Jerry Seinfeld standup (Merv Griffin Show 1981)

Jerry Seinfeld was regular on the Merv Griffin Show in his breakout year of 1981. In this unique clip from July 13, 1981 Jerry delivers one of his early classic routines. Merv Griffin had over 5000 guests appear on his show from 1963-1986. Footage from the Merv Griffin Show is available for licensing to all forms of media through Reelin' In The Years Productions. www.reelinintheyears.com.

[@meerkat006]

Live from Kramer's apartment

[@MoeGreensRightEye]

Haha

[@mytfy1]

There's something wrong with Kramer alright.

[@assmane999]

2 animal acts on one show. What is this, amateur hour?

[@Novastar6]

"No you idiot....Hawks eat squirrels!"

[@sexhaver420]

Where are the cameras?

[@apple54345]

Alright, let's take a short break..... We're back!

[@OzmaOfOzz]

😂😂😂

[@Blas4ublasphemy]

Who are you talking to?

[@MerkinMuffly]

I feel the Merv Griffin show would have been 10x saucier with Newman as his sidekick.

[@hankkingsley9300]

Hello...NEWMAN

[@DebNKY]

And birds would be terrific.

[@tjtheedge29]

ARE YOU MARRIED RIGHT NOW

[@Rich-jy3ps]

Who would’ve thought, 30+ yrs later he would be such a legend now. Great career Jerry! Good job.

[@captainedc]

@Deseo Synergy 41

[@ZoneZero-sm9jv]

43 years now, and more legendary than ever.

[@BATMAN-gh1nf]

A lot of those jokes I heard Seinfeld do at later dates. This archive piece was interesting to watch, as it shows 1) Seinfeld was always funny, and 2) his timing/delivery has improved over the years.

[@conradgarcia858]

Kramer's apartment is bigger than what i though it would. :) I think I played the roles of both the loser in the bumper cars and the raving lunatic. Had a fun childhood. :)

[@col.douglasmortimer2721]

This young man is going places

[@scrapplepig]

The 80's were a great time for new comedians and comedy clubs.

[@kelleybrown1666]

It may have been all the coke.

[@scrapplepig]

@@kelleybrown1666 Great time for that too!

[@Mike1614b]

I prefer more writing and ads all over the video- it's best when I can't see anything

[@jasontalbot2520]

Well ... at least over a video of this asshole

[@calisongbird]

😂😂😂😂

[@kevlarkittens]

jerry seinfeld is a legend. super funny guy who really helped brand the observational comedy genre.

[@FormerlyNYVulgarian]

Jerry’s hair is awesome here!

[@Blas4ublasphemy]

A great civilization of hair!

[@DebNKY]

Who wouldn't like him?

[@whiteshadow59]

Jerry was very physical, even in Seinfeld, kind of overlooked because of Kramer, but he was very good at it

[@GeorgeTropicana]

Overshadowed by Kramer and Elaine

[@whatthecello42]

"I wanna see bums and dead people." That's gold Jerry, gold!!"

[@willkirkoff1333]

It is gold and so is the reference that you used😊👍

[@NilsLange]

Go back to your ovaltine bit

[@pulixpulix2420]

@@willkirkoff1333 That's a Bania quote dude

[@CFox.7]

@@pulixpulix2420 Will knew that - that is why he specifically used the word "reference"

[@pulixpulix2420]

@@CFox.7 I wouldn't be so sure about that. But if you know he knows, then everybody is happy. Right?

[@Ottoplemeniti]

Hmmm, I thought Kramer was the host of this show...

[@Trainer_Red.....]

He was the original

[@Trainer_Red.....]

He had to be replaced for saying the N word.

[@RENTnerd87]

"Where are the cameras?"

[@tallman4040]

These days, 20 minutes on hold is about average.

[@doderbank200]

man do i love jerry's jokes for sure one of my fav comedians

[@johntrybulec6218]

Jerry is always great.

[@allenlin7462]

Jerry is a genious. He rarely repeats his material...it's always new and fresh

[@cartossin]

Well actually he toured a lot of the same jokes for like 10-20 years. It wasn't until a bunch of headliner comedians inspired by George Carlin started to retire their material after shooting a special that it became frowned upon to do the same jokes for years. Standup has changed a lot since the 90s.

[@ohroonoko]

Merv Griffin was the daytime equivalent of Johnny Carson.

[@robertrichards4355]

You might be thinking of Mike Douglas (who was the daytime Johnny Carson). Merv Griffin was on at 9PM every weeknight.

[@ohroonoko]

@@robertrichards4355 no that's not how I remember it. Bkth the show and Merv were nominated 18x (and won 12x) for Daytime Emmy's between 1974 and 1985. If his previous iterations were in prime time, then that was before my time amd he was more successful in daytime.

