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November 23, 2006: Seinfeld's Pal, Superman

A Look at the Superman Related References on TV's "Seinfeld"

Almost everyone knows that comedian Jerry Seinfeld is a big Superman fan. But an urban legend has sprung up that Jerry snuck a reference to the Man of Steel in every episode of NBC's Must-See comedy juggernaut, "Seinfeld", which aired from 1989 to 1998. Not true.

Thanks to my TIVO, I've taken a ride around the syndication wheel of "Seinfeld" repeats on TBS over the past few months, screening the episodes for Superman references. As it turns out, the episode guide that follows is a complete list of all the episodes, in order, that mention Superman or other super-heroes (barring mistakes or omissions and please feel free to make me aware of any you spot).

Some have suggested that there's something hidden in every episode even if there isn't an overt super-reference. Like the Superman magnet that didn't show up on Jerry's fridge until 1993's fourth season episode "The Shoes". Or the Bowen Superman statue that's so associated with the TV show it routinely shows up on eBay as "Seinfeld Superman Statue". But the statue doesn't show up until over a year after the magnet in 1994's fifth season episode "The Wife" (which featured Courteney Cox immediately pre-"Friends"). Or even the Satellite-era Justice League of America poster that isn't ever seen full-on but hangs over George's bed early on. Even if you count these types of Superman appearances, it's still far from something super snuck into every episode. Oh and for the record I don't include a list of every episode in which the magnet and/or the statue could be seen -- even I have more of a life than that.

Read Barry's complete article right here at the Superman Homepage.