Tomato and Bev, Extremely bad news I'm afraid:
Friday December 26 9:40 AM EST
Top TV comedy show "Seinfeld" to end-NYT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Seinfeld," the most popular U.S. television comedy of the 1990s, will stop production at the end of this season, the New York Times reported Friday, quoting the show's creator and star, Jerry Seinfeld.
The loss of the show is a serious blow to NBC, a unit of General Electric Co., which has already seen its prime-time strength begin to weaken this season, the newspaper said.
"Seinfeld" has anchored NBC's Thursday night programming since 1993, leading the network to its No. 1 position and to record profits, approaching $1 billion this year, the newspaper said. The
show itself has made more than $200 million a year in profits for NBC, it said, citing advertising industry estimates.
The half-hour show, which has been sold to networks abroad, revolves around four single, slightly neurotic and self-absorbed friends who negotiate the perils of love and life in New York City.
The Times said Seinfeld's immediate career plans involve a return to his roots in stand-up comedy.
NBC tried to persuade Seinfeld to stay, offering him the most lucrative deal ever extended to a television star, it said, quoting an unidentified executive.
The newspaper quoted an NBC statement that said it respected Seinfeld's decision and that it had been a "great undertaking" to keep the top caliber show at its peak.
The Times said the decision to shut down the show, which it noted had been long anticipated in the television industry, was Seinfeld's. Associates of the comedian told the newspaper that Seinfeld
decided late on Tuesday to wrap up production with a special final episode this spring.
An executive familiar with the negotiations with Seinfeld estimated that NBC, led by Robert Wright, its president, and Jack Welch, chairman of GE, had offered Seinfeld a deal worth about $5 million
an episode to keep the show in production. The show produces 22 episodes a season.
Seinfeld is reportedly paid $1 million per episode but the executive told the Times the comedian had been at that figure three years ago and now makes much more than that.
The executive said Welch "went numb" when Seinfeld turned down NBC's $5 million per episode offer.
The newspaper said the show's departure will force the network to make difficult decisions, such as finding a replacement for the show next fall and what to do with the rest of its Thursday-night lineup.
NBC has been in the No. 1 position for three years, but its ratings for its regular shows have fallen about 10 percent this year, it said. Without "Seinfeld," the drop-off could become much more
severe, it said. ^REUTERS@
Copyright c 1997 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is
expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or
delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon
Questions or Comments |
