"The interesting thing to me is that Seinfeld still gets a new audience every year. It's been an amazing thing, that the humor holds up still. It was so much like people's real life experience that the new audience still likes it, they still get it, it's still funny and they still keep sending me checks."

About This Interview

In his two-hour interview, Tom Cherones discusses his early life in Tuscaloosa, AL, where at the time, his family was one of the few with a television set. He talks about his early experiences working for several public television stations around the country. He recalls working as a production manager on Welcome Back, Kotter and his time working for General Hospital, several variety shows, and the Academy Awards. Cherones discusses his involvement as a producer on Growing Pains, Annie McGuire, and the pilot Just in Time. He outlines his four years as a director on Seinfeld, talking about the cast, crew, and several memorable episodes of the series. He speaks of his post-Seinfeld career on such shows as Ellen, Caroline in the City, and Newsradio, and details his time as a teacher at the University of Alabama. Amy Harrington conducted the interview on June 6, 2011 in North Hollywood, CA. 

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
People Talking About ...
Tom Cherones
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Tom Cherones on directing the Academy Awards and a request from Elizabeth Taylor

01:19
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Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Junior Mint"

01:32
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Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Parking Garage"

03:01
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Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Contest"

01:41
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Tom Cherones on Seinfeld catchphrases

01:17
Play Full Interview

Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on various jobs in public television

14:51

On moving to Los Angeles; on being production manager on Welcome Back, Kotter; on directing the Academy Awards; on producing Growing Pains

09:17

On directing My Sister Sam, Annie McGuire, and the made-for-television movie The Silence at Bethany; on how he came to direct Seinfeld

09:10

On shooting Seinfeld; on dealing with the actors on Seinfeld; on the style of filming and comedy on the show; on working with Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld

24:40

Chapter 2

On working with the Seinfeld guest stars; on various Seinfeld episodes; on various guest stars on the show

20:03

On specific Seinfeld episodes; on Seinfeld catchphrases; on leaving Seinfeld; on the show's final episode and legacy

12:36

On directing Ellen, Caroline in the City, and Newsradio

13:56

On teaching at the University of Alabama; on then-current projects; on advice to aspiring directors; on career achievements and regrets

10:04

Academy Awards, The

Tom Cherones on directing the Academy Awards

01:19

Annie McGuire

Tom Cherones on producing and directing Annie McGuire

01:50

Caroline in the City

Tom Cherones on directing Caroline in the City

01:08

Ellen

Tom Cherones on directing Ellen

05:01

Growing Pains

Tom Cherones on producing Growing Pains

02:06

My Sister Sam

Tom Cherones on directing My Sister Sam

02:40

NewsRadio

Tom Cherones on directing Newsradio

03:49

Seinfeld

Tom Cherones on how he came to direct and produce Seinfeld

01:25

Tom Cherones on directing and producing Seinfeld

01:41

Tom Cherones on shooting Seinfeld and the look of the show

00:40

Tom Cherones on dealing with the actors in Seinfeld

01:54

Tom Cherones on the producing team of Seinfeld

01:09

Tom Cherones on the production process of Seinfeld

01:46

Tom Cherones on his style of filming Seinfeld

00:59

Tom Cherones on post production on Seinfeld

01:10

Tom Cherones on Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David's style of comedy

02:16

Tom Cherones on the characters on Seinfeld

02:10

Tom Cherones on shooting Jerry Seinfeld's standups on Seinfeld

00:57

Tom Cherones on working with Jerry Seinfeld

02:04

Tom Cherones on Larry David and the characters of Seinfeld

01:49

Tom Cherones on Julia Louis-Dreyfus as "Elaine" and Michael Richards as "Kramer" on Seinfeld

01:21

Tom Cherones on working with Larry David

01:13

Tom Cherones on being the "father" on Seinfeld

00:54

Tom Cherones on working with the older Seinfeld guest stars

00:52

Tom Cherones on directing the Seinfeld episode "The Stakeout"

02:02

Tom Cherones on directing the Seinfeld episode "The Pony Remark"

01:08

Tom Cherones on directing the Seinfeld episode "The Chinese Restaurant"

03:22

Tom Cherones on how NBC dealt with Seinfeld

03:20

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Parking Garage"

03:01

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Pez Dispenser" 

02:19

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Contest"

01:41

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Bubble Boy"

01:13

Tom Cherones on guest stars on Seinfeld

02:13

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Junior Mint"

01:32

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Pilot"

02:51

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episodes "The Mango" and "The Puffy Shirt"

02:39

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Opposite"

00:32

Tom Cherones on Seinfeld catchphrases

01:17

Tom Cherones on leaving Seinfeld

01:28

Tom Cherones on the legacy of Seinfeld

01:17

Seinfeld: "The Bubble Boy"

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Bubble Boy"

01:13

Seinfeld: "The Chinese Restaurant"

Tom Cherones on directing the Seinfeld episode "The Chinese Restaurant"

03:22

Seinfeld: "The Contest"

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Contest"

01:41

Seinfeld: "The Finale"

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Finale"

00:31

Seinfeld: "The Parking Garage"

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Parking Garage"

03:01

Seinfeld: "The Pilot"

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Pilot"

02:51

Welcome Back, Kotter

Tom Cherones on being a production manager on Welcome Back, Kotter

02:22

Characters & Catchphrases

Tom Cherones on Seinfeld catchphrases

01:17

Memorable Moments on Television

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Finale"

00:31

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Junior Mint"

01:32

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Bubble Boy"

01:13

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Contest"

01:41

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Parking Garage"

03:01

Pop Culture

Tom Cherones on Seinfeld catchphrases

01:17

We Laughed

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Finale"

00:31

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Junior Mint"

01:32

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Bubble Boy"

01:13

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Contest"

01:41

Tom Cherones on the Seinfeld episode "The Parking Garage"

03:01

Directors

Tom Cherones on directing multi-camera verses single camera

00:40

Tom Cherones on advice to aspiring television directors

01:10

Comedy Series

Tom Cherones on directing and producing Seinfeld

24:24

Tom Cherones on directing Seinfeld

32:08

Tom Cherones on directing Ellen

05:01

Larry David

Tom Cherones on working with Larry David

01:13

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Tom Cherones on Julia Louis-Dreyfus as "Elaine" and Michael Richards as "Kramer" on Seinfeld

01:21

Michael Richards

Tom Cherones on Julia Louis-Dreyfus as "Elaine" and Michael Richards as "Kramer" on Seinfeld

01:21

Jerry Seinfeld

Tom Cherones on Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David's style of comedy

02:16

Tom Cherones on working with Jerry Seinfeld

02:04

Elizabeth Taylor

Tom Cherones on directing the Academy Awards and a request from Elizabeth Taylor

01:19

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