Jason Alexander Shares Some Sweet Seinfeld Memories
Stand-up comedian and actor Kevin Pollak is quietly closing in on the 100th episode of Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show, his freewheeling online subversion of the Charlie Rose round table model. For an atypical, non-live audience Halloween edition, he sat down with actor Jason Alexander.
The conversation is peppered with all sorts of great Seinfeld reminiscences. Recalled Alexander:
“When we did the 100th episode, NBC printed up the original test group results, which were the worst in the history of network TV… There was actually a thing that said, ‘Too hip, too urban, too Jewish.’ And I said, ‘Was there a Kyke meter? Oh, oh, oh… We’re on the brink. Too much… Too Jew-y.'”
In the original TV pilot, there was no Elaine, just a waitress character at the diner. However, her fate was sealed, says Alexander, once she told show co-creator Larry David that she had looked at the script overnight and had a few “tweaks” she wanted to share.
The uncensored nature of Pollak’s extended conversations is a wonderful antidote to the usual talk show blather. From the meeting Alexander was forced to take with Fox President Peter Chernin to discuss Dunston Checks In to his thoughts on “fat bald bastard” nemesis Paul Giamatti, Episode #86 is well worth checking out.
