‘Seinfeld’s Weird Pilot Was Out of Character From the Rest of the Series

‘The Seinfeld Chronicles’ is far from the classic sitcom ‘Seinfeld’ would become. Claire the Waitress Is the Elaine of the ‘Seinfeld’ Pilot Seinfeld may have been the best show of the 90s, but it actually first debuted in the 1980s, with its pilot airing on July 5,1989.

The series was of course created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, and the duo wrote the pilot as well. The first difference between the beginning and the classic it would become is the title. In that first episode the series was strangely called The Seinfeld Chronicles. The episode opens up with Jerry and George (Jason Alexander) talking about women and the mundane in a diner like they usually do, but this isn’t a booth at Monk’s Cafe. Jerry and George sit at a round table at a place called Pete’s Luncheonette.

During their time at the diner, they interact a few times with a red-haired waitress named Claire (Lee Garlington). That’s not so unusual. The gang interacts with a plethora of waitresses over the years. Claire was different though. They don’t treat her like an employee at a restaurant, but like a friend, even asking for her advice. She means something to them. That’s because she was meant to be part of the main cast.