1 of 25 of the new pilots that Simple Rock was talking about is a Jerry Seinfeld exec produced reality tv show...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/arts/ ... 7sein.html
Even Jerry Seinfeld has caught the reality-TV bug, though he is quick to note that גthis is going to be a comedy show; Iגm not interested in the reality of it.ג
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Danny Moloshok/Reuters
Jerry Seinfeld will return to NBC as producer of "The Marriage Refs," a prime-time reality series.
NBC said on Thursday that Mr. Seinfeld, whose sitcom was a mainstay of its lineup in the 1990s, is returning to the network as the producer of a prime-time series called גThe Marriage Refs.ג
The new show is scheduled for the next television season, perhaps as early as the fall. It is not a sitcom but a reality series about funny marital spats ג with the emphasis on spats because Mr. Seinfeld and his producing partner, Ellen Rakieten, have no intention of doing relationship therapy on television.
גTV therapy never works anyway,ג Ms. Rakieten said, and she should know, having been a producer and executive with Oprah Winfreyגs talk show for 23 years.
Mr. Seinfeld himself came up with the idea for the show, which springs from the natural progression of his comedy. For much of his early career, including the גSeinfeldג years, he was single; his comedy was often based on the trials and tribulations of dating (close talkers, low talkers, women with man hands, women whose names rhyme with body parts, to name a few).
But Mr. Seinfeld has been married for nine years ג with three children ג and his comedy act after גSeinfeldג revolves around the vagaries of marriage and children. His strength was always playing the observational-comedy card and what he has been observing is married life. As he said in a telephone interview, גAny comedian will tell you marriage is a gold mine of comedy.ג
גNo one seemed to be doing this on TV,ג he said. גYou used to have גThe Honeymoonersג and classic shows like that. So weגre going to try to fill the void.ג
Originally, he said, he thought of the idea as a Web site. גI really did not want to do another television show,ג he said. But his wife, Jessica, saw the possibilities of a television series. גShe really picked up the idea,ג Mr. Seinfeld said. גShe wrote the treatment.ג
One reason: They had lived out the premise of the show. גWe were having one of these silly arguments, and a friend of hers happened to be over,ג Mr. Seinfeld recounted. גHe said he was getting a little uncomfortable and maybe he should leave, but I said no, he should be the marriage ref and decide on the argument.ג
In essence thatגs what the show is. Each episode will have a theme, Mr. Seinfeld said, like husbands who watch too much sports or, as he put it, גshirt shows ג she says he always wears the same shirt.ג
After capturing a series of couples having the same argument (on unmanned cameras the producers will place in houses in as many households as they can get to cooperate, Ms. Rakieten said), the show will bring them to the set where a panel of commentators will offer their own opinions on the spat ג humorously of course.
גThe marriage ref will be like the guy on the field,ג Mr. Seinfeld said. גWeגll have a telestrator, instant replays, different camera angles. Then the ref will make the decision. And it could be for whatever reason he wants. He could say to the wife, גYou had the better argument, but I didnגt like the way you said something.ג ג
The winner will be awarded some kind of prize and then, Mr. Seinfeld said, גWe send the couple out to dinner.ג
It will all be in good fun, he added, though it may also do some good. גI see it as a pro-marriage show,ג Mr. Seinfeld said. גIt shows everybody else is doing the same silly things.ג
Ms. Rakieten, no doubt matching the desire of NBC, said she hoped Mr. Seinfeld would appear on the show occasionally. גI have no plans to be on it,ג Mr. Seinfeld said. Then he added, גWeגll see.ג