Jerry Seinfeld Says SEINFELD Wouldn’t Exist Without Rob Reiner: ‘He Saved Us From Cancellation’
As Jerry Seinfeld mourns the loss of Rob Reiner, he offered a tribute making it clear that without Reiner’s belief and backing, his comedy series Seinfeld might never have made it past its earliest days.
The comedian shared an emotional message following the shocking news that Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner died together on Sunday, a loss that stunned Hollywood.
Reiner is being remembered by many for his iconic work behind the camera on films like This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, Stand By Me, and When Harry Met Sally. But for Seinfeld, Reiner’s most meaningful contribution happened on television, long before the sitcom became a pop culture institution.
“Next to Larry David and George Shapiro, Rob Reiner had the biggest influence on my career,” Seinfeld wrote in an Instagram post.
Larry David, his co-creator and executive producer, and George Shapiro, his longtime manager and an executive producer on the show, were central in shaping Seinfeld. But Reiner’s support proved to be the difference between survival and cancellation.
“Our show would have never happened without him. He saw something no one else could. When nobody at the network liked the early episodes, he saved us from cancellation,” Seinfeld added.
“That I was working with Carl Reiner’s son, who happened to be one of the kindest people in show business, seemed unreal. I was naive at the time to how much his passion for us meant.”
Reiner’s company, Castle Rock Entertainment, produced Seinfeld, which began its life under the original title The Seinfeld Chronicles. The 23-minute pilot struggled to connect with NBC executives and test audiences alike.
When it finally aired on July 5, 1989, the ratings landed higher than expected, just enough to earn the show a follow-up order of four episodes. At the time, it was considered the smallest sitcom pickup in TV history.
Castle Rock explored taking the show elsewhere, but with no other network biting, they accepted NBC’s modest commitment. The rest, eventually, became television history.
Seinfeld also reflected on the impact Reiner and his wife had on him beyond the business side of things.
“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,” he wrote. “Their death, together, is impossibly sad.”
As tributes continue to pour in, Seinfeld’s words underscore just how pivotal Reiner was during a moment when Seinfeld was hanging by a thread.