The Real Reason Seinfeld's Laugh Track Is Inconsistent

"Seinfeld" is one of the best sitcoms of all time, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. The absolute worst episodes of "Seinfeld" leave a bad taste in the viewer's mouth even decades later, and even Jerry Seinfeld regrets some things about the show's controversial finale. There's also a very particular production decision that some viewers may find jarring. The show uses an obvious laugh track, but only in some scenes, which leads to inconsistencies in the way the show launches into the laughter cues after jokes. 

Seinfeld himself addressed the situation while answering fan questions on Reddit. According to him, the reason behind the occasional inconsistent laughter is that the makers of the show struggled to find the balance between the scenes they shot with the audience and those that didn't involve one, and tactical deployment of canned laughter was an attempt to solve the situation:

"This was something we struggled with quite often on 'Seinfeld'. Because we had real laughs on the scenes that were shot in front of an audience, but then we would shoot other scenes that were not in front of the audience (which didn't have any laughs) and then it felt like a bit of a mismatch, so we tried to compromise and put in a subtle laugh track. 

Laugh tracks are a controversial subject, especially since quality comedy shows like "The Office," "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Parks and Recreation," and "Scrubs" have managed to do just fine without any canned laughs. As /Film's Danielle Ryan has pointed out, asking why sitcoms are still using laugh tracks makes for a worthy discussion – but at the end of the day, certain shows (like ones that film in front of a live audience) may benefit from using them. 

This is the approach "Seinfeld" the show chose, and also one that Seinfeld the man agrees with. In his Reddit AMA session, the comedian noted that a laugh track can very much benefit one sitcom, while another work just fine without one:

"I think that one of the fun things of a sitcom is feeling like you're in an audience even though you're home, watching it by yourself. I have to say I like some sitcoms with them and some without. Depends on the show."