Why Fans Are In An Uproar About Seinfeld On Netflix
What can be said about "Seinfeld" that hasn't been said already? It's been over 20 years since the hit NBC sitcom aired its final episode, but the show remains a popular topic of conversation among pop culture aficionados all these years later. Chronicling the life and experiences of the titular character (played by Jerry Seinfeld) and his buddies in New York City, "Seinfeld" was a groundbreaking TV comedy that bucked trends and gave viewers a suitable quote for any occasion. Few shows have been able to find humor in the minutiae of everyday life quite as effectively, and that's what makes "Seinfeld" one of the best comedies of all time.
"Seinfeld" continues to find fans, as new generations come along and fall for its charms. Now that the show has arrived on Netflix, its popularity is bound to soar all over again. However, while "Seinfeld" being available to watch on the world's most accessible streaming platform should be a cause for celebration, it appears to have had the opposite effect on longtime fans of the show.
Seinfeld is 'unwatchable' now
Most "Seinfeld" fanatics have watched every episode multiple times and memorized every detail. They'll notice if something is amiss, and many were quick to spot some changes that Netflix made to the show.
According to Rolling Stone, Netflix is airing the show with an aspect ratio of 16:9, rather than its original 4:3. The new format was introduced in order to give the '90s sitcom a "modern look" for high-definition TVs. Unfortunately, some of the show's most iconic jokes have been cut out as a result. As Complex points out, a scene from Season 8's "The Pothole" episode has been altered in a negative way. In the original episode, George Costanza (Jason Alexander) complains about a pothole on the street, which can be seen pretty clearly. However, the erosion in question is absent in some parts of the Netflix version of the episode.
Those might sound like minor errors, but the fans aren't happy. As @boriskarkov complained on Twitter, the new ratio has made "Seinfeld" practically "unwatchable."
@catovitch echoed this sentiment, claiming "cropping 4:3 to 16:9 is wrong unless it was intentionally filmed for that."
@alpal27 went so far as to tweet out a call for a petition to get Netflix to return the show to its original format. It remains to be seen if Netflix will respond to the outcry.