Antenna TV Request: "Seinfeld"

[stevearino]

Dear Sean Compton,

I have a proposal for Antenna TV: to make a deal with Sony Pictures Domestic Television Distribution for Antenna TV to become the exclusive Digital OTA home of the hit 1990-1998 sitcom juggernaut "Seinfeld," lovingly showcasing all 180 half-hour episodes of this sitcom classic 100% Complete, 100% Uncut, 100% Unremastered AND 100% Unedited, just the way that each and every episode originally aired on the NBC Television Network, each and every one sourced from the original NBC Television Network Film Prints.

Created by Larry David, "Seinfeld" was a hit '90s sitcom originally aired on NBC for 8 seasons from May 31, 1990 - May 14, 1998; the show was originally conceived and created by Larry David as a sitcom vehicle for successful stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld under the working title "Stand Up," about where a Stand-Up Comedian gets his material from, in November 1988 and soon afterwards was pitched to execs at the then-new FOX Television Network; after FOX passed on "Stand Up," NBC bought the concept to Pilot and renamed it "The Seinfeld Chronicles," with the aforementioned Pilot filmed in Spring 1989 at Desilu Studios in Los Angeles, California on the same soundstage where "The Dick Van Dyke Show" filmed almost 30 years earlier.

"Seinfeld" aired its Pilot episode on July 5, 1989 at 9 P.M. ET on NBC after a Summer Rerun of the hit '80s sitcom "Night Court" and was immediately picked up to series for the Fall 1989 TV season as a summer-replacement series for Summer 1990 starting on May 31, 1990 for a 4-week Summer run, with the following 4 episodes also filmed at Desilu Studios in Los Angeles, California.

Despite marginal success that summer airing Thursday nights at 9 P.M. ET after summer reruns of the '80s sitcom "Cheers," NBC picked up "Seinfeld" as a regular series starting on January 23, 1991, this time airing on Wednesday nights at 9 P.M. ET on NBC after "Night Court" for an additional 13 weeks.

Simultaneously, filming for "Seinfeld" moved permanently for the rest of its run to CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles, eventually to Stage 9 in Fall 1992.

Despite continued marginal success, a Season 2 was ordered for "Seinfeld," again on Wednesday nights at 9 P.M. ET on NBC after "Night Court," with both shows switching timeslots mid-season, after which "Night Court" ended its own 8-season run on NBC in July 1992, with "Seinfeld" beginning its 3rd season again on Wednesday nights at 9 P.M. ET on NBC, this time opposite the 2nd season of Tim Allen's hit '90s Disney sitcom "Home Improvement" on the ABC Television Network; by mid-season, rather than cancelling it outright, NBC moved "Seinfeld" from Wednesday nights at 9 P.M. ET to Thursday nights at 9 P.M. ET just to give it a chance to improve ratings-wise--a move making "Seinfeld" the classic it is now and forevermore, with ratings through the roof.

In September 1995, despite being produced by Castle Rock Entertainment (by this time owned by Ted Turner, who later sold the studio to Warner Bros., thus making Castle Rock Entertainment a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Entertainment since 1997), Columbia TriStar Television Distribution (now officially Sony Pictures Domestic Television Distribution) bought the syndication rerun rights to "Seinfeld" via Columbia Pictures Television and the show entered rerun syndication, where it continues to flourish still today.

In December 1997, after 8 successful seasons (and over a year after Larry David quit the show, leaving Seinfeld himself to be showrunner thereafter), Jerry Seinfeld decided to "Sein" off from "Seinfeld," with NBC celebrating the show's success with a 2-Hour Series Finale telecast on May 14, 1998, with Larry David, who 2 years earlier after Season 6 left "Seinfeld" and quit the show, leaving Seinfeld himself to become showrunner, with the stand-up bits dropped permanently, returning to write the hour-long finale (which followed an Hour-Long Retrospective), which began with a final opening Stand-Up bit.

Among other events occurring in the series finale: 5 years after the fictional show-within-a-show Pilot "Jerry" was filmed, NBC picked up "Jerry" for a 13-week series commitment to air on Wednesday nights, with George & Jerry set to move to California to work on the show; before they leave, George, Jerry, Elaine & Kramer mutually agreed to go on a private jet NBC offered Jerry for free, which soon after take off made an emergency landing in rural Latham, Massachusetts, where they soon after witnessed an armed Robbery, making their usual wisecracks, doing nothing to stop and prevent it, and are subsequently arrested by Officer Matt Vogel (Scott Jaeck) for Criminal Indifference--essentially doing "nothing" to stop a crime from happening.

The second half of the hour-long Finale featured Geraldo Rivera & Jane Wells (both appearing as themselves) covering the subsequent trial of the "Sein" gang, who are ultimately found Guilty of Criminal Indifference and sentenced to a year in Prison for doing "nothing" to prevent a crime from happening.

The finale ends with a final stand-up bit as the end credits roll for the last time with Seinfeld in an orange jump suit performing for a Prison audience before being led out by a Prison Cop (Jon Hayman, who also reprised his "Bubble Boy" role he earlier played in Season 3's "Bubble Boy" episode).

In the years since, as noted earlier, reruns of "Seinfeld" continue to flourish in syndication, as well as on cable channels such as TBS, TV Land, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon as part of 2 separate stints on Nick at Nite (in the UK, where it was known as Paramount Comedy Channel from November 1, 1995 - February 4, 2001 until Paramount Comedy became its own separate 24/7 UK Channel, and Nick at Nite USA from May 30, 2022 - November 29, 2022).

Tentatively, Antenna TV, in honor of its belated 35 years on the air, shall add "Seinfeld" to its regular lineup on January 1, 2026 with a 7-day "Sein-a-Thon" by airing all 180 half-hour episodes TWICE back-to-back over the course of 7 days starting at 5 A.M. ET on January 1, 2026 and concluding on January 8, 2026 at 5 A.M. ET, after which Antenna TV shall air "Seinfeld" regularly weekdays at 2 P.M. ET on Antenna TV while Viacom networks e.g. Comedy Central and TV Land continue to air "Seinfeld" on cable only.

Sincerely,
Steve Arino

[Alan Brady's Hair]

I think that it would have to be preempted anywhere it's shown in local syndication.

[opus]

Originally Posted by stevearino

100% Complete, 100% Uncut, 100% Unedited, just the way that each and every episode originally aired on the NBC Television Network

It was at this point that whoever at Antenna that was reading the letter started laughing hysterically and stopped reading.

[AMackII]

I would be suprised if either Antenna TV or Rewind TV reruns Seinfeld but it’s impossible at the moment

[kartguy]

until NetFlix gives up on Seinfeld, I wouldn't' look for it on many other places. They supply the big bucks.