Seinfeld

Do you know that the driveway at President Andrew Jackson's Nashville home, Hermitage, is the shape of a guitar? Do you care? Of course not. Some other "fun facts": NASHVILLE Violence-prone citizens Tennessee's nickname, the "Volunteer State," comes from the War of 1812, when hundreds of volunteers - many more than the quota needed, many surely from Nashville - eagerly went off to war We're No. 7! In a 2007 U.S. News & World Report ranking of the 100 busiest airports, Nashville was named the seventh "least miserable" airport.

We were watching an episode from the first season of Seinfeld, wherein Jerry picks up an early portable, cordless phone to take a call. "What's that?" my youngest son asked. "That's a cordless phone," I said. "No way!" he replied. "Seriously," I said, "that's what the first cordless phones looked like." Sure enough, there's Jerry, walking around his cool New York apartment with what looks like a shoebox pressed to his ear. "It's so ... huge," my son said. "We had one just like it," I said.

Our TV creator, David E. Kelley, who produces and writes all daily network programming (except Saturday's), now gives us another creation in the skinny form of "Ally" -- a half-hour version of his hourlong dramedy "Ally McBeal."The stripped-down versions of previously aired "McBeal" episodes even have a catchy show business name: "repurposed materials," as Fox calls them. David E. Kelley -- whose repurposed name could be just "Kelley" -- can't help but find more creative ways to enhance our television pleasure.

What the world needs most is a Mercedes Jeep.The second biggest and costliest public building in history, built by M. Jay Brodie, completing the New Deal plan for Washington, is dedicated to Ronald Reagan and small government.The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee stands in need of reform and oversight.Cheer up. We finally get rid of Seinfeld.Pub Date: 5/08/98

Thousands of Baltimore residents who were just settling down to watch the grand finale of "Seinfeld" last night ended up pointing their clickers at blank television screens, incredulous and infuriated, as a power outage struck the city at the worst possible moment.Some 17,000 utility customers in North, Northeast and Northwest Baltimore lost power about 6 p.m. -- then lost it again after televisions flickered to life for a 20-minute tease from about 8: 20 p.m. to 8: 40 p.m.The special 75-minute "Seinfeld" started at 8: 45 p.m.An unknown number of Baltimore residents retained their electric power but lost their cable service and, with it, their plans to watch the much-ballyhooed program.

THE SUCCESS of "Seinfeld," or any show on the small screen, is fairly simple, in theory at least, and can be described by one word.Character.As Sun television critic David Zurawik pointed outin an analysis of the show, only four situation comedies have topped the Nielsen ratings for at least four seasons: "I Love Lucy" in the '50s, "All in the Family" in the '70s, "The Cosby Show" in the '80s and "Seinfeld" in the '90s.All had a core "family" of strong, distinct personality types. Most important, the characters were appealing even if achingly peculiar.

In suburban bars tonight, you can hoist a few farewell chuckles at "Seinfeld" parties. It says so on the signs on York Road. On radio station WWMX-FM (106.5), you could answer questions yesterday about "Bonanza, Tony Danza and George Costanza" with an Elaine-like "Yada yada" or a Kramerian "Giddyap." So naturally, this causes me to think of Dale Robertson.Robertson starred on a 1950s television show called "Tales of Wells Fargo," about which I remember nothing except the stunning revelation that I was not watching it alone.

Jerry Seinfeld's decision to hang it up couldn't have come at a worse time for NBC -- or a better time for Fortune.The Jan. 12 issue contains a smart piece by Marc Gunther on the new economics of network television -- written before Seinfeld announced his sitcom's days are numbered -- that explains why hit shows such as "Seinfeld" are more crucial than ever to networks, even though they cost preposterous sums to produce.Because shrinking audiences for network programming mean they can no longer depend on automatic profits, Gunther writes, networks are "rethinking their businesses, often before your very eyes."

NEW YORK -- I don't know whether the ascendancy of soup began with a "Seinfeld" episode about soup so remarkable that Jerry would do anything to avoid antagonizing the terrible-tempered chef he secretly referred to as the Soup Nazi.But it made me eager for a taste at the real-life Soup Kitchen International in Manhattan.Had the TV writers exaggerated? Is Al Yeganeh's soup really wonderful? Would I have to grovel to get it?It was pouring rain on a January day when my husband and I stood in line ("on line," as they say in New York)

Jerry Seinfeld may have starred in the show about "nothing," but the guy notices everything.Razor blade dispensers in airplane bathrooms, the abundance of consonants in New York cabbies' names ...These are just a couple of the random details the former sitcom sultan addresses in his CD, "I'm Telling You For the Last Time."The CD is a recording of the live stand-up act the cereal-obsessed comedian performed on Broadway shortly after "Seinfeld" went off the air.It's clear from the material that Seinfeld's eyes and mind are working constantly.

