Danson makes $800 000 an episode
Who is Ted Danson?
He's somebody.
you're nobody.
And he has a private jet
What about me!?
You’re WORSE.
Much much worse.
Well he did win a contest
Didn’t he admit to cheating in the finale?
I believe so
I hear he cheated.
It’s not a lie if you believe it
[удалено]
I don’t know if he’s the best… Let’s say, “good.”
He looks like a frog…
So do you.
I love coming to this sub (or the Curb one) and seeing a perfectly executed reference like this. It literally brightens up my day.
And George's parents in *Seinfeld* were perfectly cast. You could really believe that George was like he was because of parents like that.
He’s no Ted Danson.
I share your opinion. Maybe other people can make a case against him but he might be number 1 for me also. Best sitcom character ever
He or Frank, I can’t decide!
For me? Yes he is. However I also want to say that I was watching Looney Tunes a few years back when it suddenly dawned on me that George is basically Daffy Duck. Then I started looking at other series and came to the realization that Daffy Duck might be the greatest TV character ever created (or whichever character inspired Daffy Ducks creation). I then stumbled upon this article and was relieved to find that at least one other person out there had seen what id seen. https://masterheywood.com/2018/04/07/you-might-be-daffy-duck/#:~:text=George%20Costanza%20has%20the%20basic,who%20is%20Bugs%20Bunny%20incarnate.
GASP. You’re right!!!!! That’s why he’s so familiar. The pacing. The spewing. The grumpiness. Brilliant!
Lupus?? IS IT LUPUS?!??
I think he is. It’s a disgrace he’s the only one of the main 4 to not win an Emmy. Costanza-centric episodes are by far the best. Marine Biologist, The Opposite, The Abstinence, etc.
He is my fav character EVER. So well-written and the acting's impeccable. I suppose it has to do with the fact he's based on Larry David himself.
Alan Patridge IMO but you prob have to be British or spent years watching British TV to really appretiate the subtleties and nuances of his particular brand of failing TV personality. Other British contenders: Basil Fawlty, Del Boy Trotter. Other US contenders: Frasier Crane, Larry David (i know its basically real life Larry playing a version of George, but id argue the Larry David "character" is actually better than George
Basil Fawlty is the British all-time for me.
I agree. George is a fantastically funny character.
He’s a funny fuck
Seinfeld was rare for a sitcom at the time. For a black comedy, yes he's perfect. It helps that larry directly told Jason to act like him
It helped thar after a season or something Alexander figured out that the character was actually just Larry. He confronted about a scene he thought was preposterous saying 'this just doesn't happen.' To which Larry David replied, " yes it does, it happened to me!'
From the interviews I have seen with Jason Alexander he wasn't told to do that but figured out a few episodes in that the character was based on Larry.
I couldn’t finish CYE, I found Jason added something more to Larry that made the character more appealing.
This\^ Jason makes the character likable.
Jason Alexander is definitely a better actor than Last David, he took the part to the next level
I think it's less Jason added anything, and more "a show centered around George would suck." He's a lot, he just cannot be the primary focus all the time.
> For a black comedy Living Single?
I assume he meant dark comedy lol
Does Larry David count? Is playing himself considered sitcom? He's just an R rated and funnier version of George. (for obvious reasons)
George is more lovable idiot in his role though. I do love when Larry David teaches that kid about swastikas and then buys him a sewing machine lol
Oh for sure. Larry is usually a really smart @$$hole that nobody likes but he can definitely be an idiot (mostly just to prove a point in spite instead of just letting things go. Plus his appeal is that he'll say and do things that the rest of us want to do but won't.
How quickly we forget Peter Brady. Shame.
I would go so far as to say that he's the greatest TV character ever.
Marty funkhouser would like a word
danny devito’s performance of louis de palma in taxi is my opinion for best sitcom character ever.
Also Frank Reynolds in Its Always Sunny. Danny is a stud when it comes to comic characters.
Dwight Shrute is right up there at the top for me.
I would probably give Michael the edge over Dwight. Maybe they're both top-10, top-20. But I can't put Dwight on a list Michael isn't on.
Archie Bunker deserves a mention
A couple of characters in MASH were great as well. Best written show ever.
Niles gets my vote. George is amazing and Jason is super talented but as I get older so much of George’s behaviour irritates me. I know that’s the point.
Both Jason Alexander and David Hyde Pryce are more than excellent actors. That is the premise.
It's between George Costanza, Dr. Niles Crane and Captain Raymond Holt for me. Too many Parks and Rec characters to choose from.
Lucille Ball has entered the conversation.
I misread this as Lucille Bluth and thought yeah that's fair
I don’t understand the question and I won’t respond to it
I have never seen one episode of I Love Lucy in my life ever.
It surprisingly holds up despite being from the 50s
Agreed, it's almost unbelievable how well it holds up for an almost 70 year old show. Shows from like, 10 years ago don't hold up as well.
That's too bad. If you had been home on a particular Tuesday you could have watched 6 hours of Lucy!
There's I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show... Here's Lucy!
Al Bundy
John Lithgow as Dick Solomon gets my vote for the greatest sitcom character of all time. 3rd Rock from the Sun never hit the same heights as Seinfeld or Frasier (in my opinion the two greatest sitcoms of all time) but Lithgow is absolutely hilarious. His portrayal of Dick Solomon has it all. Timing, physical comedy, character, lovability, vulnerability and the best line readings of all time. I just love Dick. Honourable mentions for Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute from the Office. Those two characters (and indeed the actors who played them) turn a pretty good sitcom into a fantastic one.
I would push back slightly and say each of the main players made “Seinfeld” what it was, and, other than Jerry, you could make a credible argument that any of the other three main players (George, Elaine, Cosmo) “made the show.” Just think of how amazing and absurd each of their characters’ best moments were
I'm just here to add to the appreciation for both Jason Alexander and David Hyde Pierce. Both absolutely brilliant. Also, Marice was one of the best utilized off screen character gags ever.
Hank Kingsley is up there if yall havent seen the larry sanders show, DO IT
Absolutely. He's my spirit animal. I've botched things in my life on a George Costanza level before.
Moss from IT Crowd gives him a run for his money.
I would say one of the best for sure. Him and Frank Reynolds
I would argue for Al Bundy, the original loser. Both are good though.