35 Years Ago, This Great Seinfeld Episode Replaced a Controversial, Cancelled Story (& It Was Written in Just 2 Days)

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Everyone considers Seinfeld to be one of the best sitcoms ever, and for good reason. The show’s creators – Jerry Seinfeld, Larry Charles, and Larry David – were truly innovative. Interestingly, one of the series’ most beloved episodes came about because they had to quickly replace a story that caused too much trouble. Looking back, it’s clear why this replacement worked so well.

As a huge fan, I remember when Seinfeld was still building its audience heading into Season 2. Looking back at Season 1, it’s so clear they were still figuring things out – thankfully, they dropped some of those early ideas! It seems like the core team – Larry David, Larry Charles, Jerry Seinfeld, and director Tom Cherones – really hit their stride in Season 2, nailing that ironic, ‘show about nothing’ vibe that focused on everyday life. Interestingly, one episode almost broke the whole group apart, requiring a frantic rewrite. But that very episode ended up becoming a massive fan favorite and one of the highest-rated of the entire series – you just never know!

“The Phone Message” is the fourth episode of Seinfeld‘s second season, first broadcast on February 13, 1991. The episode centers on George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander) ruining a potential relationship on a double date with Jerry. He rejects the woman’s invitation for coffee, then can’t stop obsessing over it. He repeatedly calls her, leaving increasingly frantic messages on her answering machine, culminating in an angry final attempt. However, she calls him back, excited about their connection, and reveals she was out of town. This turns the messages into a potential disaster, and George concocts a complicated scheme to erase any evidence of his obsessive behavior.

Seinfeld‘s “The Phone Message” Was A Last-Minute Rewrite for A Cacneled Episode

The episode “The Phone Message” was written by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, but not Larry Charles, as he was busy writing a separate episode called “The Bet” (also known as “The Gun”). The original plan for “The Phone Message” involved two main stories: Elaine Benes making a bet with Jerry about the ease of buying a gun, and Jerry’s neighbor Kramer betting with Jerry and George about a playful encounter he supposedly had with a flight attendant on a flight back from Puerto Rico.

From the start, the episode “The Bet” faced some resistance, but production moved forward anyway, including building sets and hiring actors for small parts like a gun store owner and a flight attendant. However, after the first read-through, the cast and crew strongly objected – Julia Louis-Dreyfus reportedly said she refused to participate. Director Tom Cherones was asked to discuss the potential issues with writer Larry Charles, and with NBC’s approval, the episode was cancelled. The episode “The Phone Message” was quickly written by David and Seinfeld in just two days before filming began.

Larry Chares accepted the show’s cancellation gracefully. He explained that while the idea had potential, they struggled to make it genuinely funny. This lack of consistent humor threw off the show’s balance, allowing a darker tone to dominate. Ultimately, they couldn’t overcome this issue to achieve the show’s full potential, making the cancellation both disappointing and logical.

Seinfeld Missed An Opportunity to Tackle A Major Topic

It’s ironic how things played out with the Seinfeld episode “The Phone Message.” While it’s now considered one of the show’s best, it was initially a big disappointment. The episode’s ratings dropped significantly – from a typical 19-22 million viewers to just 13 million. This drop was so substantial that NBC briefly took Seinfeld off the air and moved it back to its original time slot after Cheers. Looking back, this episode seemed to hint at the creative differences that would eventually lead to problems with the show later on.

Interestingly, Seinfeld is one of the few recent sitcoms that hasn’t tackled the topic of gun control in an episode. The Simpsons addressed it back in 1997 with “The Cartridge Family,” and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has even made gun control a recurring theme. Their 2013 episode, “Gun Fever Too: Still Hot,” is a particularly wild take on Seinfeld’s “The Gun,” where the characters are divided over gun control and compete to see how easy it is to get a gun in the US. The episode combines comedy with social commentary, suggesting that someone finally figured out how to make gun control funny – something Charles didn’t manage to do.

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2026-02-13 16:10