In an interview this week, Larry David, creator of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," answered a question from me about matters of taste by saying, "And the more people I can offend, the better." If that is the standard, then Sunday's premiere of the seventh season of this HBO comedy is the best. Right out of the box, David is absolutely pushing the limits of TV comedy on issues of race, gender, coarse language, mental illness and physical disease. You don't realize how incredibly edgy David's work on HBO is until you try to write about it in a family newspaper and suddenly discover that you can barely start to describe situations and setups, let alone dialogue and punch lines.

'Seinfeld' stars plan 'Enthusiasm' reunion Their Seinfeld isn't coming back, but its stars will be together again this fall on HBO. The network says that Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards will appear in several episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm. The HBO comedy stars Larry David, who helped create Seinfeld. HBO wasn't giving out any other details about the appearances, which were first reported on the Entertainment Weekly Web site. Conrad moving on The Hills will no longer be alive with the drama of Lauren Conrad - at least, after the fifth season.

Seinfeld's TV show won't have comic in it Jerry Seinfeld is returning to NBC as producer of a comic reality series where celebrities and a referee try to help squabbling couples make peace. But Seinfeld said he has no plans to step in front of the cameras for The Marriage Ref or, for that matter, to ever star in a television series again. The hour-long episodes will introduce the couples through filmed reports and show them fighting. A panel of celebrity guests will weigh in to offer advice and observations before the final arbiter, a "ref" who hasn't been selected yet, will settle things.

Do you know that the driveway at President Andrew Jackson's Nashville home, Hermitage, is the shape of a guitar? Do you care? Of course not. Some other "fun facts": NASHVILLE Violence-prone citizens Tennessee's nickname, the "Volunteer State," comes from the War of 1812, when hundreds of volunteers - many more than the quota needed, many surely from Nashville - eagerly went off to war We're No. 7! In a 2007 U.S. News & World Report ranking of the 100 busiest airports, Nashville was named the seventh "least miserable" airport.

I was watching North Carolina play basketball on ESPN recently. (Is it required that either the Tar Heels or Duke must be on TV every night, or does it just seem that way? Those two get as much air time as Seinfeld reruns.) Carolina has so many weapons. I saw Tyler Hansbrough repeatedly doubled down low. Sometimes, Hansbrough would try to muscle both defenders to the hoop. (Tyler, there's a man open somewhere.) But often the double would allow the Heels to pass to an uncovered player in the paint, leading to a score.

The man who on TV gave us the re-gifter, double-dipper, anti-dentite, low-talker and bad breaker-upper proves to be something else entirely in real life: a great tipper. Jerry Seinfeld left a $40 tip on a $40 lunch tab at Regi's in Federal Hill on Saturday. So says Jessica Pickard, happy recipient of said gratuity. The tab-doubling tip was the only thing that made Seinfeld, in town for an appearance at the Meyerhoff that night, stand out. No funny banter with the server. No witty repartee with the two guys seated with him. No riffs on their wings and wraps.

Frosted Flakes, the new breakfast of champions? Fresh off Olympic wins in Athens four years ago, Michael Phelps joined the pantheon of great athletes honored on the Wheaties box. This time around, as he basks in even greater Beijing glory, he'll see his mug alongside Tony the Tiger's. Kellogg's is an official sponsor of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. As part of that deal, the cereal-maker gets to slap Phelps' picture on boxes of Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes. Maybe Phelps himself will sing the jingle: "Kellogg's, because your best days start with ... sugar and high-fructose corn syrup" - two of the top four ingredients in Frosted Flakes.

Shoveling out this week's sports media notes, which you probably wish I had the kids next door do, kind of the way they did with the walk: They play hardball in Green Bay. The Fox affiliate, having heard that Eli Manning is a Seinfeld fan, has decided to pull tomorrow night's rerun of the show so the New York Giants quarterback won't be able to enjoy watching it the night before his game against the Packers. In a clip from a newscast shown at the station's Web site, WLUK's general manager, Jay Zollar, said: "We do not want to give any comfort to the enemy when they come to town.

30 Rock is rolling. After the season premiere with Jerry Seinfeld, tonight's sweeps episode lures another key player from NBC's late great '90s Thursday night "must-see TV" block in David Schwimmer. As did Seinfeld, the Friends star manages to serve two masters - bald-faced hype and sly humor - by guest-starring as eco-mascot Greenzo, the latest greatest idea from Alec Baldwin's loopy GE/NBC execubot. At least Schwimmer isn't promoting himself as a product. (Something about some flying insect movie, wasn't it?

PHILADELPHIA -- Jerry Seinfeld strides to the front of the Ritz Five art-plex in Philadelphia's Old Town with the eyes-wide-open awareness and relaxed confidence that became his trademarks as a stand-up comic and sitcom creator. In a casual version of his performing uniform - dark jacket, designer jeans, sports shirt, no tie - he jokes about the Mets vs. the Phillies and puts over an antique regional gag about the manner in which rain pours off the statue of William Penn atop City Hall.