[@dianeatpeace337]

​@@ohroonoko yeah, in NYC in the 70s Mike Douglas, Dinah Shore & Merv Griffin were all daytime hosts. Thinking about it now, perhaps due to syndication we were seeing Merv's show from last night on the following day, who knows?

[@lyricaldali]

Funny then and funny now!!!

[@brucelevy5603]

You can see Jerry really evolving here. He's has much more presence than he did in the earlier days. And the rountines are getting more sophisticated. His "left'" routine was very Carlin-esque.

[@lune78]

This is gold, Jerry, GOLD!

[@maxwellcooper2]

So awesome thanks

[@markotnes8532]

Young and working on his timing. He’s talking a little too fast, but already doing well.

[@PhilipBoardman]

"You all know him as Frankie on Benson" :P

[@halfhigh]

Hehey! Haha

[@nateallen9293]

He never amounted to much after that did he??

[@stephendoyle4233]

Little or Big Jerry Seinfeld doesn’t take a dive for nobody !

[@nateallen9293]

And now for those of us who don’t know, sidling is what?

[@Tomn8er]

Boy his delivery got a LOT better in later years. Material is solid but here he's talking very fast and high-pitched, seems pretty nervous.

[@darlabible1325]

Tomn8er; He was young. His voice hadn’t changed yet.😂🤣😂❤️

[@bigc3748]

He's always been funny n he looks really young

[@aamarkhan7448]

What a set!

[@santiagobenites]

Whatever became of this guy? Did he ever make it big?

[@mickanvonfootscraymarket5520]

He had a pilot on NBC, the episode was about his butler or something. I think it was called 'Jerry'. According to Wikipedia, he went to jail in 1998 for like 9 years of being a bad person.

[@customfantasyhotwheels]

He developed a television series or something like that that was relevant to his every day life. It only ran for 8-9 years, I think🤔

[@Brazil_newZ]

Nah, never see him after this show, too bad

[@daveotieno1]

Seinfeld (1989-1998) 📺

[@nikolitsos_]

This guy has to get his own Show!

[@evanmendez-perez5960]

Based

[@thatfriggingbathroom2656]

What would that even be about

[@dimariobell8499]

Jerry: "...an on/off switch" Kramer: "and we all know how painful that can be 😏"

[@captainedc]

I wonder if the episode of KRAMER finding and using the old MERV GRIFFIN set had something to do with being on his show at the very beginning of his career.

[@hamhead2765]

Seinfelds such a pro. You can see the evolution. Certainly the old mistake of asking an audience a question. He'll be the first one now to tell you "get to the joke"

[@Brazil_newZ]

Wow he so young, what a LEGEND

[@nitinkataria6030]

I was less than a month old when it was telecasted

[@Trainer_Red.....]

Wait a minute, wait a minute! You mean to say that you drugged a woman so you could take advantage of her toys? Let's pause a moment.... Jerry, now, what you do with your personal life is your business, but when you're on my set. You clean it up, mister!

[@danjohnson3669]

I cant beieve it. Now im old. I love tjis guy.

[@jonlate4581]

Well, we've officially bottomed out....

[@brushpicks11]

love the tie

[@cheezst8ke]

back when the Merv Griffin set didn't smell like garbage. LOL!!!

[@CrystalsandCandles]

I have a rule.... I never subscribe to a channel where the poster thinks it's acceptable to flash annoying banner links constantly all over the content.

[@paulrouhan7288]

James Travers I am guessing you have many rules. Having said that, you are right

[@abelesser69]

You and your rules..When we were in kindergarten, you had that rule..No one can eat before you

[@greatcoldemptiness]

Literally nobody asked

[@NateTheMovieGuy]

I never noticed the left handed thing until now!

[@kelleybrown1666]

Jerry signed for a package left handed when he was a doorman.

[@colleenkelly4311]

...and all those Japanese royalty checks. 😉 •Super Terrific Happy Hour•

[@gregwilliams3120]

Jim Fowler came on next. Kramer practically raised his kids.

[@michaelsturdevant9196]

Swingin' stuff, there, Jer!

[@williamkirima8295]

I bet he didn't know that one day a comedian (him) will be a billionaire.

[@sdgojdfpghj]

It's a new format... "Scandals and Animals"!

[@alexeyosin9634]

What I wonder is - if this guy ever ages? He was really young back there, he was relatively young in Sienfield - but I wouldn’t say he is old now. How come?

[@MrDrunkJeff]

"The loser of the ride" oho im still in stitches "Stuck in a pack of 5 empty cars"

[@jon.e]

I keep laughing at that too

[@TttTtt-zo7kt]

Funny kid. Sure hope he goes places.

[@damiantorn5799]

w/flat end . . . the good ol' days.

[@danieldougan269]

"We'd love to have you back anytime!"

