Fellow Seinfeld lovers or curious ad people rejoice. Wayne Knight reprises Newman from Seinfeld to tell people about mail-in voting and the current administration’s attempts to slow down the mail.
I know. The laugh tracks can be a bit much. Now, there are plenty of politically insensitive jokes. It’s a show about nothing. But, man, I do love Seinfeld. It can always make me laugh if I’m having a bad day. Wayne Knight brings back Newman to talk about the current politics surrounding the postal service and mail-in ballots.
Knight was hesitant to bring back the role. With a laugh, he told Entertainment Weekly, “It’s been my studious attempt to let Newman die. I’ve been so associated with the character that it became somewhat of a lodestone in my mind.” He had been getting contacted to ‘reawaken’ Newman ever since the Trump administration began to attack voting by mail and the U.S. Postal Service. But, he chose Veep showrunner and former Seinfeld writer-producer David Mande for PACRONYM, a Democratic super PAC.
For those concerned about irresponsible, Newman-type mail carriers, Knight told Entertainment Weekly “Newman has been trying to subvert the Postal Service for his entire career. He has not been able to do it. It is a well-oiled machine with a couple of bad cogs in it that every now and then get [sic] caught. But in general, the thought that you can deliver something to a one-room post office in Alaska for 55 cents is pretty incredible.”
Political ads can get dicey, but this was a fun one that delivered its message well. It gets right to the point without losing the voice of Newman from the original series.