Editing Seinfeld (section)

===Series finale===
{{Main|The Finale (Seinfeld)}}
After nine years on the air, NBC and Seinfeld announced on December 25, 1997, that the series would end production the following spring in 1998. The announcement made the front page of the major New York newspapers, including ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carter |first1=Bill |title=Seinfeld Says It's All Over, And It's No Joke for NBC |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/26/us/seinfeld-says-it-s-all-over-and-it-s-no-joke-for-nbc.html |access-date=May 17, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=December 26, 1997 |page=A1|url-access=limited}}</ref> Seinfeld was featured on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's first issue of 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101980112,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050129064628/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101980112,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 29, 2005|title=Time Magazine Cover: Jerry Seinfeld|date=January 12, 1998|access-date=May 17, 2007|magazine=Time}}</ref> The series ended with a 75-minute episode (cut to 60 minutes in [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]], in two parts) written by co-creator and ex-executive producer Larry David, which aired on May 14, 1998. Before the finale, a 45-minute retrospective clip show, "[[The Chronicle (Seinfeld)|The Chronicle]]", was aired. The retrospective was expanded to an hour after the original airing and aired again on NBC as an hour-long episode, and has since aired in syndication.

It was the first episode since the finale of season 7, "[[The Invitations]]", to feature opening and closing stand-up comedy acts by Seinfeld. The finale was filmed before an audience of NBC executives and friends of the show. The press and public were shut out of the taping to keep its plot secret; those who attended the shoot of the final episode were required to sign written "vows of silence".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9804/08/seinfeld.email/|title=The 'Seinfeld' e-mail for April 8, 1998 |publisher=[[CNN.com]]|date=April 8, 1998|access-date=May 17, 2007}}</ref> The secrecy only seemed to increase speculation about how the series would end. The episode's producers gave false information to the media, spreading a rumor about Newman ending up in the hospital and Jerry and Elaine sitting in a chapel, presumably to marry.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/36158/clues_seinfeld_sign_off|title=Clues to "Seinfeld" Sign Off|author=Ryan, Joal|publisher=[[E! News]]|date=March 27, 1998|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref>

The final episode enjoyed a historic audience,<ref>{{Cite news|title = 'Seinfeld's' Finale Ends Up in Sixth Place of All Time|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-16-ca-50143-story.html|newspaper = Los Angeles Times|date = May 16, 1998|access-date = February 16, 2022|issn = 0458-3035|first = Brian|last = Lowry}}</ref> estimated at 76.3 million viewers<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nededog |first1=Jethro |title=The 20 most-watched TV show finales of all time, ranked |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/most-watched-tv-show-finales-of-all-time-2017-5 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |work=Business Insider}}</ref> (58% of all viewers that night) making it the fourth-most watched regular series finale in U.S. TV history, behind ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'', ''Cheers'' and ''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Carter|first=Bill|date=May 8, 2004|title='Friends' Finale's Audience Is the Fourth Biggest Ever|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/08/arts/friends-finale-s-audience-is-the-fourth-biggest-ever.html|access-date=July 16, 2021|issn=0362-4331|url-access=limited}}</ref> However, the finale received mixed reviews from critics and fans of the show. The finale poked fun at the many rumors that were circulating, seeming to move into multiple supposed plots before settling on its actual storyline—a lengthy trial where the gang is prosecuted for violating a "[[Duty to rescue|Duty to Rescue]]" law and sentenced to prison terms.

According to ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine, Seinfeld's earnings from the show in 1998 came to US$267 million, including syndication earnings.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-03-08-9903090088-story.html|title=Seinfeld's $267 Million Tops Celebrity-pay List In Forbes|work=Chicago Tribune|date=March 8, 1999|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> He refused NBC's offer of $5 million per episode, or over $100 million total, to continue into a tenth season. The offer NBC made to Seinfeld was over three times higher per episode than anyone on TV had ever been offered before.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uproxx.com/tv/where-does-the-cast-of-big-bang-theory-rank-among-the-25-highest-paid-tv-stars-of-all-time/|title=The Highest Paid TV Actors Of All Time Per Per Episode|work=UPROXX|date=August 5, 2014}}</ref> Seinfeld told the network that he was not married nor had children, and wished to focus on his personal life.<ref name="cnnrating">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9712/26/seinfeld/|title=Seinfeld calls decision to end show "all about timing"|work=CNN|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=December 26, 1997|access-date=December 18, 2007}}</ref>{{r|littlefield20120529}} As reported in July 2007, he was the second-highest earner in the TV industry, earning at the time $60 million a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2007/10/01/Oprah-Seinfeld-top-TVs-richest/UPI-91401191240657/|title=Oprah and Seinfeld top TV's richest|date=October 1, 2007|access-date=December 18, 2007}}</ref> The episode became the first to command over $1 million a minute for advertising—a mark previously attained only by the [[Super Bowl]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1997-06-01/seinfeld|title=Seinfeld|website=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=June 2, 1997 |access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref>