Jerry Seinfeld Credits Rob Reiner for Saving His Show from Cancellation: ‘‘Our Show Would Have Never Happened Without Him’’
Jerry Seinfeld has honored Rob Reiner after the filmmaker’s tragic death, crediting him with saving Seinfeld from cancellation in its early days.
The comedian, 71, shared a photo on Instagram on Monday, Dec. 15, featuring himself, Rob Reiner, and Reiner’s father, the late Carl Reiner. In the caption, Seinfeld called Rob Reiner one of the biggest influences on his career, alongside co-creator Larry David and the late producer and manager George Shapiro.
“Our show would have never happened without him,” Seinfeld wrote. “He saw something no one else could. When nobody at the network liked the early episodes, he saved us from cancellation.”
Seinfeld ran from 1989 to 1998 and starred Jerry Seinfeld with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, Jerry Stiller, and Wayne Knight. The show was produced by Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment.
Seinfeld also reflected on his personal connection with Reiner, noting that working with Carl Reiner’s son was an incredible experience. “I was naive at the time to how much his passion for us meant. Rob and Michele married right as our show was starting and they became an imprint for me of how it’s supposed to work, each one broadening the other. Their death, together, is impossibly sad,” he wrote.
Rob Reiner himself spoke about Seinfeld’s early struggles during a 2016 interview on The Howard Stern Show. He revealed that NBC executives were ready to cancel the show because the first episodes were not well received.
“They said, ‘We can’t have this show. What is this show? It’s just people sitting around talking,’” Reiner said. He recalled having a “screaming, crazy thing” with NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff, “begging” him to keep the series on air.
“I said, ‘Please, I promise you there’ll be stories. You can’t take this show off the air. It’s going to be one of the great shows you’ve ever had,’” Reiner added.
Tragically, Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were found dead at their Brentwood, California home on Dec. 14 in an apparent homicide. According to multiple sources, the couple was allegedly killed by their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner. He has been arrested and is being held without bail. Their bodies were reportedly discovered by their daughter, Romy.
Seinfeld’s tribute highlights the lasting impact Rob Reiner had on television history and the personal relationships he built along the way.
It’s clear that without Rob Reiner’s early support, Seinfeld might never have become the cultural phenomenon it is today. What do you think about the role Reiner played in saving the show? Share your thoughts in the comments.