When Comedians Become Friends

Jerry Seinfeld’s new show, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, is a show that, for someone who loves hanging out with friends, charmingly captures the friendships between Jerry Seinfeld and the comedians that he invites on the show to catch up over coffee and a car ride. While the guests on the show are undoubtedly some of the funniest people in the entertainment business today, the true genius of the show lies in the way that it is staged, or not staged at all. That is to say that the show’s laid back, unscripted, and tightly filmed nature gives the audience an up close and personal view of these interactions, allowing the viewer to tag along as if they are also a guest on the show, and to laugh with the comedians rather than at them.


The laid back nature of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee is a refreshing and simultaneously surprising change of pace from the nature of most comedy series. While others may feel forced or stiff because of their perfect production, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee feels fun and loose because of its imperfect filming: conversation flows wherever it wants to, without regard to a punchline or a laugh-track; random fan interactions with the comedians show a more real side of some of our favorite comedians; unexpected twists throughout the episode draw laughs from the comedians and viewers alike. It is this rare, raw, roots-of-comedy element of the show that keeps everyone interested in what is going on.


While the laid back nature of the show can keep viewers wondering what will happen next, the unscripted nature of Seinfeld’s interactions with others gives a depth to the characters behind the characters and allows the audience to feel comfortable and as if they are a part of the conversation. Whereas most contemporary comedy is largely written out before its performance, whether live or not, the interactions between comedians are a true give and take, and there is real time for learning about others, and enjoying it.


Finally, the tightly shot filmography of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee places the viewer within arm’s reach of some of the biggest stars in television: sharing a car ride with Alec Baldwin and Jerry Seinfeld to downtown NYC and then listening as Baldwin recounts his interactions with other famous people; going for a boat ride with Stephen Colbert and Seinfeld and then sitting down in a nice cafe and hearing him talk about his career; taking a stroll down the street with Seth Meyer and Seinfeld in a small town and gaining an understanding of his comedic background and his personal life--it is these things that make the show so captivating and easy to follow along with, and it is one of the biggest contributors to the show’s familiar and inviting feel, which leaves audiences wanting more and aching from sustained laughter.





In conclusion, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, while superficially being a show about friendship and fun times between comedians, is a show that--through its use of laid back, unscripted, and tightly filmed shooting--allows the audience members to grow closer to their favorite comedians and laugh with them instead of at them.