When an influential piece of media like "Seinfeld" becomes canonized as one of the best sitcoms ever made, it can almost be too easy for viewers to forget the many lessons it learned to attain that status. When you watch "Seinfeld" from the very beginning, you'll see a show that has the right elements, but is still trying to find its footing. Each season saw the NBC sitcom gradually become more confident in its comedy, characters, and outlandish plots. By the time "The Contest" aired, it cemented "Seinfeld" as a phenomenon that everyone had to keep up with.

There was a lot of ambition behind the scenes, with series co-creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld attempting to write a show about the chaotic lifestyle of a New York comedian. It became a hit because they were willing to push the envelope of something that had never been done on television before.