Seinfeld's "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee" is Now Your New Favorite Web Series

By Chad Anthony on February 27, 2014

Stand-up comedy has evolved, quite unsurprisingly, over the last 50 years or so. In the 1960s, America embraced Bob Newhart, Jackie Mason, and the quick-witted insult humor of Don Rickles.

The 1970s were graced with the bombastic Richard Pryor and intensely truthful George Carlin.  Eddie Murphy and Bill Cosby broke through in the 1980s, leaving audiences across the nation in stitches.  The 1990s marked an increase in popular comedians with Chris Rock and Louis C.K. being the top runners.

With stand-up comedy flourishing year to year, the 2000s have been blessed with multiple stars: Greg Giraldo, Mitch Hedberg, Aziz Ansari, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, Brian Regan, and Jim Gaffigan, just to name a few.

With a purist observational style shrouded in a thin veil of Jew-ness, Jerry Seinfeld has and continues to be a leader in the comedy  world.  Coupled with Larry David, the 1990s sitcom “Seinfeld” became a sensation, even though it was a show about nothing.  With reruns showing 20+ years later, the humor found within each episode is just as poignant. Only the phone used in Jerry’s apartment tips off viewers as to when the episode originally aired.

Unlike popular society-derived humor, the sitcom’s genius lies in the simplistic, everyday interactions between friends, family, and city-goers.  Like parallel parking a car: do you back-in or pull-in?  Or paying with change: when is it too much change?  Or shrinkage, oh yes, “like a frightened turtle” as Jerry so eloquently puts it.

This brings me to Seinfeld’s new online web series “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.”  The show’s premise is simple: Jerry calls up a fellow comedian or funny person at “random,” picks the guest up (in a classic car that best represents him/her) for a cup of coffee and a danish, and the two discuss the comedy game, inspirations, and life stories.

After the first season, “Comedians In Cars” almost received the ax, with not enough viewers to support production costs.  Thanks to Acura, shockingly enough, the web series trucked onward, with a 2013-2014 24 episode sponsorship.  I never thought I would hail Acura for doing something so beneficial to mankind’s sanity.

“Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee” opens an entirely new world to some of the major players in the entertainment and comedy worlds.  Every episode is hilarious in its own right, but the following are some of the most eye opening and side splitting.  There is a uniqueness in honest, conversational humor found nowhere else.

Image from Comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com

9. Michael Richards
Richards is best known for his role as Kramer, which served as the zany, spontaneous character on “Seinfeld” that made audiences question, “Oh, what’s he going to do now?”

In the episode, Richards displays why “Seinfeld” is one of the best sitcoms produced.  Oh, but the acting was horrible and all the jokes are the same, you say trolling-ly.  No, Seinfeld himself couldn’t keep a straight face when George Castanza yelled about “Fitted Hat Day” at Yankee Stadium.  There are numerous episodes that exhibit the slightly poor acting; but, the relationships held between cast members shined on set.  Richards in CCGC inadvertently shows how much he admired Seinfeld as a performer and individual.  It’s a surprisingly heart-warming visual, especially for a comedian whose best years are in the past.

Image from Comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com

8. Seth Meyers
Starting at the Upright Citizens Brigade with Amy Poehler in the 1990s, Seth Meyers has risen in the ranks of entertainment prominence.  He wrote for “Saturday Night Live,” and in time became the face of Weekend Update.  Now, Meyers is the host of the talk show “Late Night,” previously held by “Tonight Show” star Jimmy Fallon.  The two discuss money, weather, and Seth’s mom.  Car lovers rejoice–the classic car used is a 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS.

Image from Comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com


7.  Sarah Silverman
Jerry grabs a cup o’ Joe in a gorgeous Jaguar E-Type with Sarah Silverman, stand-up comedian and star of Comedy Central’s “Sarah Silverman Show.”

