The best sitcom of all time is a hotly debated topic, but NBC’s Seinfeld is the show that tends to get mentioned the most in this conversation. The nine-season fictionalization of the New York comedian’s life has become the benchmark for modern TV comedy, thanks to its hilariously inane observations and idiosyncratic storytelling style.

Yet, Seinfeld is one of many hit shows to have narrowly avoided cancellation after one season . In fact, the sitcom almost didn’t get that far, as it almost bit the dust after a pilot episode was produced. As strange as it might seem in retrospect, NBC very nearly scrapped a show that finished with 76 million viewers watching its finale.

When ranking Seinfeld ’s seasons , most people would place the show’s five-episode first season at the bo

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