A pillar of national television is making its way to Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. Beginning in May 2024, Fordham will be leasing out its satellite campus for the filming of “Seinfeld: The Reboot.”
“Seinfeld” revolves around Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer as they go through the small things of daily life. The show typically begins with a standup joke from Jerry that alludes to the events of the episode. At the end of the original series, the main cast was stuck in a jail cell, and now things are about to get interesting.
The reboot is looking to teach the gang a lesson and that lesson will be at Fordham University. As per Wolff Productions, the company backing the project, the new reboot revolves around Jerry and the gang going back to school as part of their agreement with the court once they are released from jail.
Wolff Productions had been hoping to record in an area amid New York City, ensuring that the reboot was still within the heart of Manhattan just as its predecessor once did. The production company also wanted to be near the Upper West Side, where the original show was based, so the location of Lincoln Square checked all the boxes.
Securing such a deal was something that was out of the ordinary. Wolff Productions had told all possible collaborators that this contract would have to be won through a comedy contest. As a result, Fordham sent theater students over to Wolff Productions to make the executives laugh until they could not breathe. Some of the department’s students had beaten out “Bania Comedy Company” and “Costanza and Co.” to secure the contract.
In a press conference with the production company on March 15, University President Tania Tetlow said that she was “ecstatic” about this opportunity.
“We are so excited that Fordham has this opportunity to be a part of the wonderful world of Seinfeld,” Tetlow said. “Our theater students secured this deal for us and we couldn’t be any prouder.”
“What’s the point? I love ‘Seinfeld,’ but these reboots never pan out.” Lawerence Daveed, FCLC ’26
The news of the “Seinfeld” reboot coming to Fordham has caused students across campus to be filled with enthusiasm and anticipation.
One student, Jerome Newman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25, is a huge “Seinfeld” fan. The moment Newman was told about the reboot, his eyes widened with glee.
“I cannot believe this is actually happening at my campus,” Newman said. “It feels like a Festivus miracle.”
Another student began to laugh hysterically when he heard the news. Cosmo Whatley, FCLC ’24, began to name as many “Seinfeld” references as he could and did not slow down after he named every single character’s surname.
“Of course the biggest news that I could ever hear happens here when I am graduating. That’s a shame! Get it? That’s a shame?” Whatley said.
Not all students are excited by this news, however, with some suspecting that this reboot at the Lincoln Center campus is just a bunch of “hoopla.” Although the campus will be closed in May, some students believe that it could interfere with their studies because it could distract everyone around campus, from fellow students to their professors.
A student was seen throwing his hands in the air, screaming as he exited the library. When asked what was going on, the student, John Puddy, felt that he had no motivation to study.
“Why even bother? I’ve lost hope in my studies,” he said. “The campus is gonna be closed and it’s hard to focus on studying anyways, so the key to happiness is hopelessness, this indifference helps me forget.”
“I cannot believe this is actually happening at my campus. It feels like a Festivus miracle.”Jerome Newman, FCLC ’25
Another student, Lawerence Daveed, FCLC ’26, complained about the idea entirely.
“What’s the point? I love ‘Seinfeld,’ but these reboots never pan out,” he said. “I bet the luck of this reboot runs a much and Jerry comes out the schmuck, tainting his classic show to make a quick buck.”
Jason Allen, FCLC ’26, had taken the news with a grain of salt.
“I have no idea how to react. I think this kind of stuff can be a nuisance. You hear stuff like this and think that it is just a bunch of yada yada,” Allen said.
The excitement is not only limited to students. There are those amongst Fordham faculty who remember watching the original series and are thrilled to see the iconic show make its way to campus. One such administrator is Elaina Dreyfuss, who was a diehard fan of the show when it first aired on NBC.
“I love this show so much! I love the episode where the cook said, ‘No soup for you!’ The soup spot from the show is just around the corner,” Dreyfuss said. “Seinfeld” is not only restricted to its fictional world, but it also has connections to landmarks right by campus.”
It seems that “Seinfeld” has officially taken over Fordham before filming has started, and its influence is felt all around campus. As the days toward May inch ever closer, the hype around the new “Seinfeld” reboot is sure to increase. Only time will tell, but the growing enthusiasm around this reboot seems to predict a success trajectory.