She talks about the first time hearing of and wanting an orgasm, her parents reaction to comedy, and “f*ckin’ biscuits.”  Silverman gives insight on what inspired her comedic avenue all the while poking fun at Seinfeld’s typical nuances. Her humor is quick and unadulterated with a glimpse of old-time New Hampshire Jewishness.

Silverman is hilarious and personable, making audiences appreciate her art that much more.  And if you’re wondering about what love is, they offer a new and quite spot-on analogy.

Image from Comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com

6. Jay Leno
This stand-up comedian turned talk show host has been in the lime light for decades.  In addition to hosting the “Tonight Show” in Los Angeles for 22 years, Leno also has his own YouTube channel called “Jay Leno’s Garage.”  His personal collection of automobiles could be mistaken for an overstocked museum.

The car used to pick up Leno is a handcrafted 1949 Porsche 356/2.  That’s reason enough to watch.  If not, Leno describes comedy as a concealed weapon and reminisces about the days spent with 50-year-old topless hookers and Sinatra.  Fallon labeled this episode as the TedTalk for comedy, and rightfully so.  Between the gentlemen, they rack up close to 70 years in the comedy game.

Image from Comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com

5. Tina Fey
She’s enjoyable, sensible, and loves to work, just like the Volvo P1800 featured.  Fey’s career started as a writer on “Saturday Night Live” and has skyrocketed ever since.  She became the first female head writer on SNL.  As if that’s not enough, her show “30 Rock” has won multiple Golden Globes and Emmys.

Filmed at Floridita’s on Broadway in New York, this episode uncovers the pseudo-struggles of the entertainment business while unpacking parenthood’s affect on comedy.  After talking “30 Rock,” she revealed her desire to be in charge of the Twitter licenses.  So, send her 10 samples of your best work and she’ll let you know whether it’s Twitter worthy.

Image from Comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com

4. Don Rickles
If you’ve never heard of Don Rickles, go right now and ask anyone over the age of 40.  I guarantee they will respond with a smile.

Seinfeld classifies Rickles as one of the heads on the Mount Rushmore of comedy–Pryor, Carlin, and Cosby round out the list.

This episode is a trip down historic mafia-run Las Vegas back in the 60s and Rickles’ tell-it-how-it-is attitude brings the laughs.  There’s something about his style that transcends generations.  Forget Lisa Lampanelli  or Carlos Mencia (I know it’s heresy to even have those names near the Merchant of Venom).  True insult comedy does not need the harshness of cussing to be considered funny.  And even at 87 Don Rickles is still as sharp as ever.

Image from Comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com

3. Chris Rock
Chris Rock is one of the most notable performers of the late 90s.  He stars in hits such as “Grownups” and “Head of State.”  A 1966 Lamborghini Miura S is the car of choice due to its presence and shock value, qualities that describe Chris Rock.

Rock goes on to say that everything is about company, stating, “A gourmet meal with an asshole is a horrible meal; a hot dog with an interesting person is an amazing meal.  It’s all about the company.”

He’s right, and similar to his explanatory, harsh observational comedy, it needs to be said in today’s society.

Image from Comediansincarsgettingcoffee.co

2. Louis C.K.
Louis C.K. stars, writes, and produces his own show on FX called “Louie” that won Emmys for Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in 2010 and 2013 respectively.  His stand-up career sprouted in the late 1990s to early 2000s and has gone on to four TV specials.  His humor mixes a New England attitude with a despondent overtone of hysterical sadness.

Image from Comediansincarsgettingcoffee

1. Patton Oswalt
Patton is a stand-up comic who performed specials on Comedy Central and HBO, starred in movies such as “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and “Ratatouille,” and does narration for the TV series “The Goldbergs.”

Oswalt’s first acting job was actually on “Seinfeld” in the early 1990s.  His genius spreads not only into comedy but also into the realm of Superman, and how to kill the renowned superhero.

Oswalt takes Seinfeld on a trip down hipster lane and unveils the Generation-Y mindset with the “downtown LA starter kit.”

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format