An anthology about somethingBy Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAYYou wouldn\'t expect a man of wealth and taste, one whose finicky TV alter-ego was turned off by a girlfriend just because she had fungicide in her bathroom, to put out a run-of-the-mill DVD collectionA loser like George Constanza would simply dump the nine seasons of Seinfeld episodes into store bins and be done with it. But that\'s not good enough for Jerry Seinfeld, someone reputed to own 500 pairs of white sneakers. All immaculate.Sure enough, when the first two volumes (Columbia TriStar, $49.95 each) of shows from the NBC\'s groundbreaking sitcom are released Nov. 23, each four-disc set will pack a veritable Festivus — that special holiday "for the rest of us" — of extras. "If it were just the DVDs, it wouldn\'t be that exciting," says Seinfeld, who estimates it took about three years to gather and edit the archival material. "But it\'s really encyclopedic."The 18 episodes from the first and second seasons on Volume 1 include two versions of the pilot plus such cherished moments as Jerry\'s disdain of Dockers and Elaine\'s first "get out!\' shove. The 22 shows from the third season on Volume 2 introduce Wayne Knight as Jerry\'s nemesis Newman and such terms as "hand" (as in upper hand) and "the vault" (where secrets are kept sealed in the mind).With the $119.95 gift set, you get a bonus: Monk\'s Diner salt and pepper shakers shaped like mustard and ketchup containers. Confusing yet cute.The 24 hours of additional features split between the two volumes include a documentary, bloopers, outtakes, never-seen-before Seinfeld stand-up routines, commentaries and trivia. Ever wonder where Kramer was during the Chinese restaurant episode? The secret is finally revealed.Seinfeld is most fond of the gag-reel footage. "At the end of each season, we would have a party, and one of the biggest highlights was a 30- to 40-minute gag reel with every scene over the course of the year where we broke up laughing and ruined the tape."Regular watchers know all too well that the show\'s namesake was most prone to giggle fits. "I took zero pride in acting," he says. "I was just so thrilled when a joke would work." Nevertheless, he won several best-actor awards over the years from various organizations. "None that you would know," he adds.The DVD announcement will delight fans who have been getting their only fix of Seinfeld\'s lovable yet irksome Manhattanites from syndicated reruns, which are a minute or two shorter than the network versions in the sets.Money problems, however, almost deleted some extras. Late last year, Seinfeld co-stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine) and Jason Alexander (George) were refusing to do commentary tracks and promotional duties if they weren\'t paid for their efforts. Michael Richards (Kramer) agreed to participate but wasn\'t pleased about the lack of extra cash, either.But all was settled amicably, says Seinfeld executive producer Howard West, who oversaw the DVDs\' production. "The cast, who will render ongoing DVD services through future volumes, will be compensated in direct relation to the success of the DVDs." The rest of the sets probably will be released over the next three years.Seinfeld, who turned 50 this year ("It\'s over. I\'m done," he jokes), spends most weekends performing stand-up around the country. He has little interest in returning to series TV grind. "Having a sitcom is like being a captain of a ship. Doing stand-up is like surfing on a wave of energy of people laughing. It\'s not about money. It\'s about proving I can do it."The comic also has proved he can commit. He has been married to his wife, Jessica, since 1999. They live with children Sascha, 3, and Julian, 1, at an East Hampton estate (price: an estimated $35 million) once owned by singer Billy Joel.How alike are Seinfeld and TV Jerry? "It\'s not a leap to think he wound up where I did." However, "his TV series didn\'t work out. Mine did. He is not living in Billy Joel\'s house."
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