Jerry Seinfeld is returning to his roots, both physically and comedically.
In the trailer released for his upcoming Netflix special, Jerry Before Seinfeld, the comedian is shown doing a set at the Comic Strip, the New York City comedy club where he got his start, and also goofing off in front of his childhood home (Who knew Jerry could do a headstand?!).
For this special, Seinfeld will be exploring his upbringing and eventual development as a comedian in his signature Seinfeldian style. “We grew up like wild dogs in the ’60s,” he jokes in the trailer. “No helmets, no seatbelts, no restraints!”
Jerry Seinfeld: A Netflix Package Deal
Earlier this year, Netflix’s huge deal with Jerry Seinfeld was announced. In addition to Jerry Before Seinfeld and a second, still-to-be-released special, the streaming service will also acquire Seinfeld’s popular Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee for a new, and tenth, season. (The previous nine seasons from Crackle will also be available to stream as well. The show has so far received three Emmy nominations.)
Seinfeld’s Netflix deal was reported to be in the $100 million range. With the nearly half-billion he’s made since Seinfeld and its syndication, though, the reporting from Business Insider makes a fair bit of sense—that creative control was the driving factor for Seinfeld going to Netflix.
As he told the Harvard Business Review in January, control and hard work are what made Seinfeld (1989-1998) one of the most popular—and enduring—sitcoms of all time: “If you’re efficient, you’re doing it the wrong way. The right way is the hard way. The show was successful because I micromanaged it—every word, every line, every take, every edit, every casting. That’s my way of life.”
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and Seinfeld’s second special will be available on Netflix later this year. Jerry Before Seinfeld can be streamed beginning September 19.
Check out the trailer below