Lindelof: The show became so meta that even now, you think about it: I’m a lifelong Yankees fan, and the first thing that I thought of when Steinbrenner died was Seinfeld.

Rosenthal: If the criteria are characters that are very much of New York; New York is on display; and everything about New York is a subject of the show: It’s gotta be Seinfeld! How could it not be? There’s no other show that’s more New York, down to the marble rye.

Scott: I just can’t get it out of my head that it was shot in L.A.

Lindelof: What it all comes down to in a lot of ways is, if you were to describe what a show is about in a single sentence, you have to use the words “New York” in that sentence.

Adalian: Yes. Seinfeld is the winner right there. That should be the definition of this game.

Lindelof: It only occurred to me while I was in the restroom.

Rosenthal: Most great ideas do.

Related:

• Archive: “Cover Story”
• Table of Contents: Jan 17, 2011 issue of New York | Subscribe!