Seriously, that show has been off the air for over a decade, and yet they still do the talk-show circuit, and people still reference them like the show is on the air or something. I don't get it.

because it had what were quite possibly the best characters on TV.

Because it was the greatest show ever to air on t.v., bar none. I'm including Mary Tyler Moore Show in that, as well as SCTV.

Seinfeld is hysterical. You can see each episode a dozen or more times and it is still as hilarious as the first time you see it. It's seeped into the entire mass consciousness. It is truly a phenomenon.

EarlyBird:

Because it was the greatest show ever to air on t.v., bar none. I'm including Mary Tyler Moore Show in that, as well as SCTV.

Seinfeld is hysterical. You can see each episode a dozen or more times and it is still as hilarious as the first time you see it. It's seeped into the entire mass consciousness. It is truly a phenomenon.

I liked Seinfeld. I watched it from day one when no-one else had even heard of it.

But The office is clearly a better show. It is a lot funnier, better acting, better writing. I understand your nostalgia- I have some, also- but ya gotta be objective here.

Way to go, Early Bird, I agree! Check around your cable in any given day, MisterPerson, and you will find Seinfeld on at least a 1/2 dozen times each and every day. You seriously think 'The Office' will be similarly broadcast, NEXT decade? of course it won't. "...clearly (stupid incompetent lawyer word) a better show...a lot funnier, better acting, better writing..." The Office (that inferior knock of the better Limey show)?! Get a grip. MisterMister here reminds me of those folks who will tell you 'Family Guy' is better than "The Simpsons" or "Southpark" or who actually thought "Friends" was a funny show. "Seinfeld" is the greatest TV comedy of all time, and its only serious challengers are animated.

Early Bird continues to be almost completely trust-worthy on all Slate Subjects other than his Bill Clinton predjudice.

Monster Ballads Suq:

Way to go, Early Bird, I agree! Check around your cable in any given day, MisterPerson, and you will find Seinfeld on at least a 1/2 dozen times each and every day. You seriously think 'The Office' will be similarly broadcast, NEXT decade? of course it won't. "...clearly (stupid incompetent lawyer word) a better show...a lot funnier, better acting, better writing..." The Office (that inferior knock of the better Limey show)?! Get a grip. MisterMister here reminds me of those folks who will tell you 'Family Guy' is better than "The Simpsons" or "Southpark" or who actually thought "Friends" was a funny show. "Seinfeld" is the greatest TV comedy of all time, and its only serious challengers are animated.

Early Bird continues to be almost completely trust-worthy on all Slate Subjects other than his Bill Clinton predjudice.

Ummm..errr... I hate to break the news to you professor, but "The Office" is ALREADY running daily in syndication in 50 markets covering 93% of the USA.

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Oops! Your bad.

I said "next decade." So, take your broken wings and fly away or whatever. Wasn't that a Mister MIster song?

I meant, will it have the 'staying power' success that Seinfeld has now, 10 years after it went off the air, and I still say 'no', of course not. I will have to confess that I don't watch the Office. For your sake, Mr., I hope that it's funnier than '40 Year Old' Virgin.

Monster Ballads Suq:

I meant, will it have the 'staying power' success that Seinfeld has now, 10 years after it went off the air, and I still say 'no', of course not. I will have to confess that I don't watch the Office. For your sake, Mr., I hope that it's funnier than '40 Year Old' Virgin.

You are actually funnier than Seinfeld. You don't watch "The Office" but yet confidently crow to the rest of the planet that it sucks. I'm waiting for your show.

You aren't even reading what I'm saying, Mr.Mr. It was "power ballads" i said that suqed. "The Office"--the show you love a lot, I placed below the greatest TV comedy of all time--that's not the same as saying that I believe the show 'suqs'. Further, I said I don't watch it--not that I never saw any of it. Does one really have to endure multiple full episodes of "The Office" (or say, "Friends") to know that it is of a lower qualifty than "Seinfeld" (the greatest TV comedy of all time)? I think not.

Are you one of those guys named 'Seth' who keeps making terrible movies like "Year One"? (that I find myself arguing with so often here on Slate)? I think this should be like entrapment with police and hookers---if you are, say, Jack Black, you should I believe have to admit it, just say "dude! I'm Jack Black, and 'Seinfeld' never had me as guest star, I was so bummed." You know, something like that.

MisterPerson:

EarlyBird:

Because it was the greatest show ever to air on t.v., bar none. I'm including Mary Tyler Moore Show in that, as well as SCTV.

Seinfeld is hysterical. You can see each episode a dozen or more times and it is still as hilarious as the first time you see it. It's seeped into the entire mass consciousness. It is truly a phenomenon.

I liked Seinfeld. I watched it from day one when no-one else had even heard of it.

But The office is clearly a better show. It is a lot funnier, better acting, better writing. I understand your nostalgia- I have some, also- but ya gotta be objective here.

Why do you say "clearly" and "objective?"

I think Seinfeld is genius. I think Ricky Gervais's Office was near-genius if not genius. Then, they cuted it up for America and made the mildly amusing show with Steve Carrell.

Coincidentally, to be fair, I tried to watch most of an episode of "The Office" last night. It was the "take your daughter to work" episode, and if this episode is representative, I'm afraid Hellz is being kind to call the show "mildly amusing." Note, this has nothing to do with the absence of a laugh track: to me, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is hillarious. "The Office"? Sort of like that 'sad' film "40 Year-old Virgin," not sure it's even funny enough to qualify as a comedy.

btw, off the subjective, but this is the strangest thing! For so long, I've been forced to daily change my screen name to post on here (or else I cannot post), yet today, I am allowed to keep my name from yesterday. Slate IT folk? I know it's a smaller request than say, installing edit and spell-check keys which would benefit everyone, but why can't I now be allowed to go back to my original screen name--which I used for years, of Real Slim K?

Look guy, Seinfeld has a LAUGH TRACK! How fucking lame is that?

They were so shit-scared that noone would laugh at their tired old vaudeville shtick, that they had to cue up the mechanical ha-has.

That basically puts them on par with such comedy greats as "Green Acres" and "Happy Days".

Why do you say "clearly" and "objective?"

I think Seinfeld is genius. I think Ricky Gervais's Office was near-genius if not genius. Then, they cuted it up for America and made the mildly amusing show with Steve Carrell.

Seinfeld is "genius"?! WTF?! I thought Einstein was genius. Silly me.

"Not that there is anything wrong with that!" "No soup for you!" "I am master of my own domain".

So that is what qualifies as "genius"?

Congrats everyone, amazing how everyone seems to have a different opinion about this. Who knew! Let's keep arguing about a bunch of tv comedy shows though, it's worthwhile.