By BERNIE FLETCHER
During the pandemic some people turned to alcohol. I watched old Seinfeld episodes, time well-wasted…not that there is anything wrong with that.
“Serenity now!” I just think “what would George do” and then do the opposite.
There is something comforting about other people being way more shallow than us. “No learning!”
I always wondered why there were two different actors who played Lloyd Braun, the New York City mayor’s adviser who took up Elaine’s campaign idea that everyone wear name tags. The mayor lost the election to Rudy Giuliani and Braun got fired in The Non-Fat Yogurt (1993). Two versions of the final scene were filmed depending on who won.
The Braun character was first played by Peter Keleghan, a Beach resident since 2004, who returned to Canada after his appearance, but “the catastrophe of me not being able to get a work permit” in time led to Matt McCoy taking over the role.
The Gum (1995) involves George’s old nemesis Braun and an old movie theatre run by Jeffrey Haarwood (Eric Christmas, 1916-2000). Haarwood describes Kramer as having a “Raymond Massey-esque physique” which is funny because Christmas once lived on Victoria Park Avenue not far from where the Masseys spent their summers at Dentonia Farm. My Malvern Collegiate chemistry partner was Eric’s son Stephen.
David James Elliot is best known for JAG, but he played a hunky boyfriend of Elaine on The Couch (1994). Elliot was born David William Smith at East General Hospital (now Michael Garron) in 1960, but the family soon moved to Milton, Ontario where Elliot grew up. He had to change his name when he arrived in Hollywood.
Elaine breaks up with “Carl” when she finds out his stance on abortion: “You know someday we’re going to get enough people on the Supreme Court to change that law.”
“A Show about Nothing”
Seinfeld told the misadventures of four neurotic New Yorkers who were “bad breaker-uppers.” One of the funniest episodes is The Puffy Shirt (1993) where Canadian actor Wendel Meldrum (1954-2021) plays Kramer’s low-talking girlfriend and Jerry has to wear her puffy shirt on the Today show: “But I don’t want to be a pirate!”
Linda Kash is best known as the Philly Cream Cheese Angel (imagine her in the clouds). She dumped George with the famous line, “It’s not you, it’s me” in The Lip Reader (1993). Kash grew up in Forest Hill with her famous parents, opera singer Maureen Forrester and conductor Eugene Kash.
“Yada, yada, yada”
What is your favourite catchphrase from Seinfeld? Favourite character?
There are so many Canadian guest stars on Seinfeld that I will need another article.
The new Barbie movie may have two “Ken-adians”, but Seinfeld had dozens of Canucks. Who played the “marble rye lady” or “Babu” or “The Maid” (hint: she broke up Ross and Rachel on Friends)?
Any guesses? Stay tuned!
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