#3: Seinfeld – Jerry Seinfeld (1989)
Jerry’s financial situation is less impossible than those of many sitcom characters, but the ease of his lifestyle still depends on an unusually successful version of a notoriously unstable profession. As a working stand-up comedian, Jerry occupies a comfortable Upper West Side apartment, eats outside the home constantly, owns a car, travels for performances, and rarely seems concerned about money. Unlike George or Elaine, however, the series repeatedly suggests that Jerry is doing quite well professionally. He performs nationally, appears on television, receives opportunities to develop a sitcom pilot, and is portrayed as significantly more financially secure than his friends. That makes his apartment and spending habits reasonably defensible, especially by 1990s standards. The unrealistic element is how consistently comfortable his career appears despite the unpredictable economics of stand-up comedy. Most comedians at a comparable stage would experience far greater fluctuations in income.
