‘The League’ — ‘Seinfeld’ For A New Generation
by Frank Martin
The big joke with Seinfeld is that it was a show about nothing. It’s just a bunch of narcissistic characters going about their lives while trying to boost their egos for their own ends. That was more or less what made the show so successful and hilarious. So it felt strange to see another show, years later, that also employed a similar format. The League, originally airing on FX, followed another group of apathetic narcissists focused on petty plots and fabricated character drama. But it wasn’t a show about nothing as the main characters were extremely hyper focused on winning their fantasy football league.
In the grand scheme of their lives, fantasy football was not that big of a deal. Some of these people have kids, jobs, and real world issues they need to contend with. And yet, fantasy football remained a singular focus of their decision-making, so much so that it negatively affected everyone around them. They are looked down upon even by other people in other fantasy football leagues as they only have a league with eight players, which is considered inferior to teams with more.
The comparison might seem hard to make on paper, but after watching the show for seven seasons, it’s clear to see the similarities. The show does such a great job fabricating shenanigans for these individuals to go through. It still feels like a show about nothing even when the characters have a main goal in mind. Plus, there are a number characters going through their own individual story arcs that somehow manage to tie into one another in the end. That is absolutely a Seinfeld trademark that only solidifies the fact that these shows appear to be the same concept for a different generation.
The League is now streaming on Hulu.