[@johnnyjohnny5051]

This is pretty funny. 8/10

[@sliat1981]

Look exactly the same 15 year later

[@Yotsukaido]

Jerry should have performed this set again in Kramer's apartment.

[@edwardhernandez6668]

He brought the funny!! ^___^

[@Donchan1]

Hey yeh Merv Griffin show, or MERVGR around these parts!

[@Yepprd]

I remember those sock ties

[@19gregske55]

They were knitted cotton, cotton lisle (treated with an alkali solution to impart a shine on the fiber), only available in solid shades.

[@normanhowe4938]

Wow ,I was 11days old.

[@riseuplight]

same delivery after all these years!!!

[@Leo-qe3gl]

Some of these jokes were reused ten years later in seinfeld 😊

[@douglasmcintyre3297]

Wow. He barely gets going, about four minutes and, wham, its already time to wrap up. TV can be a cruel medium.

[@waynesmith3879]

jerry never gives up on a good joke

[@astonmargolis-dias7089]

good.

[@YuukiHyouketsu]

I didn't know he was left handed! o.o Yay, lefties! :D

[@josephmccormick9675]

he's ambidextrous

[@YuukiHyouketsu]

Just more reasons to love Jerry Seinfeld :)

[@b.r.buckeyeman460]

You mean he can breath under water !!!.

[@lynnturman8157]

Lefties are ruining this country.

[@Ottawa3453]

He signs checks with his left hand anyway. Sometimes comedians make up little things for a bit, but this was genuine :P

[@marcpTV]

"ya like jazz"

[@StephenDoty84]

Good idea for a channel. He's got a good delivery. If your average Joe in a donut shop tried to do this material, it would flop fast.

[@Trainer_Red.....]

Ay ay ay. I'll ask the questions.

[@desr6991]

Am just laughing at the adverts with this clip…..Scrooge riding a Peleton bike🙃….you need a second mortgage to get one of those things

[@drsmoto3400]

dad jokes .. professionally .. with a few zingers

[@amirarsalan6054]

"What's the deal with age of consent laws?"

[@phlarrdboi]

wow they gave jerry a rough time there

[@merto95]

Only in New York

[@NoName-zb1gm]

Still doing the bumper car schtick.

[@leafyutube]

Are there any early Kenny Bania videos?

[@lynnturman8157]

Geez, will you tell that guy to stop talking so I can concentrate on what I'm reading?

[@jestronixhanderson9898]

Eagles and squirrels don’t mix!

[@lettersfromhelen]

That's funny Seinfeld

[@kanesanders157]

+lettersfromhelen my man, the dead and sublime, and seinfield.

[@FlowLikeWater429]

Seinfeld was assertive, articulate and confident. He wasn’t lucky it was destined he would succeed

[@cdub2k351]

turn music off

[@kelleybrown1666]

Reminded of The Simpsons: "Turn tape over."

[@petemaniscalco1966]

This is the guy from "Benson", right?

[@morthedgebuckle227]

I wonder if he will ever age.

[@Trainer_Red.....]

Excuse me.. we're talking this way.

[@jnadle1]

It's no wonder why they spoofed this on his hit show Seinfeld.

[@Ithamcr]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@MultiAlliot]

for fucks sake every time he is on tv he does bumpercar bit

[@StephenDoty84]

He and Paul Reiser have a similar delivery. Not sure who started it.

[@okrajoe]

Early Seinfeld from the 80s.

[@GeorgeCrosley]

+okrajoe Thanks for clarifying that for those of us who can't read.

[@QuadMochaMatti]

Seinfeld from the early 80s.

[@randomfella8084]

Back when he was good.

[@Brazil_newZ]

He always good

[@abelesser69]

This kid might be big Gladyis...I am telling you big!!!!!

[@deenak79]

EVEN David Letterman doesn't have crap on his screen....get rid of it and all the other BS you've added.

[@norelcopc2431]

Merv's estate is trying to market the many episodes that he produced and hosted over 22 years. This is their legal right.

[@Skelly5962]

Tom Archetek There is nothing tasteless, classless or money grubbing about Griffin's estate wanting to earn money from their legally owned content, you stupid assclown. If anyone is a boor here, it is you.

[@xander9564]

Actually, it's not a legal issue. It's simply tasteless.

[@Tmanaz480]

Interesting...working with no handheld mic.

[@bletheringfool]

Do you ever see those KZbin videos plastered with text? What's the deal with that?

[@ZoneZero-sm9jv]

He looks like Tony Manero. Italians and Jews really are quite similar.

[@fastfoodreviewcoffeeandelv9470]

Jerry had his teeth fixed

[@effer3]

Where are the cameras?

[@purepwnge1]

This is the clip Jay Leno was referring to in that conversation on CCC?

[@macfan128]

Jerry was really tan back then.