Jaunty jazz tunes, conversations with friends over coffee, tips on success with fellow comedians, the minutiae of life. Seinfeld, did anybody say? It is actually Jerry Seinfeld’s web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
Featuring episodes that run under 20 minutes in the format of a talk show conducted in vintage cars over coffee, the series recently wrapped up a sixth season. The new season kicked off with Seinfeld’s most impressive guest yet: President Barack Obama. This shouldn’t be a surprise, since Obama never passes up a chance for a publicity stunt much like how our prime minister never misses a photo op. The episode sees Seinfeld zipping into the White House in a blue Corvette, Obama laughing at himself, and a plug for Obamacare.
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is no stranger to A-list guests. Stars such as Jim Carrey, David Letterman and John Stewart have already sipped on coffee with Jerry at drive-by diners. The show has its moments of hilarity when the host engages his guests in conversation about nothing and everything, but it has been heavily criticised for being too elitist.
A case in point: When South African comedian Trevor Noah explains his hectic schedule, Seinfeld says, “Where did you get such a work ethic from?” Noah pauses, and says, “From being poor.” They awkwardly laugh off the moment, but it is clear that the warm camaraderie evident in other episodes is missing from this one.
Comedians in Cars is also less observational than Seinfeld. There are no discussions about whether or not it is okay to dump someone who does not eat dessert, and what Festivus is.
Elitist or not, the web series is a fun watch for insights, scripted or otherwise, into the minds of your favourite stars. The website has live streaming episodes, but they are sadly not available on YouTube.