Seinfeld first premiered on television in 1989.
The first broadcast was the pilot, “The Seinfeld Chronicles,” which aired on NBC on July 5, 1989. The episode introduced Jerry Seinfeld's fictionalized character, George Costanza, and the early version of Kramer, then named Kessler. Elaine Benes was not yet part of the pilot's regular ensemble.
The series faced an uncertain start. NBC did not initially include it on its 1989–90 primetime schedule, and test audiences reportedly responded negatively. NBC executive Rick Ludwin nevertheless helped fund four more episodes, which allowed the project to continue. Those episodes formed the rest of the unusually short first season.
The program was later retitled simply Seinfeld, partly to avoid confusion with ABC's The Marshall Chronicles. The show eventually ran for nine seasons and 180 episodes, ending on May 14, 1998. Thus, 1989 refers to the show's first television premiere, even though its broader commercial breakthrough came several years later.