Dept. of Things That Shouldn't Exist

Now this really sounds awful:

The comedian's project is tentatively called "The Marriage Ref" and features celebrities, comedians and athletes who will judge couples in the midst of marital disputes while recommending various strategies to resolve their problems.

Seinfeld is partnering with "The Oprah Winfrey Show" veteran Ellen Rakieten on the project, which reunites the comedian with the network that aired his hit sitcom "Seinfeld" for nine years.

Amelie Gillette has the right idea: "Why picture it when I could just stare at a blank wall until I fall asleep and get the same effect? It's never a good sign when you have to specifically inform people that, yes, this is supposed to be a comedy show."

Then there's this from Seinfeld:

"This is not a therapy show, it's a comedy show," said Seinfeld. "After nine years of marriage, I have discovered that the comedic potential of this subject is quite rich."

Yes, that's quite an insight. Who would have thought to make a comedy out of a marriage? Ray who?

As I think about it, I find that I'm not terribly interested in rewatching any Seinfeld episodes in the forseeable future. It just feels outdated these days, especially since similar shows like It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia have gone much further (and contain a much higher quotient of laughs) than Seinfeld ever did. Still, it's hard to dispute Seinfeld's influence, though watching him hocking progressively suckier projects reminds me of Rudy Giuliani's primary campaign (or John McCain's, for that matter) for 2008: it's disappointing to see people you used to like become more and more pathetic as they prostitute themselves to remain relevant. Ugh.

Oh, and there's also this:

"Jerry called us up and told us he had an idea," Silverman said. "He flew in to sit down with us, and he and Ellen pitched the show. We were laughing the whole time as they went through the concept. As Jerry noted, some of the greatest comedies in history have been about marriage."

Look, of course all you NBC suits are going to laugh hysterically at whatever Jerry Seinfeld says. He's Jerry fucking Seinfeld and not only is he funny, but I bet your sweet ass that even if he started telling, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" jokes you'd still be laughing because you toadies want to maintain a good relationship with Jerry Seinfeld, one of the most famous and popular entertainers living today. So pardon me if I ask whether or not you are protesting too much.

I am just curious about something: where is NBC's LOST? Where is it's 24 (so to speak)? It seems that all the other channels each have a big-time, critically acclaimed serial series, while NBC is tossing out more reality sludge with Jerry Seinfeld and has-been Jay Leno. Since I don't have TV (I catch everything I want on Hulu) I don't know what their programming schedule is like, but it's pretty sad from what I can tell. And I bet Conan gets seriously dumbed down as well when he becomes Mr. Late Night.