Editing Seinfeld (section)

=== Seasons 4–5 ===
{{Main|Seinfeld season 4|Seinfeld season 5}}
Season 4 marked the sitcom's entry into the [[Nielsen ratings]] Top 30. It contains several of the most popular episodes, such as "[[The Bubble Boy (Seinfeld episode)|The Bubble Boy]]", in which George and the bubble boy argue over ''[[Trivial Pursuit]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=407 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118152059/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=407 |archive-date=January 18, 2012 }}</ref> and "[[The Junior Mint]]" in which Jerry and Kramer accidentally fumble a mint in the operating room.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=421 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925045350/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=421 |archive-date=September 25, 2011 }}</ref> This was the first season to use a story arc of Jerry and George creating their own sitcom, ''Jerry''. Also, at this time, the use of Jerry's stand-up act slowly declined, and the stand-up segment in the middle of ''Seinfeld'' episodes was cut.

Much publicity followed the controversial episode "[[The Contest]]", an [[Emmy Award]]-winning episode written by David, whose subject matter was considered inappropriate for prime-time network TV. To circumvent this taboo, the word "[[masturbation]]" was never used in the script, instead substituted for by a variety of oblique references.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=411 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173057/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=411 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> Midway through that season, ''Seinfeld'' was moved from its original 9:00&nbsp;p.m. time slot on Wednesdays to 9:30&nbsp;p.m. on Thursdays, following ''[[Cheers]]'' again, which gave the show even more popularity. Ratings also sparked the move, as [[Tim Allen]]'s sitcom ''[[Home Improvement (TV series)|Home Improvement]]'' on ABC had aired at the same time, and ''Home Improvement'' kept beating ''Seinfeld'' in the ratings. NBC moved the series after [[Ted Danson]] announced the end of ''Cheers'' and ''Seinfeld'' quickly surpassed the ratings of the 9:00&nbsp;p.m. ''Cheers'' reruns that spring.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-03-04-ca-474-story.html|author=Cerone, Daniel|title=Seinfeld Is Suddenly Something|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 4, 1993|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> The show won an Emmy Award for ''Outstanding Comedy Series'' in 1993, beating out its family-oriented, time-slot competitor ''Home Improvement'', which was only in its second season on rival network ABC.

Season 5 was an even bigger ratings hit, consisting of popular episodes, such as "[[The Puffy Shirt]]", in which Jerry feels embarrassed wearing a "pirate" shirt on ''[[The Today Show]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=503 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117030920/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=503 |archive-date=November 17, 2012 }}</ref> "[[The Non-Fat Yogurt]]" featuring [[Rudy Giuliani]], the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] then-mayor-elect of New York,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=508 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118040205/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=508 |archive-date=November 18, 2012 }}</ref> and "[[The Opposite]]" in which George, doing the opposite of what his instincts tell him he should do, lands a job with the New York Yankees and Elaine leaves "Pendant Publishing" because of a comedy of errors that led to its demise. Another story arc has George returning to live with his parents. Amid the story arc, Kramer creates and promotes his [[coffee table book]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=521 |title=Seinfeld – Now Playing – The Opposite |publisher=Sony Pictures |access-date=September 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173017/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=521 |archive-date=October 10, 2012 }}</ref> The show was again nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, but lost to the ''Cheers'' spin-off ''[[Frasier]]'', then in its first season. ''Seinfeld'' was nominated for the same award every year for its entire run but, after its win at the [[45th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1994, always lost to ''Frasier'', which went on to win a record 39 Emmy Awards in its 11-season run.