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'Seinfeld' signs off at end of this season
December 26, 1997
Seinfeld
Web posted at: 1:49 p.m. EST (1849 GMT)NEW YORK (CNN) -- Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who crafted a television show that became a cultural signpost for the 1990s, is calling it quits.
Seinfeld has decided to cease production of "Seinfeld" at the end of the season, NBC said early Friday.
Seinfeld announced the decision in a front-page story in Friday's New York Times.
The self-described show about nothing, which featured the New York comedian and his three dysfunctional friends, was a major profit maker for the network. Its ensemble cast portray four self-absorbed New Yorkers who stumble through life meeting such inane characters as the Soup Nazi, the bubble boy and a hateful mailman named Newman.
Although some critics thought the show was fading this season, its ninth, "Seinfeld" was still taking creative chances. Just recently, it tried to tell a story backwards.
CNN's Kitty Pilgrim reports on Seinfeld signing off
2 min. 10 sec. VXtreme video
To keep a show of this caliber at its peak is a great undertaking, and we respect Jerry's decision that at the end of this season, it's time to move on.
— NBC Statement
The show's popularity certainly hasn't faded among viewers. It is ranked as the second-highest rated show on the air, just below the NBC drama "ER".
"To keep a show of this caliber at its peak is a great undertaking, and we respect Jerry's decision that at the end of this season, it's time to move on," NBC said in a statement.
The loss blows a hole in the center of NBC's Thursday night lineup, the most popular in television. The network also faces a difficult negotiation to keep "ER," which airs a half hour after "Seinfeld."
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerry Seinfeld and Michael Richards Castle Rock Entertainment, a division of Time Warner Inc., has produced "Seinfeld" for seven years. Time Warner also owns CNN.
NBC almost lost "Seinfeld" after last season. Seinfeld's supporting cast, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards, demanded a lucrative contract and a deal wasn't struck until the eve of NBC's announcement of a fall season.
Seinlanguage: Certain words, phrases and characters from the show have found their way into everyday usage.Some examples:
"Yada, yada, yada"
"Not that there's anything wrong with that"
"Master of your domain"
"Festivus.....a holiday for the rest of us"
Seinfeld has been saying for the past few months that he would make a decision about whether to continue around the first of the year.
"For me, this is all about timing. My life is all about timing. As a comedian, my sense of timing is everything," Seinfeld told the Times.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Message board:
Related story:
- Seinfeld retains his No. 1 appeal - December 26, 1997
Related sites:
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- Castle Rock Entertainment
- Columbia TriStar Television - Seinfeld
- NBC.com TV Central - Seinfeld
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