Fans of the old Seinfeld series know that the show’s lead character Jerry (played by Jerry Seinfeld) was obsessed with Superman. It seems that Jerry’s preoccupation with the Man of Steel is continuing in the post-Seinfeld years. Back in March, visitors to the American Express website (www.americanexpress.com/jerry) were treated to a web series titled The Adventures of Seinfeld and Superman. The first webisode, "A Uniform Used to Mean Something," was co-written by Seinfeld and directed by Barry Levinson (Diner, Rain Man) and aired last night before the encore performance of the Friends finale on NBC.
The second episode, "Hindsight Is 20/20," also debuted yesterday on the American Express website. In this episode, a live-action Seinfeld and an animated Superman (voiced by Seinfeld alumnus Patrick Warburton) are on a cross-country road trip in one of Jerry’s legendary vintage cars. While Superman is dealing with opening a troublesome pistachio and deflecting tourists’ questions about the Green Lantern, Jerry is trying to find out about the origins of The Man of Steel. When the two are stranded in Death Valley, it’s Jerry who saves the day by using Roadside Assistance, one of the services provided by American Express.
"I love taking road trips and thought it would be fun to invite Superman along for the ride," says Seinfeld. "I’m sure he misses a lot of scenic spots when flying at super-speed. I’m excited to debut `Hindsight is 20/20′: We had a fantastic time making it, and I think our fans will really enjoy it."
Visitors to the site can enjoy a unique interactive experience. Viewers return to the cozy living room of a New York City apartment, complete with a view of the Empire State Building, candid snapshots of Seinfeld and his superhero pal, a clickable Broadway show program and more. In addition to viewing "Hindsight is 20/20," visitors will find the first webisode, "A Uniform Used to Mean Something," behind-the-scenes footage from the making of both webisodes and content related to American Express membership (this is an ad, after all!).
The animation for the webisodes was produced by a small Toronto-based shop named Unplugged TV (www.unpluggedtv.com). The company, which offers offbeat shows such as The Leather Chef, The Art Critic and Konspiracy Korner used Macromedia Flash to create the animated segments. Mark Sharpe is Unplugged TV’s president, and Richard D’Alessio is the company co-founder and executive producer.
You can visit www.americanexpress.com/jerry to view the two episodes of The Adventures of Seinfeld and Superman.
