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jerry seinfeld’s power over nbc

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Back in the hay-day of NBC – the days of Friends, Seinfeld and a lineup that was called “Must-See TV” – Jerry Seinfeld was the principle writer and star of the network’s most popular television show.  But as every sitcom eventually does, Seinfeld went off the air, exiting in 1998.

Then, after staying out of the limelight for a decade, Seinfeld returned to the peacock network last year with an idea for a reality show.  That idea is what you see now with The Marriage Ref which, in my opinion, is unwatchable.

The New York Post reports that Seinfeld had such power at NBC that the network immediately green-lighted the project, meaning they didn’t perform any audience testing on it.  Which, in this day-and-age, is absolutely unheard of and a very stupid idea.

“Jerry could have walked in the door with a show based on a guy sitting with a paper bag over his head and it would have been green-lighted,” said the executive. “His name and fame is golden, and the network needs all the help it can get.

“If you know the Yiddish term kvelling, that’s what the executives were doing. They were rejoicing. Jerry’s back! Seinfeld’s in the house again!”

While Seinfeld was seen as a savior at NBC, his show is one that, in my opinion doesn’t have the legs to last more than two seasons.  The analysis on the show isn’t that funny and The Marriage Ref has already seen its audience drop from approximately 16 million in its 30-minute preview following the Olympics to 7-8 million in its full-hour debut.

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This post was written by Eric Van Dril.  For more of his writing, visit RipcordNews.com.

leno books seinfeld for show #1

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Jay Leno is well-known for his wide-ranging appeal.

On his first night in NBC’s 9 p.m. slot, Leno will have Jerry Seinfeld, Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West as his guests.

A couple days ago, HooplaNow.com wrote about Leno booking Rihanna, West and HOVA as musical guests, and Seinfeld’s booking was confirmed Friday.

It’s funny that the Seinfeld booking basically personifies Leno’s act and show.  Seinfeld hasn’t been on since 1998, yet Leno is hoping to attract viewers with Seinfeld’s “Did you ever notice” act, which is simply tired and unfunny.

I think Leno is a hack, as I chronicled here, and I think his show will fail at 9 p.m. CT.  What do you think about the prospects of Leno doing five hours of TV-per-week?

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This post was written by Eric Van Dril.  For more of his writing, check out RipcordNews.com.

who will host the oscars? who do the people want?

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In a recent interview, Ricky Gervais admitted that he probably won’t be asked to host the vaunted Academy Awards because he is too controversial a figure, and his brand of comedy doesn’t seem to fit the show.

The Office and Extras star is currently one of the many names that is being floated around to host the prestigious show in February.  Gervais feels that the head of the Academy will choose someone else, though.

“I don’t think it will happen. Americans do get my humor but in the words of Jerry Seinfeld, ‘The Oscars isn’t about comedy, it’s about a bunch of people turning up to see if they get an award.’

Gervais doesn’t feel like he would fit in with the show because of its’ uptight demeanor.

“It is a huge deal and it’s very flattering to be considered but I’m not sure I would be right,” he said. “It’s a historic, stuffy thing and I’d want to have fun with it and I don’t think they’d want me to do that. I wouldn’t be allowed to do what I wanted and it would be me reading an autocue. I don’t need to do these things. I don’t want to up my profile.”

Personally, I’d love to see Gervais host the Oscars.  But I’d also like the host to be funny, and they seemed to tame Chris Rock when he hosted, so maybe Gervais isn’t such a good idea.  My choice over Gervais, however, would have to be Russell Brand.

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Not sure what to do this weekend? Here’s our picks. What else is going on?

Jerry Seinfeld
7 p.m. Friday (10/17), Adler Theatre, 136 E. Third St., Davenport, $47 to $77, (319) 363-1888, www.ticketmaster.com

Jerry Seinfeld’s lame Microsoft commercials with Bill Gates have been met with a resounding “meh,” but they’re just about the only thing the gym-shoe clad comedian has done wrong in his stellar career.
Ten years after “Seinfeld” left the air, Seinfeld still reigns as stand-up’s king, with only Bill Cosby carrying as much clout. Pretty nice, then, that Seinfeld isn’t shy about touring, making his third stop in Eastern Iowa in the last four years.

Norm MacDonald
8 p.m. Tuesday (10/21), Clarion Hotel, 525 33rd Ave. S.W., Cedar Rapids, $33, (319) 362-8133, www.penguinscomedyclub.com

Before Amy Poehler, Tina Fey or Jimmy Fallon manned the “Weekend Update” anchor desk on “Saturday Night Live,” Norm MacDonald was the man in command, serving up wry commentary on the world’s inanities in his trademark sneering mumble.
MacDonald hasn’t done much since then (unless you count ABC’s short-lived “Norm” sitcom, which I don’t), so it’s good to see him hitting up comedy clubs to try to revive his career. MacDonald always been funny as hell, and he might just be due for a comeback.

Night of the Living Derby featuring Cedar Rapids Rollergirls vs. Quad City Rollers
7 p.m. Oct. 25, U.S. Cellular Center, 370 First Ave. N.E., Cedar Rapids, $10 in advance or $13 at the door, (319) 363-1888, www.ticketmaster.com

The Cedar Rapids Rollergirls have yet to rough up their first opponent on their own turf, but they’re already off to a great start with their pink-skull logo, which seems to say something like “We will charm you, and then we will kill you.”
Cedar Rapids is known for not being able to support any sort of sports teams aside from the Kernels and Roughriders, so who knows how a female roller-derby team will fare. One thing’s for sure, though: The Rollergirls have the market cornered on quirkiness.

What are you doing this weekend?